International Development in Practice I

International Development in Practice I: What Works in Development? (POLS 30595) aspires to develop relevant knowledge and practical skills for students interested in engaging in positive change in a complex world. In this course, students will:

1. Examine processes for understanding individual and societal change in an international context;

2. Explore the roles, complexities, opportunities and constraints of development projects in areas such as poverty reduction, social development, health and education; and,

3. Develop practical skills related to project design, planning, design thinking, management, negotiations, communications, and the evaluation of international development projects.

What is a Development Advisory Team (DAT)? 

A major component of International Development in Practice classes revolves around the Development Advisory Teams (DATs). In groups of 3 to 5, students serve as consultants to international development organizations on a specific problem or opportunity. In 12 weeks, students are in regular communication with their clients and engage in research for “best practices.” At the end of the semester, students present their results to the class and offer concrete recommendations to their client organizations. The generosity of Notre Dame donors allow opportunities for students to apply for funds to travel and work with their organization in the field or present their final recommendations in person at an international site. 

51 Organizations  | 31 Countries | 106 Development Advisory Teams

“Spring 2026 Partners Denoted by Gold Drop Pins”

Spring 2026 Development Advisory Team Projects

Steve Reifenberg is a teaching professor of International Development at the Keough School at the University of Notre Dame. He formerly served as the co-director of the Keough School's Integration Lab and faculty fellow of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Before coming to Notre Dame in February 2010, Steve worked for nearly two decades on international educational, negotiation and development issues at Harvard University. From 1996 to 2002, he served as the Executive Director of Harvard’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS). In 2002, he established Harvard’s first-ever, university-wide office overseas in Santiago, Chile, an office that he directed for seven years.  He was the former Program Director for Latin America of the Conflict Management Group (CMG) and served as the Director of the Edward S. Mason Program in Public Policy and Management, jointly administered by the Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Institute for International Development.