Designers of Development Options
Our Expertise
Brain Trust: Knowledge and Options for Sustainable Development, Inc. (BTI) is a Filipino sustainable development think tank that draws from the collective experience of its founding fellows to craft innovative and integrative development solutions for public and private sector clientele.
We envision to be an organization of sustainable development professionals that is acknowledged and respected for the impeccable quality, practical applications and innovativeness of its products and services.
Planning
BTI excels in planning, utilizing various processes and tools to create diverse plans and frameworks. This includes strategic socio-economic and area development plans, sector frameworks, sustainability plans, corporate plans, and business plans. The organization employs both quantitative tools like the Philippine Regional Computable General Equilibrium Model and Regional Econometric Model, and qualitative tools such as scenario building and community journey mapping. These efforts aim to enhance planning processes and contribute to innovative developments in the field.
BTI specializes in policy and program reviews, utilizing quantitative models like the Agricultural Multi-Market Model and qualitative tools. Examples include the Strategic Review of the Food and Nutrition Situation in the Philippines and assessments of sector programs. The organization incorporates policy advocacy through forums, publications, and presentations to promote its recommendations.
Policy and Program Review, Evaluation and Advocacy
Economic Modelling, Futures Thinking and Capacity Building
BTI excels in economic modeling, futures thinking, and capacity building. The organization has skilled modelers who have developed innovative economic models. They use these models alongside multi-stakeholder scenario building exercises for a comprehensive understanding of development dimensions and future trends. BTI provides capacity building to government agencies, including DBM, NEDA, Mindanao Development Authority, and ARMM-CPDO, covering planning, programming, monitoring and evaluation, and economic modeling.
BTI is extensively involved in social development and protection projects. The organization has assessed and provided recommendations for various programs, including the Millennium Development Goals, poverty reduction initiatives, food and nutrition programs, social development in mining communities, jobs/skills development programs, and the Agrarian Reform Program. In formulating plans and reviewing policies and programs, BTI maintains a policy of ensuring coherent integration across social, economic, environmental, political, governance, and gender dimensions, aligning with its established tradition and work brand.
Social Development and Protection
Promoting Investments, Productivity and Competitiveness
BTI actively promotes investments, productivity, and competitiveness. It contributed to projects like Business Risk Assessment for Climate Change in key cities, addressed skills gaps through the Jobs-Skills Mismatch Project, and played a key role in investment promotion in Mindanao. Notable projects include the Mindanao Economic Linkages Project and Connection, Cooperation, and Commerce for Peace and Development in ARMM. The organization also provided research assistance for city profiling focused on investment and urban issues.
BTI demonstrates strength in monitoring and evaluation (M&E), evident in collaborations with development institutions; including projects like the Review and Inventory of Existing Community-Based M&E Systems in CPC 6 Focus Areas (UNICEF), Typhoon Yolanda Humanitarian Assistance and Reconstruction Monitoring, and the Independent Evaluation of Canada’s International Assistance Programming in the Philippines (Global Assistance Canada). Moreover, BTI consistently incorporates the design of M&E systems for the plans it formulates.
Monitoring and Evaluation