Mr. David Archer
David Archer is the Head of Programmes and Influencing with ActionAid’s Global Secretariat (www.actionaid.org), leading work on system change for climate justice, economic justice, public services and women’s rights. He was the Stakeholder Convenor for the Transforming Education Summit Action Track on Financing in September 2022.
David qualified as a trained teacher and researched adult learning programmes inspired by Paulo Freire across Latin America (Literacy and Power), developing the Reflect approach in the 1990s (www.ReflectionAction.org) which has won 5 United Nations International Literacy Prizes. He is a co-founder of the Global Campaign for Education (www.campaignforeducation.org) and Chair of the Right to Education Initiative (www.right-to-education.org). From 2018-2020 he served as Chair of the Strategy and Impact Committee of the Global Partnership for Education and from 2021-2023 he served on GPE’s Finance and Risk Committee. He represents the Global Campaign for Education on the SDG4 High Level Steering Committee’s working group on finance.
Recent publications include The Public Versus Austerity: Why public sector wage bill constraints must end and The Vicious Cycle: connections between the debt crisis and the climate crisis (2023). David guest edited the special issue of NORRAG on Domestic Financing: Tax and Education. He wrote Breaking out of the Bubble to Transform Education Financing (Sept 2023 - about how GPE can learn from the TES agenda) and co-wrote Transforming the Financing of Education in Africa (Feb 2024 - for the Africa Union Year of Education).
Mr. David Archer
Attached, please find the complete form and the article "Reflections on the Reflect Approach and its Multiple Evolutions".
David Archer
Head of Programmes and Influencing
ActionAid International
Mr. David Archer
Please find attached a first submission from ActionAid regarding the Reflect approach to learning and social change that was developed between 1993-1996 and is now widely used by diverse organisations in over 100 countries.
Mr. David Archer
Transforming community engagement through reflection, power analysis, and action
Based on the intervention David Archer did during the Community Engagement Days in 2021. Video recording
Community empowerment is often discussed in development circles, yet too rarely do we address the underlying power structures within and around communities. Effective community-led development requires critical consciousness—a practice rooted in Paulo Freire's belief that education and engagement must be liberating rather than domesticated. This concept of empowerment guides ActionAid’s REFLECT approach, which combines participatory methods with local insights to enable communities to self-organize and mobilize.
At the heart of any transformative approach is an ongoing cycle of reflection and action. This means starting with the assumption that communities already have knowledge and are capable of analyzing their own challenges. By supporting facilitators trained to foster these processes rather than dictate solutions, we create spaces where community members themselves lead the way. This principle applies beyond local projects; it is essential within social movements and development institutions.
However, we face challenges from an industry increasingly driven by short-term, outcome-based funding models. Real change demands flexibility and respect for the organic, often non-linear paths communities may take. Ultimately, the role of external actors should be that of a supporting cast, amplifying the voices of local leaders and adapting to their unique insights. As development professionals, we must embrace participatory practices at every level—engaging communities, analyzing our own institutional power dynamics, and consistently reflecting on our actions.
David Archer
Head of Programmes and Influencing
ActionAid International
@DavidArcherAA