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Francis J. Lethem

Professor of the Practice Emeritus in the Sanford School of Public Policy
Sanford School of Public Policy
Box 90237, Durham, NC 27708-0237
266 Rubenstein Hall, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Francis Lethem is Professor of the Practice Emeritus at the Duke Center for International Development (DCID), after stepping down after 9 years as its Director. He is also a Board member and Co-Director Emeritus of the Duke-UNC Rotary Peace Center. His primary interests are in the areas of institutional design in relation to sustainable development, the design and management of sustainable development projects, project design for conflict prevention, and human resources development including capacity building in developing and transition countries.

Before joining Duke in 1994, Lethem worked for about 30 years at the World Bank in operations (human resources development and institutional development), as a policy adviser (regarding project generation and design including their social and capacity building aspects), and as adviser responsible for quality assurance of the Bank's Eastern Africa project portfolio. Over the years, his work experience has been primarily in Africa and Latin America, though he also worked in the Middle East and in East and South Asia.

Lethem earned his doctorate in economics from Neuchatel University (Switzerland) in 1967 and is the co-author of World Bank Staff Working Papers on organization design, the consideration of human factors in development work, land tenure, and the management of technical assistance.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of the Practice Emeritus in the Sanford School of Public Policy · 2016 - Present Sanford School of Public Policy
Affiliate of the Duke Center for International Development · 2023 - Present Duke Center for International Development, Sanford School of Public Policy

Recent Publications


Chap 6. Some Cross-Cutting Lessons.

Chapter · December 2010 Featured Publication The chapter provides an external look at the World Bank’s preparation of the N2T project. It is based on the review and analysis of internal working papers, a one-day workshop at Duke University with selected NT2 team members, and various meetings and disc ... Cite
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Recent Grants


Leaders for Democracy Fellows Training Program

Public ServiceCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by World Learning · 2018 - 2019

Kunshan Enterprise Innovation Program

Public ServicePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Duke Kunshan University · 2017 - 2017

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Overseas Training Programs 2017

Public ServicePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Chinese Academy of Sciences · 2017 - 2017

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of Neuchatel (Switzerland) · 1967 Ph.D.
University of Antwerp (Belgium) · 1961 B.A.