IREX and Development Gateway announce strategic partnership

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The IREX Board of Governors and the Development Gateway Board of Directors announced today a partnership that positions Development Gateway as a subsidiary of IREX. This partnership will enable the organizations to leverage data to support local leaders and global communities for more just, prosperous, and inclusive societies.

The partnership will combine IREX's expertise, forward-leaning solutions, global footprint, and systems for tracking, measuring, and learning with Development Gateway's innovative use of data, technology, and evidence. IREX and Development Gateway are poised to achieve even stronger results when empowering youth, building more effective and inclusive institutions, and improving education systems and learning outcomes.

Around the globe, communities are grappling with how to renew trust in public institutions and capitalize on the energy and creativity of the largest youth population in history. Data has become an indispensable tool to enhance not only the effectiveness of public institutions but also their legitimacy. However, if abused or misused, data can also become a driver of inequality, or even a threat to the safety of poor and marginalized communities across the globe. Timely and robust data is critical to measuring the performance of institutions and to the development and implementation of programs to address the massive challenges people around the world are facing.

"We are thrilled to welcome Development Gateway as a subsidiary of IREX and an integral part of our team," said Kristin Lord, IREX President and CEO. "This partnership unites Development Gateway's focus on data and technology with IREX's focus on investing in people. Together, we will empower leaders from diverse backgrounds to build more effective institutions that are worthy of public trust."

"Because of our shared values and mutual appreciation for the opportunities and threats of data and evidence, an IREX?Development Gateway partnership is a perfect fit," said Josh Powell, Development Gateway President and CEO. "Together, IREX and Development Gateway can implement larger programs, create tools and services to reach new audiences, and help drive the global digital development policy agenda, all while meeting and exceeding donors' growing expectations for monitoring, evaluation, and learning."

Both organizations will continue to deliver high quality results in all ongoing projects while also developing new lines of work. As a subsidiary of IREX, Development Gateway will be known as Development Gateway, an IREX venture. Kristin Lord will continue to serve as president and CEO of IREX, Josh Powell will continue to serve as CEO of Development Gateway, and Aleksander Dardeli will serve as executive vice president of IREX and chair of the Development Gateway Board of Directors.

"Over my years on the Board, Development Gateway has consistently worked to learn and grow as an organization seeking to reach its full potential," said Adrianus Melkert, current Development Gateway Board of Directors Chair. "I am very excited about the way this transition into a strategic partnership will help Development Gateway expand and deepen its impact. I feel confident in the leadership of both organizations and am looking forward to seeing Development Gateway with IREX serving the people in developing countries that we want to support in fulfilling their aspirations."

"I am very excited to work with Josh and the entire Development Gateway team to harness data as we try to better understand some of the most challenging problems that communities face and support their efforts to develop solutions," said IREX Executive Vice President and incoming Development Gateway Board of Directors Chair Aleksander Dardeli. "I am confident that the IREX?Development Gateway partnership will accelerate our efforts to expand our impact, especially in Africa. Development Gateway's technical expertise coupled with IREX's geographic footprint sets the stage for innovative initiatives and new partnerships with like-minded organizations and donors."

About IREX

IREX is a global development and education organization. We strive for a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world?where individuals reach their full potential, governments serve their people, and communities thrive. With an annual portfolio of nearly $100 million and more than 500 staff worldwide, we work with partners in more than 100 countries in four areas essential to progress: cultivating leaders, empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and increasing access to quality education and information.

About Development Gateway

Development Gateway (DG) is an international non-profit organization that works to bridge the gaps in the use of digital technology and data to support stronger decision-making. For over 20 years, DG has built systems and tools, and supported their effective governance and use to create more effective, open, and engaging institutions. Through implementation across sectors, countries, and contexts, DG has seen firsthand what makes data, technology, and evidence effective ? and uses this expertise to advise governments, agencies, and organizations to improve policies and deliver services that improve lives. With teams in more than a dozen countries, DG's brings diverse perspectives, an understanding of national and community-level contexts, and mutual trust from governments and partners.

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SOURCE IREX