Meaningful citizen participation in policymaking is critical. This report identifies systemic challenges for citizen participation facing citizens, elected representatives, civil servants and civil society. It advocates for a strategic and targeted approach to citizen participation; lowering barriers to enable more inclusive participation; building capacity among both civil servants and citizens; and ensuring impact and accountability.

Place-based policies have seen renewed interest against a backdrop of persistent spatial disparities in economic, social and environmental outcomes. This report synthesises the latest knowledge and evidence on place-based policies to provide policymakers across all levels of government with insights on the design and implementation of better (place-based) policies for better lives.

This report focuses on corporate influence in competition policy, highlighting the benefits of legitimate corporate engagement, the risks when influence becomes undue and the challenges in distinguishing between the two. It outlines responses available to policymakers to help them minimise the risk of undue influence including transparency frameworks, prohibition policies and institutional integrity responses.

Rural economies can be powerful engines of national growth. This report offers governments practical guidance for navigating long-term transitions while addressing immediate vulnerabilities in rural development policy. It advocates a place-based, people-centred approach to policy to unlock the full potential of rural regions.

This paper systematically reviews ex-post empirical studies assessing the effects of climate change mitigation policies on emissions. The findings suggest that most policies effectively reduce emissions, with a median effect of about -5% per year, though with substantial variation across studies.