The Intel

A barometer for Indo-Pacific development issues.

The Pitch

A pipeline of policy proposals

Situation Room

A Chatham-house style dialogue

The Readout

Your podcast guide to Australian development in the region

Our Analysis

The home of cutting-edge Lab commentary.

Pulse Check

The Pulse Check is a survey run by the Lab

The Lab x AI

Where Big Picture AI Thinking Meets Practical Solutions

Who We Are
What We Do
Contact Us

You ask a question, we'll ask the experts.

Thank you for your question!
Something went wrong while submitting your message. Please try again or email us.
Work with us
The Intel

The Intel is a barometer for Indo-Pacific development issues curated by the Lab.

One question, three expert responses. Short, sharp and provocative, released fortnightly on a Tuesday.

The Lab scours the development and foreign policy community for live issues, names the debate and seeks out the voices you want to hear.

This week's question:
15
April
,
2025
The 2025 federal election. What are the competing visions for Australian aid?
Zoe Daniel
Mat Tinkler
Jack Hennessy

The Latest

15
April
,
2025
The 2025 federal election. What are the competing visions for Australian aid?
Zoe Daniel
Mat Tinkler
Jack Hennessy
01
April
,
2025
50 years of independence in PNG: What do we need to think about for the future of the Australia-PNG Partnership?
Ian Kemish AM
Dr Kerryn Baker 
Bruce Davis AM
18
March
,
2025
AusDevPortal: What’s to like, what’s next?
Dr Alex Edney-Browne
Anna Winoto
Terence Wood
04
March
,
2025
50 years of independence in PNG: What do we need to think about for the future of the Australia-PNG partnership?
Oliver Nobetau
Maholopa Laveil
Natasha Turia
18
February
,
2025
Trump. USAID. What does this mean for the region?
Tunggal Pawestri
Kathryn Paik
Dr Cameron Hill
04
February
,
2025
2025: What are you watching?
Bridi Rice
William Leben
Mira Sulistiyanto
12
December
,
2024
How can Australia’s turn to economic statecraft help the poor?
Ryan Edwards
Melissa Conley Tyler
Helen Mitchell
21
November
,
2024
Disability equity in Southeast Asia – a mixed report card on Australia’s assistance?
Kerryn Clarke
Quyen Vu Thi
Muhammad Joni Yulianto
07
November
,
2024
US election. So what for development?
Kathryn Paik
Dr Cameron Hill
Melissa Conley Tyler
24
October
,
2024
Old problems, new technologies: inequality, governance, fragility. What does AI mean for development?
Toni Friedman
Anthea Roberts
Dr Chinasa T. Okolo
26
September
,
2024
How can development and foreign policy better harness intergenerational approaches?
Richard Moore
Dr Jessica Collins
Asha Clementi
12
September
,
2024
Is sunlight the best disinfectant?
Mary-Louise O'Callaghan
Dorothy Wickham
Grant Walton
29
August
,
2024
What advice would you give the new UN Special Envoy on Myanmar?
Zaw Hein
Chit Suu Win Htein
Tamas Wells & Soe Htet
01
August
,
2024
What will it take for Australia to deliver a transformative Civil Society Partnerships Fund?
Jocelyn Condon
Petrarca Karetji
Clancy Moore
18
July
,
2024
COP31 - What's essential to see from Australia?
Alopi Latukefu, Corinne Fagueret and Dr Mahendra Kumar
Dermot O'Gorman
Athaulla A Rasheed
04
July
,
2024
Is it in Australia's interest to put fragility back on the radar?
William Leben
Adam Burke
Ciaran O'Toole
20
June
,
2024
Performance evidence is essential, but are there better alternatives to the ‘MEL-industrial complex’?
Sarah Mak
Lucy Pennington
Robin Perry
06
June
,
2024
Political settlements in the Pacific are under pressure. What’s Australia’s next move?
Nic Maclellan
Kerryn Baker
Oliver Nobetau
23
May
,
2024
How can First Nations-led program design, monitoring, evaluation and implementation approaches be better incorporated into Australia’s development program?
Sarah Leary
Lindey Andrews & Jessica Leslie
Ashlee Wone
09
May
,
2024
Didn’t meet the gender target… good news for transparency or bad news for gender?
Alice Ridge
Ashlee Betteridge
Sian Wrigley
24
April
,
2024
If you could have one thing guaranteed in the new humanitarian strategy, what would it be?
Beth Eggleston
Naomi Brooks
Jules Frost
11
April
,
2024
What’s the secret to a successful donor-implementer relationship?
Mat Tinkler
Vania Budianto
Mark Moran
28
March
,
2024
What’s the role for development assistance in Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040?
Gabrielle Stewart
Richard Moore
Dr. Jenny Gordon
14
March
,
2024
More climate, more gender, more targets, same budget - how will this play out?
Dr. Cameron Hill
Matt Spannagle
Dr. Danielle Ireland-Piper
29
February
,
2024
2024: What's dictating the direction of Australian development?
Bridi Rice
Mira Sulistiyanto
Heather Murphy
09
November
,
2023
The new policy wants a ‘nature positive’ world. What changes should we expect in the next 12 months?
Polly Hemming
David Poulton
Julie Boulton
02
November
,
2023
Disability Equity and Rights Strategy - what's critical for effectiveness?
Jane Edge
Georgina Naigulevu
Ben Clare
19
October
,
2023
How can Australia translate climate ambition from policy to reality?
Richard Mathews
Megan Argyriou
Nat Burke
05
October
,
2023
If you could have one thing guaranteed in the new gender strategy, what would it be?
Sally Moyle
Lauren Hallett
Dr Anu Mundkur
28
September
,
2023
When should and shouldn’t we compete with China?
Justin Bassi
Hayley Channer
Heather Murphy
14
September
,
2023
Are we adequately grappling with climate change effects in Southeast Asia?
Anastasia Kapetas
Elizabeth Morison
Lia Zakiyyah
07
September
,
2023
What will make the recent policing increase money well-spent?
Dr Lisa Denney
Gordon Peake
Gregory Ley
31
August
,
2023
What challenges do special economic zones pose to development?
Jeremy Douglas
Hannah McNicol
Kristina Amerhauser
24
August
,
2023
What’s holding Australia back from offering digital development assistance?
Niki Baroy
Mercedes Page
Shannon McKeown
17
August
,
2023
Youth bulge in the region: what are the development opportunities?
Vanessa Erleen Teutao
Dr Aidan Craney
Zahra Al Hilaly
10
August
,
2023
The new Development Policy is here. What are your first impressions?
Dr Jenny Gordon
Dr Annabel Dulhunty
Julie Boulton
03
August
,
2023
If contestability is crucial to development, how do we build the muscle?
Professor Michael Wesley
Dayle Stanley & Ryan Young
Anna Van Vliet
28
July
,
2023
Has Labor lost its ambition on international development?
Dr Michael Green
Michelle Higelin
Madeleine Flint
20
July
,
2023
Is influence the unspoken performance indicator for Australian aid?
Richard Moore
Michael Wilson
Bridi Rice
13
July
,
2023
What should the development priorities be for the new Timorese government?
Jonas Guterres
Marilia Da Silva Alves
Héctor Salazar Salame
06
July
,
2023
How will a First Nations Foreign Policy turbocharge development?
Alice Tamang
Jenna Hawes
Melissa Conley Tyler
22
June
,
2023
Judging development: how do we think beyond basic poverty measures?
Dr Kushneel Prakash
Shannon McKeown
Matt Morris
15
June
,
2023
Australia in Southeast Asia: do we have the development skills, stamina, and leadership?
Diastika Rahwidiati
Dr Nicola Nixon
Alexandre Dayant
08
June
,
2023
Evaluation is front and centre in Canberra right now. How can we capitalise on this?
Jessica Kenway
Philippa Venning
Mira Sulistiyanto
01
June
,
2023
Change on locally led development is non-negotiable: what’s the first move?
Dr Salmah Eva-Lina Lawrence
Emmeline Siale Ilolahia & Jocelyn Condon
Dr Deborah Cummins
25
May
,
2023
What’s the next step in encouraging research-informed policy?
Ujjwal Krishna
Bridi Rice
Dr Patrick Kilby
18
May
,
2023
What’s the case for doubling down on governance efforts in the development program?
Graham Teskey
Jennifer Kalpokas Doan
Dr Lisa Denney
11
May
,
2023
The donor landscape is diversifying. What do you wish you knew before you landed?
Blake Chrystal
Dr George Varughese
Martina Zapf
04
May
,
2023
Flipping power dynamics in development: what do we know works?
Fremden S Yanhambath
Mereani Rokotuibau
Anna Winoto
27
April
,
2023
Building Australian development capability: what’s essential?
James Gilling
Tom Sloan
Jessica Mackenzie
20
April
,
2023
What can Australia do to realise the Government’s commitment to genuine partnerships?
Terence Wood
Bu Wilson
Isabelle Coleman
13
April
,
2023
‘Red Alert’ for development?
Dr William Stoltz
Richard Moore
James Cox
06
April
,
2023
ODE will not be returning. What’s the best alternative for a modern development program?
Jo Hall
Natalia Beghin
Ryan Edwards
01
December
,
2022
Australia has doubled down on support to Pacific media – but what could this look like in practice?
Peni Tawake
Teodosia (Dhesy) Dos Reis
Jason Staines
24
November
,
2022
Corporates are scaling up development – what’s the likely impact?
Dr Phoebe Wynn-Pope
Peter Wilkinson
Rachel Mason Nunn
17
November
,
2022
Terrorist financing laws are preventing basic humanitarian assistance and often abused for political gain. What must change?
Dr Sylvia Laksmi
Jacob Kurtzer
Natasha Chabbra
10
November
,
2022
U.S. and Australian development cooperation is underway. What's the best pathway to impact?
Jope Tarai
Theresa Meki
Maholopa Laveil
03
November
,
2022
MAMPU and Nepal Subnational Governance: widely lauded as two of the best projects Australia supports. Why?
Bernadette Whitelum & Kate Shanahan
Peter Yates
Linda Kelly & Nila Wardani
27
October
,
2022
The first Albanese Government budget is here. What's your take?
Jessica Mackenzie
Cam Hill, Stephen Howes, Huiyuan Liu
Bridi Rice & Madeleine Flint
20
October
,
2022
What will it take for the new development policy to be more than just words on a page?
Marc Purcell
Dr Jenny Gordon
Madeleine Flint
13
October
,
2022
Should development cooperation be the frontier for re-engagement with China?
Richard Moore
Anthea Mulakala
Daniel Runde
06
October
,
2022
Defence, Treasury and the intelligence community all have skin in the development game. What's one thing they need to know?
Amanda Robbins
John Blaxland
Dr Teesta Prakash
29
September
,
2022
Violence against women, electoral fraud and corruption: at what point does Australia speak up?
Elvina Ogil
Dr Michael Main
Bridi Rice
21
September
,
2022
There are eight million displaced people across our region: what can Australia be doing?
Jane McAdam
Adrian Edwards
Patrick Wall
15
September
,
2022
Does performance monitoring lead to better performance?
Gordon Peake
Jocelyn Condon
Chris Roche & Allan Mua Illingworth
08
September
,
2022
A new office of Southeast Asia: what lessons can be taken from the Office of the Pacific?
Joanne Wallis
Richard Moore
Melissa Conley Tyler
01
September
,
2022
What do young people in the region want from Australia on development?
Socheat Nhip
Juvita Pereira Faria
Jessie Tang
25
August
,
2022
What qualities will make and break development professionals of the future?
Rachel Mason Nunn
Ellie Hewitt
Anna Gibert
18
August
,
2022
Is Australia missing in action on financial crime?
Dr Grant Walton
John Chevis
Bridi Rice
11
August
,
2022
We're in a food crisis. What does this mean for development?
Dr Robyn Alders AO
Rosie Wheen
Emmy Simmons
04
August
,
2022
Does Australia need a Development Finance Institution (DFI)?
Matt Morris
Amanda Robbins
Brigid O'Farrell
28
July
,
2022
New Government, fresh chance: what would it take for DFAT to be a world class development agency?
Melissa Conley Tyler
Joanne Choe
Anthea Roberts
21
July
,
2022
Is the East Asian growth and development superhighway closing? So what?
Dr Shiro Armstrong
Dr Jenny Gordon
Roland Rajah
14
July
,
2022
How will Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and 'Cold War II' affect international development?
Dr Helen Szoke AO
John Langmore AM
Misha Zelinsky
07
July
,
2022
Australia: missing in action on conflict prevention?
Michael Wilson
Martina Zapf
Miranda Forsyth
30
June
,
2022
What does the overturn of Roe v. Wade mean for international development?
Dr Anu Mundkur
Dr Sarah McCosker
Madeleine Flint
23
June
,
2022
Using the aid program for geostrategic competition: good, bad or indifferent?
Hugh White
Thenu Herath
Tim Watkin
16
June
,
2022
Is ‘Fortress Australia’ inherently insecure?
Benjamin Herscovitch
Alice Ridge
Bridi Rice
09
June
,
2022
It’s a Disaster. How can we deliver on Disaster Risk Reduction & Resilience as climate change accelerates?
Dr Robert Glasser
Natasha Chabbra
Dermot O’Gorman
02
June
,
2022
What have you seen that pushes the localisation agenda forward?
Fiona Tarpey
Beth Eggleston
Joanne Choe
26
May
,
2022
So Labor is in. What’s the biggest challenge and biggest opportunity greeting them on development?
Terence Wood
Jacqui De Lacy
Richard Moore
19
May
,
2022
The Labor Party has said the SDGs will be a blueprint for Australian development. What do you make of this?
Dr Cameron Hill
Julie Boulton
Marc Purcell
12
May
,
2022
The Liberal Party has said our aid to the Pacific is the biggest it’s ever been. What do you make of this?
Sarah Burrows
Dr Cameron Hill
Stuart Schaefer
05
May
,
2022
What doesn't Australia understand about China's development program?
Alexandre Dayant
Anthea Mulakala
Dr Denghua Zhang
28
April
,
2022
Do we have an aid program – or just an aid budget?
Stuart Schaefer
Jessica Mackenzie
Richard Moore
The Intel
The Pitch
Situation Room
The Readout
Our Analysis
Pulse Check
Who We Are
What We Do
Contact Us
Join the Lab
Development Intelligence Lab
7 Murray Cr, Griffith  ACT  2603
ABN 33 649 372 529
Privacy Policy. Terms & Conditions.
We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which The Lab listens, thinks and does its work. We pay respect to the First Nations Peoples and their elders, past, present and future.