Professor Anna Mdee, PhD

Professor Anna Mdee, PhD is Professor in the Politics of Global Development at the University of Leeds, where her research and teaching focus on governance, institutional performance, public policy, service delivery and the politics of international development. With more than twenty-five years of research experience across Africa, she is widely recognised for her contributions to understanding how institutions shape development outcomes, particularly in the areas of local governance, public service delivery, livelihoods, water governance and aid effectiveness. Her work combines rigorous scholarship with a strong commitment to addressing real-world governance and institutional challenges.

Before joining the University of Leeds, Professor Mdee held academic appointments at the University of Bradford and served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), one of the world's leading international development think tanks. She has worked extensively with governments, universities, civil society organisations and international development partners across Sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa.

Her research has examined the political economy of development, institutional reform, governance indicators, accountability systems and the practical realities of implementing public policy. Professor Mdee is internationally recognised for advancing critical thinking on governance measurement and institutional performance, including pioneering work on the development of local governance performance indices and the use of evidence to strengthen public accountability.

Her scholarship is characterised by its interdisciplinary approach, bringing together political science, anthropology, development studies and public governance to better understand why institutions succeed, why they fail and how they can be strengthened.

As a member of the Advisory Council of The Capacity Institute, Professor Mdee contributes internationally recognised expertise in governance, institutional analysis and development practice. Her experience in comparative research, policy engagement and institutional measurement provides invaluable guidance as the Institute advances its mission of strengthening institutional capacity through rigorous scholarship, evidence-based analysis and practical engagement. Her perspective reinforces the Institute's commitment to bridging academic excellence with real-world institutional transformation.