Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) – Overview

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) is a non-profit organisation founded in 2016 by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Its mission is to support political leaders and governments in turning bold ideas into practical results. The institute provides strategy, policy design, and delivery support, with technology as a key enabler.

TBI works globally, including in several African countries, through advisory partnerships, embedded government advisers, and capacity-building programmes.

TBI’s Work in Ghana
Digital Academy / DigSMART Programme

In Ghana, TBI partners with government through initiatives like the Digital Academy, linked to the government’s DigSMART programme. This project focuses on building digital skills for public sector officials. The goal is to equip leaders with the tools to identify challenges, design solutions using digital technology, implement interventions, and monitor results.

The programme is delivered through both in-person and virtual training sessions and is aimed at strengthening government institutions’ ability to deliver services more effectively through digital transformation.

Advisory Roles and Employment

TBI also maintains an advisory presence in Ghana, recruiting professionals for senior roles in areas like technology and policy delivery. Job postings and leadership roles based in Accra show that Ghana serves as one of the institute’s operational hubs in West Africa.

Broader Programmes

Beyond digital skills training, TBI’s Ghana operations tie into its wider African strategy of improving governance, building delivery capacity in governments, and embedding technology in public service delivery. Much of its work takes place through embedded advisors working alongside government officials rather than large standalone projects.

Strengths and Challenges

Strengths:

Provides practical skills and training (e.g., Digital Academy) that strengthen local government capacity.

Blends strategy, policy, delivery, and technology in one model, which is well-suited to Ghana’s governance needs.

Works in a non-partisan capacity, which can help sustain partnerships across political cycles.

Challenges:

Reliance on external advisers can raise concerns about sustainability once programmes end.

Success depends heavily on local political will and institutional follow-through.

Scaling small, capacity-building initiatives into broad systemic change remains a challenge.