Description:
Governments pursue development goals through markets, contracts, finance, regulation and technology. These arrangements shape access to services, the distribution of risks and gains, and institutional accountability. How can governments govern them to create public value amid fiscal constraints, aid withdrawal and uncertainty about development cooperation?

This working group draws on the Governing Through Markets Initiative to examine these questions in relation to the conference’s concerns with legitimacy, the politics of development cooperation and global solidarity. It brings together eight connected themes: governing through markets; public value and delivery; the future of procurement; state capability and institutional effectiveness; infrastructure and society; governance in the age of artificial intelligence; legitimacy, trust and the social contract; and integrity, accountability and public outcomes. Public value provides a common thread across these themes, while the initiative itself remains broader than any one of them.

We invite research and practitioner contributions on how institutions can deliver equitable, sustainable and accountable development in a changing geopolitical and technological landscape. Contributions might examine how markets, financing arrangements and partnerships shape service access and the distribution of risks; what capabilities governments need to design institutions, manage delivery through others and learn from implementation; how procurement and infrastructure decisions reflect social priorities and environmental responsibilities; what contract amendments and renegotiations reveal about implementation and accountability; and how AI can improve public decisions while preserving scrutiny, professional judgement and avenues for challenge.

The working group will connect ideas, institutions and implementation through research presentations and practitioner discussion. Procurement is one entry point, alongside infrastructure, finance, regulation and digital governance. We welcome comparative studies, case studies and critical perspectives across disciplines and regions, particularly collaboration with colleagues from the Global South. Both in-person and online contributions are welcome.

Type of call:
Call for Papers/Abstracts

Participation mode:
Hybrid: in person in Helsinki, with online presentations over Zoom

Submission details:
Abstracts of up to 300 words. Full papers are not required at this stage; we may invite them from accepted abstracts later. Please send abstracts and inquiries to Ashish Bhateja (ashish@ashishbhateja.com) and Vinay Sharma (vsctsharma@gmail.com).

Funding note:
The working group has no external project funds for travel or accommodation, so participants are expected to secure their own funding.

Contacts:
Vinay Sharma, vsctsharma@gmail.com
Ashish Bhateja, ashish@ashishbhateja.com