Agulhas

[uh-guhl-uhs]

Noun

from the Cabo das Agulhas [ˈkaβu ðɐz ɐˈɣuʎɐʃ], “Cape of the Needles”; It gives its name to the Agulhas Current, a key driver of the global climate.


Our History

From our beginnings in 2003, Agulhas Applied Knowledge has become a leading provider of evaluation, learning, and knowledge to improve strategy. From our canal side headquarters in central London, we work across the world in support of international cooperation on global challenges. Agulhas is an Employee-Owned Trust. We are owned and run by those who know Agulhas and our values best – our people. Our team is diverse and close-knit, all driven by common values that seek to build a better, more sustainable future. Our success is based on our agility, our focus on what matters and our simple commitment to excellence.

Click through our history below to see how we’ve evolved

2021

Agulhas support IPPR at COP26

2021

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MOPAN Assessment of UN OCHA 2020 published

2021

MOPAN logo

UN Women: Strengthening the Resilience of Syrian Women and Girls and Host Communities programme report

2021

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Agulhas becomes an Employee-Owned Trust

2021

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Big Issues

Covid-19 global pandemic

COP26 in Glasgow

2020 – 2018

MOPAN service provider

2020

MOPAN logo

CRUNCH Hub established

2019

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ICAI Lead Service Provider ICAI 3

2019

Independent Commission for Aid Impact logo

Climate Hub Established

Agulhas appointed Independent Monitor of the Jordan Compact

2018

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Big Issues

2020

FCO and DFID merged into FCDO

2020

Covid-19 global pandemic

2019

XR campaign on climate crisis

Net Zero target enshrined in UK law

2017 - 2014

Evaluation of Disasters Emergency Committee Yemen response

Evaluation of Australia’s economic partnerships with middle-income countries in Asia

2017

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Agulhas moves to new HQ

(Canalside Hoxton)

2017

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ICAI Lead Service Provider ICAI 2

2015

Independent Commission for Aid Impact logo

AfDB High-Level Panel on Aid Effectiveness in Africa

ICAI review of ‘How DFID learns’.

2014

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Big Issues

2016

Grand Bargain announced at World Humanitarian Summit

Political focus on migration crisis

2015

Sustainable Development Goals agreed

UK 0.7% GNI ODA target Act

2014

Doing Development Differently Manifesto

2013 - 2009

M&E supplier for the African governance Initiative

2013

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ICAI Service Provider

2011

Independent Commission for Aid Impact logo

Strategic evaluation of Australian law and justice assistance
First AfDB Africa Development Effectiveness Review

2011

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Independent monitoring team for aid effectiveness in Vietnam

2010

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Big Issues

2011

Syrian refugee crisis begins

2008 - 2003

Evaluation of DFID’s response to Paris Declaration

2008

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Core support to Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change

2006

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Bosnia Governance Assessment

2003

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Agulhas Founded

2003

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Big Issues

2008

UK Climate Change Act

2006

Stern Review on Economics of Climate Change makes the economic case for action

2005

Paris Aid Effectiveness Agenda resets global approach to aid

Our Principles

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Commitment
We will continue to work to harness knowledge and learning for sustainable development.

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Effectiveness
We will strive to deliver the best quality work we can in the areas where we can use our skills to make the greatest impact. We will continually look for ways to do better: individually; together; and with clients, contractors and communities.

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Openness
We will share ideas and good practice. We will raise concerns quickly and deal with them fairly.

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Integrity
We will conduct ourselves in a way of which we can be proud. We will be honest with each other, our clients and ourselves. We will provide challenge where it is needed and praise where it is due.

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Respect
We will treat each other and our clients, communities and supply chain with respect. We will take the time to listen to others, look for the best in people and strive to empower others to be their best.


Our Work

At Agulhas, we bring a unique perspective to our work. We offer a deep understanding of ideas and evidence and are able to distil the key elements needed to guide practical action. We are value driven, working for a more sustainable world. Our outlook is strategic: we have extensive experience working on policy and strategy to inspire positive change.

At the core of what we do is an understanding of how knowledge is transmitted into practice. We present our analysis and advice in ways that are meaningful to policy makers and decision makers. We focus on the elements that matter most to our clients. We know that to be influential, knowledge must be supported by processes that facilitate learning and application, and lead to change. All of our work sits on a foundation of honesty, rigour and commitment to building a sustainable and safe world.

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Responsible Business

Agulhas takes its responsibilities seriously, as recognised by the UK government when we achieved the highest initial rating of any supplier (96%) for adherence to its code of conduct. We are accredited members of the Living Wage Foundation and signatories to the Prompt Payment Code. Agulhas walk the talk on sustainability, using clean energy and recycled products as standard. With a small green office and a long history of remote working, we minimise our impact. When we have to fly we offset our carbon emissions through Pure Leapfrog, a charity that enables communities to take power over their clean energy future, supporting SDGs 7 (clean energy) and 13 (climate action). We are signatories to the UN Global Compact.

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Where we work

With headquarters in canal side East London, Agulhas has a network of experts across the globe working on the most challenging issues in international development and sustainability. Find out more about where we work.

Our Accreditations

DFID logo

96% score on DFID’s Code of Compliance

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Certified participants of the UN Global Compact

IATI logo

International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) participant

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