The Asia Foundation 291d ago

When systems hit crisis, what’s valuable doesn’t always survive—and what survives isn’t always worth keeping. International development is no exception. With the turbulence of 2025, there’s a risk that transactional, short-termist habits prevail, while years of progress toward more equitable, locally-led practice are lost. While not a panacea, political economy analysis (PEA) has become a vital compass for navigating complexity—helping teams grasp the incentives, interests, and institutions that shape outcomes. Join The Asia Foundation for a timely discussion, drawing on our new publication PEA in Practice, to explore why politically informed approaches matter now more than ever. Featuring leading thinkers, the conversation will show how PEA can strengthen context-sensitive, locally grounded development at a moment when we can’t afford to throw the baby out with the bathwater.