Special issue: Information, governance, and rural service delivery

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has for decades contributed significantly on key topics for effective service delivery.

Investing in three aspects of governance, examined in this chapter, is critical for rural revitalization. First, appropriate and predictable laws and regulations are fundamental to economic growth and development.

More information is impactful only when beneficiaries deem the information relevant, and when they have both the power and incentives to act on it.

Women’s self-help groups (SHGs) have increasingly been used as a vehicle for social, political, and economic empowerment as well as a platform for service delivery.

Where there are more village meetings, cash transfers can increase trust in elected leaders, and improve the perceptions of government responsiveness to citizens’ concerns, and leaders' honesty.

Where there are more village meetings, cash transfers can increase trust in elected leaders, and improve the perceptions of government responsiveness to citizens’ concerns, and leaders' honesty.

With emerging recognition of changing climates’ impact on agricultural productivity, a sharper lens is focused on how to target agricultural public investments for development.