Dr. Lena Gutheil
Department
Transformation of Political (Dis-)order
Function
Researcher
Specialization
Cultural Anthropology
Work areas
- Urbanisation and its political implications
- Civil society, donor relations and adaptive management
- Public participation
- Decentralisation and urban governance
Regional expertise
- Africa
Vita
| since 02/2022 | German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) (until 6/2022 German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)) Researcher |
| 01/2018-12/2021 | Radboud University, Nimwegen Doctorate at the Institute “Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies”, topic of the dissertation "The Social Life of Adaptive Development Management: How CSOs turn Policy into Practice" |
| 1/2021-1/2022 | Parental Leave |
3/2016-12/2020 | Hochschule Rhein-Waal Researcher and course coordinator in the master's course “Sustainable Development Management” |
| 8/2015-2/2016 | United Nations University Institute of Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) Project Associate |
| 12/2014-5/2015 | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Addis Ababa Reviewer in the Project “Pan-African University ” |
| 7/2014-12/2014 | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Eschborn Intern |
| 9/2012-5/2014 | Utrecht University MSc, Cultural Anthropology |
| 10/2009-6/2012 | Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz BA, Ethnology und African Studies / Political Science |
| 8/2008-7/2009 | Volunteer Service, Maroua, Kamerun |
Refereed Publications
- Gutheil, Lena / Dirk-Jan Koch (2024)
Aid unchained: examining development project management practices at aid chain interfaces
in: Progress in Development Studies 24 (2), 97-112 - Gutheil, Lena (2023)
Practising organizational autonomy at the community level: evidence from advocacy projects in Uganda and Vietnam
in: Margit van Wessel / Tina Kontinen / Justice Nyigmah Bawole (eds.), Reimagining civil society collaborations in development: starting from the South, London: Routledge, 281-295 - Gutheil, Lena / Dirk-Jan Koch (2023)
Civil society organizations and managerialism: on the depoliticization of the adaptive management agenda
in: Development Policy Review 41 (1), article e12630 - Gutheil, Lena (2021)
Adaptive project management for the civil society sector: towards an academic research agenda
in: International Development Planning Review 43 (3), 393-418 - Gutheil, Lena (2020)
Why adaptive management will not save us: exploring management directives' interaction with practice
Public Administration and Development 40 (2), 129-140 - Gutheil, Lena (2020)
The Eastern-African German University of Applied Sciences
in: Political Science Applied 10 (Deutsche Hochschulen im Ausland: Perspektiven aus Wissenschaft und Praxis), 41-45
Non-refereed Publications
- Gutheil, Lena (2025)
Debating Trump 2.0 and implications for Africa: the multiple pressures on civil society organizations
in: Megatrends spotlight 58 - Gutheil, Lena / Dennis Mbugua Muthama (2025)
Localizing development to the grassroots: potentials and limits of engaging with community groups
in: Megatrends Africa Policy Brief 40 - Gutheil, Lena (2025)
Critique: Kevin P. Donovan, Money, value and the state: sovereignty and citizenship in East Africa. Kevin P. Donovan, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
in: Politique Étrangère (2), 203-204 - Hackenesch, Christine / Lena Gutheil / Tobias Heidland / Emmanuel Nshakira Rukundo / Rainer Schweickert / Denis M. Tull (2025)
Megatrends and the future of democracy in Africa: how do the youth bulge, urbanization and digitalization shape African politics?
in: Megatrends Africa Working Paper 16 - Gutheil, Lena (2024)
Working with civil society in authoritarian contexts? The case of Niger
in: Megatrends Africa Policy Brief 28 (October 2024) - Gutheil, Lena (2024)
Kenya's protests happened in every major urban center - why these spaces are explosive
published on theconservation.org, 27.06.2024 - Gutheil, Lena / Sina Schlimmer (2024)
Über die Hauptstädte hinaus: Einblick in Afrikas Sekundärstädte
in: Megatrends Spotlight 33 - Gutheil, Lena / Sina Schlimmer (2024)
Growth beyond the capital: understanding Africa’s secondary cities
in: Megatrends Spotlight 33 - Gutheil, Lena (2024)
Decentralization and its effect on urban governance in Africa
in: Ifri Studies (April 2024), Paris: Ifri - Gutheil, Lena (2024)
When government and civil society organisations join forces in transnational advocacy: lessons from the Strategic Partnership Programme
in: Sven Grimm / Stephan Klingebiel (eds.), Transnational cooperation – an explorative collection, Bonn: German Institute of Development and Sustainability, 36-39 - Gutheil, Lena (2023)
Can public participation deepen democracy? Insights from Nakuru City in Kenya
in: Megatrends Afrika Policy Brief 18 (October 2023) - Gutheil, Lena / Margit van Wessel (2023)
Starting from the South: why we need to rethink civil society collaborations and funding structures
in: Megatrends Spotlight 24, 19.04.2023 - Gutheil, Lena / Margit van Wessel (2023)
„Starting from the South“ – Finanzierung und Zusammenarbeit mit zivilgesellschaftlichen Organisationen neudenken
in: Megatrends Spotlight 24 - Gutheil, Lena (2023)
Zivilgesellschaftliche Beteiligung an städtischer Governance in Afrika. Wie die Stärkung der politischen Stimme von zivilgesellschaftlichen Organisationen einen Beziehungswandel zwischen Bevölkerung und Staat unterstützen kann
in: Megatrends Afrika Kurzanalyse 04 (März 2023) - Erforth, Benedikt / Lena Gutheil (2023)
The new Africa Strategy of Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development: more self-critical, credible and values-based?
in: Megatrends Spotlight 21 - Erforth, Benedikt / Lena Gutheil (2023)
Afrikastrategie des BMZs: selbstkritisch, glaubwürdig, wertegeleitet?
in: Megatrends Spotlight 21 - Gutheil, Lena (2022)
The impact of urbanisation on political regimes in Africa: a literature review
in: Megatrends Africa Working Paper 03 (December 2022) - Gutheil, Lena (2022)
Civil society participation in urban governance in Africa: supporting CSOs’ political voice for a transformation of citizen–state relations
in: Megatrends Africa Policy Brief 05 (July 2022) - Erforth, Benedikt / Lena Gutheil (2022)
Why we should talk about megatrends in Africa
in: Megatrends Spotlight 05
Opinion Pieces
- Erforth, Benedikt / Lena Gutheil (2023)
Global structural policy 2.0 – more self-critical, credible and values-based?
Bonn: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), The Current Column of 30 January 2023