Our mission is to make government work for the world’s poorest people
Over a billion people in Africa need their governments to provide hospitals, schools, sanitation, jobs and much more. When governments fail to deliver, it’s the poor that suffer most. That’s why AGI’s mission is to support effective governance in Africa - to make government work for the world's poorest people.
There you stand, trying to rebuild a nation in an environment where everyone wants to see change take place right away.
After all, they voted for you because they had confidence in your ability to deliver – immediately. Only you cannot, because the capacity to implement whatever change you had in mind does not exist.
AGI was established in 2008 to support leaders in Presidencies and Ministries across Africa to help them turn their visions for development into reality through effective government.
This support has helped leaders to bridge the gap between their vision for a better future and their government’s ability to implement it. The advisors we have funded work with political leaders and public officials to develop the skills, systems and structures they need to get things done and meet the expectations of their citizens. They have focused on three fundamental processes that need to work for implementation of reforms to succeed: prioritisation, so efforts are focused on a clear set of tangible goals; planning, so that it’s clear how to reach those goals and performance management, to keep everything moving.
Shoulder-to-shoulder and leader-to-leader. AGI has funded advisors who are based full-time in our partner countries on a long-term basis to work alongside local public servants. This work has been complemented at the leadership level by the work of our Patron, Tony Blair, and a network of other senior advisors and experts who share experiences and advice with the leaders.
As of 1 March 2017, the previous AGI Governance Programmes transitioned into the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee.
AGI has continued to fund and monitor such programmes, in line with its charitable objects, and the charity is expected to wind down by the middle of 2018.
Our work has been diverse, from supporting partner governments to successfully tackle Ebola in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, to helping the Government of Rwanda to develop the specialist technical capacity of their public servants, we have worked with African leaders on a range of complex issue.
We have worked on complex issues in dynamic and uncertain contexts. When things have been moving fast and we have needed to make decisions, our values have guided us.
We strive to be:
Because Africa’s future lies in the hands of Africa’s leaders and its people.
Because making government more effective improves the lives of the poorest people
Because reform is always political and knowing the technical answer is not enough
Because we are most effective when we are trusted to challenge as well as support our partner governments
Because in unpredictable environments you need the courage and flexibility to take risks
We share a relentless belief in Africa’s potential. We believe that change is always possible and that problems can be overcome
For further information on AGI's work, please see our previous years' reports :
Annual Report 2016/17 - PDF Annual Report 2015 - PDF Annual Report 2014 - PDF Annual Report 2013 - PDF Annual Report 2012 - PDF
Please note that the previous AGI governance programmes transitioned as of 1 March 2017 into the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a not for profit company limited by guarantee. AGI will continue to fund and monitor such programmes in line with its charitable objects, and the charity is expected to wind down by the middle of 2018.
Information on governance programmes within this site refer to AGI's work between 2008-16. Up-to-date information on the delivery of these programmes and the other work of the Institute can be found at the Institute's website