Vision, philosophy & purpose
What IRI stands for — and why its starting point is different from the dominant development playbook.
IRI’s vision is twofold — rooted in its community space, international in outlook.
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Be a support for major social, economic, and environmental change across its community space.
- 2
Be a leader in knowledge products that influence multi-sector policy decisions in Burkina Faso and other developing countries.
Our theory of change
IRI works as a virtuous circle. We first think, then build knowledge, then act for change — which sustainably improves lives. Each step feeds the next.
- 01
Think
Thought helps generate and update knowledge.
- 02
Know
Knowledge defines the changes required and the actions needed.
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Act
We act on those changes on the ground.
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Improve
We sustainably improve livelihoods and capabilities.
Why IRI
Today, development knowledge — and the indicators that measure progress — are dominated by a Western worldview. IRI starts somewhere else.
- 1
This pushes non-Western populations into the role of knowledge “takers” rather than knowledge “makers.”
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Western frameworks often do not fit non-Western realities — one reason many development efforts fail to deliver.
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Low- and middle-income countries can think for themselves, starting from their own realities and their own knowledge.
- 4
IRI’s entry point: critically review existing standards and indicators, add local realities and geostrategic data, and design new or adapted indicators — learning across countries.
Four strategic objectives
Research & innovation
Conduct scientific research for multi-sector innovation and field action — always in partnership with the people it serves.
Training
Run broad and specialised training on co-created discoveries, for development actors carrying projects for society.
International exchange
Build a worldwide exchange network with research centres and universities, growing from local to regional to international.
Policy advocacy
Offer strong knowledge products that influence policy toward good governance, backed by solid scientific evidence.
Let's build knowledge that fits your context
Researchers, universities, policy makers, NGOs, and funders: there is a clear path to work with IRI.