How We Work

AGI works within African governments to promote efficient public administration of government and public services in the very poorest countries; and to promote sustainable development, all with the ultimate aim of relieving poverty. 

The AGI model is unique and innovative, combining Tony Blair’s experience as a leader and the relationships he forms with Presidents and their governments on behalf of the charity, with on-the-ground project teams recruited from the best of the international public and private sectors who work within and alongside our partner governments.

The charity’s work complements the extensive development assistance offered in the governance sphere by focusing on the heart of government, as the key to unlocking overall government effectiveness and successful implementation of the policy change which will lead to poverty reduction.

Partner countries are supported by project teams from AGI, working on the ground with a mandate that flows directly from the needs of each country. Project teams are hand-picked to deliver this mandate, with specialist knowledge and skills gained at the heart of the international public and private sectors.

The projects are run as a genuine partnership, with AGI teams working side-by-side with counterparts in Presidential Offices, ministries, investment promotion agencies and think-tanks to provide strategic advice and support and to develop capacity among the next generation of public service leaders.

Tony Blair is the founder and Patron of the Africa Governance Initiative. With a decade of experience as UK Prime Minister, he acts, in a voluntary capacity, as an unpaid adviser to African heads of state and their governments on governance, economic growth and investment to countries where his involvement can make a real impact on poverty reduction.

"We are very happy with the collaboration we have with Tony Blair and his team because they assist us to achieve good results. The best kind of funding is that which allows beneficiaries to train and acquire skills to do their work better." Rwandan Prime Minister Bernard Makuza

The Initiative's work is based on international best practice models in public administration, and the success of its projects has been confirmed by independent evaluations. AGI's model has been developed from a careful study of the existing literature on capacity-building and governance reform and in close partnership with the governments themselves. The Initiative is now attracting international interest and support which could see it expanded to new countries.

The Africa Governance Initiative is a registered charity in the UK and US and is supported by international charitable foundations.

For more about individual AGI projects, click here.