About us
Who We Are
Development Research Group (DRG), is a think-and-do tank and social enterprise advancing Development Studies in conflict-affected contexts across Afghanistan and the wider Global South founded by Dr Orzala Nemat, an Afghan origin scholar who is currently based in the United Kingdom.
DRG empowers youth and women leaders in business and development through rigorous research, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), executive education, and mentorship, working in partnership with local organisations.
We deliver high-standard, evidence-based research and assessments that support informed decision-making for governments, development actors, and institutions operating in fragile and transitional environments.
Combining methodological rigour with deep contextual insight, DRG prioritises ethical practice, local relevance, and ground-level realities to ensure policy and programming are shaped by evidence — not assumptions.
Mission
To strengthen development expertise in the Global South by connecting local voices to global platforms, enriching both policy and practice through context-driven knowledge.
Vision
To strengthen development expertise in the Global South by connecting local voices to global platforms, enriching both policy and practice through context-driven knowledge.
Global Partnerships, Local Expertise
DRG works closely with global partners, including international organisations, research institutions, and development actors, to deliver research that meets international standards and responds to real-world needs.
At the same time, our work is grounded in local expertise. We engage researchers, analysts, and field teams from the communities where we operate—not as extractive data collectors, but as valued contributors and partners. Each assignment is designed to include learning, training, and professional development opportunities, enabling local experts to strengthen their research, analytical, and leadership skills.
Our goal is that every engagement leaves behind more than a report: it builds capacity, confidence, and opportunity, advancing local expertise long after the assignment ends.
Our Partners
Our Approach
DRG works at the intersection of policy, academia, and practice. We apply international research standards while adapting methods to local realities through mixed-methods qualitative research, ethical data collection, and rigorous triangulation. Our work is guided by evidence, shaped by context, and driven by learning.
Regional Expertise
With deep experience in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries, DRG brings a nuanced understanding of governance, social dynamics, and conflict drivers—delivering analysis that is both credible and operationally relevant and useful. DRG has a high interest in borderland ethnographies and will be working on this topic in the upcoming.
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