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2025-01-31-accounts

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 283670

Report of the Trustees and

Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

for

Development Studies Association

Sterling Partners Limited Chartered Accountants Chartered Tax Advisors 2nd Floor, Grove House 774-780 Wilmslow Road

Didsbury Manchester Greater Manchester M20 2DR

Development Studies Association

Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

Page
Report of the Trustees 1 to 7
Independent Examiner's Report 8
Statement of Financial Activities 9
Balance Sheet 10
Notes to the Financial Statements 11 to 13
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities 14

Development Studies Association

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 January 2025.

The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015).

Page 1

Development Studies Association

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Association are to promote and advance international development as a field of study, research and action, with a mission to deepen understanding of how global poverty and inequalities are produced, sustained and may be overcome, and how a better future may be advanced.

VISION

In taking forward its mission and vision, the DSA is committed to:

  1. Advance connections between people that will extend and deepen understanding of development issues

2 .Raising the profile of the UK development studies community and provide a platform for its collective voice

  1. Build the institutional strength of the DSA

  2. Nurturing the future of development studies in the UK through support to students, early career researchers and

Higher Education teachers

  1. Promote greater inclusiveness, diversity and equity within the development studies community

ACTIVITIES

In pursuit of these objectives, the DSA has achieved the following during the Financial Year 2024-2025:

1. Annual Conference

The 2024 Annual Conference was held as a hybrid event, offering both in-person and online attendance. It was organised and hosted by SOAS, University of London, 26-28th June 2024. Key statistics being Participants: 694; Papers/presentations: 460; Plenaries: 3; Panels, Roundtables and Workshops: 72.

Planning for the next annual conference began in July 2024 and it was agreed, further to positive evaluation results, that a three-day event will be hosted by the University of Bath in late June 2025 once again in a hybrid format. The format worked well again in 2024 with ~75% of delegates attending in-person and the remainder online. The hybrid format continues to enable high levels of inclusion amongst global South colleagues and reduces the event's carbon footprint.

2. Communications

The DSA Communications Officer, Rowena Harding, continues to work effectively and diligently in her new role and once again has expanded and heightened DSA Communications via the website, social media and the DSA monthly newsletter with greater followers and traffic in all of these sectors. The new CO continues to coordinate with the Communications sub-committee on Council to ensure DSA communicates its activities and priorities in a variety of formats. The CO organised and curated further DSA webinars and has ensured better communication co-ordination between the DSA and its institutional, individual and student members.

3. DSA Newsletter

The DSA Newsletter is emailed out monthly to nearly 2700 individuals, offering an important service to members and the sector as a whole. It allows members to publicise events, publications, jobs and other news of interest to the sector. It is compiled by the Communications Officer from contributions from members and continues to attract interest as a means to reach the development sector worldwide.

4. Study Groups

Study Group activity increased in 2024, with all groups active except for five groups, three of which are looking to find new (co-)convenors to run and assist their activities. Study groups either held their own events during the year or convened a panel and/or meetings at the annual DSA conference. The following activities have been undertaken:

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Development Studies Association

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

Politics and Political Economy Study Group, with DSA funding, organised a joint workshop with EADI in June just before the DSA2024 conference entitled: 'Unity in Diversity? The Future of Development Studies. They also organised a DSA2024 roundtable R04: European Association of Research and Training Development Institutes (EADI) 50th-anniversary roundtable on 'the future of development studies'.

Establishment of Politics and Political Economy DSA PhD Group (led by Caroline Cornier - Manchester and Guido Maschhaupt - ISS NL) organised monthly reading sessions about specific papers. The group now has 20-30 people in their list.

The DSA PPE SG organised a large 100-person conference in Manchester in December on Arthur Lewis' legacy and contemporary structural transformation, convened by Pritish Behuria. Many DSA group members attended and presented. This was not funded by the DSA but linked to the group. This was mostly funded by the University of Manchester and also EADI.

The study group's 2021 DSA conference panel led to a small bid for funding which was successful and led to five commissioned case studies on China's digital expansion in the global South. These were published in spring 2024 as a special issue of the journal, The Information Society, and they have just been re-published as a Routledge edited book.

The DTDD SG's 2023 DSA conference panel led to an invitation from JICA to collaborate on digital transformation for development, leading to an international seminar and workshop that were held in Feb 2024.

In 2024/25, the study group convenors have also been preparing a special issue on LGBT, faith and development (which is under agreement with 'Development in Practice'), which emerged from a roundtable the study group organised in 2023. The articles of the special issue are expected to be published in 2025.

5. Students

At financial year-end student member numbers had increased over the year to 254 (13% of total membership) - actual numbers were up on the previous year but percentage was lower due to high numbers of fee waiver category members.

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Development Studies Association

Report of the Trustees

for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

The two student reps on Council have continued to liaise with the selected student/ ECR reps from several of the DSA institutional members (IM reps). They have held regular online meetings to discuss what students most would benefit from the DSA and to plan events for students. They have an active mailing list among these reps for better communications. The CO assists with student communication via the website and the DSA Facebook group. They have also engaged with some DSA Study Groups to showcase their work to ECRs and student members.

There was a DSA students' meeting at the annual conference for the new student reps to meet in person and to plan future events and initiatives for the rest of the year. There was also once again a well-attended Publication strategies briefing for students and early career researchers (ECR) at the conference, as well as the PhD Masterclasses just before the conference for 16 students.

The DSA continued to offer its annual Masters' level dissertation and PhD thesis Development Studies prizes. The award winners were announced and presented their prizes at the annual conference and the winners presented their work at the conference. The winning dissertations were mentioned on and linked to from the DSA website.

6. Heads of Centres

A Heads of Centres meeting was held online on 22 October 2024. An update on DSA activities was given and liaison with the DSA Communications Officer. The focus of the meeting was centred on are universities/centres taking action on Gaza and/or the Middle East? There was a wide ranging discussion on this.

7. DSA webinars

The DSA hosted one webinar during this reporting period. This took place in May 2024 on Decolonising Development Studies and the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations, that included a four person panel of academics and practice and policy experts. It was attended by approximately 150 people with a good level of discussion and the recording has been viewed nearly 300 times on the DSA YouTube channel.

8. Publications

The DSA-OUP book series published two new titles during this year: The Spectre of State Capitalism by Dr Ilias Alami and Prof Adam D. Dixon & Business of the State: Why State Ownership Matters for Resource Governance, by Jewellord T. Nem Singh. The DSA-OUP book series editors held their annual event at the DSA2024 conference to advertise the book series and encourage DSA members and attendees to propose their research as book titles.

9. South-South Mentoring Scheme

The Global South Sub-Group on Council continued the expanded pilot project of a mentoring scheme involving senior southern-based scholars offering a structured programme of mentoring advice to more junior colleagues also based in the global South. This expanded version included 10 mentors and 10 mentees and provided assistance ultimately for eight mentees. The DSA cannot financially support the program further and efforts are being made to secure external longer term funding for this project to continue.

10. DSA-EDI Audit

The Council sub-committee were successful in their application for funding to continue their work on the quantitative aspect of this audit from the AcSS. This has allowed the DSA to fund a research assistant, who gathers information on EDI best practice from our member institutions. Council members have attended various events run by AcSS to look at the results of other funded initiatives. They have also re-run the institutional survey, after being asked to do so at the last Heads of Centre meeting. Results from this survey to be shared in the next year.

11. Decolonising Development Database

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Development Studies Association

Report of the Trustees

for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

This database was devised by Council members with the software assistance of NomadIT and launched at the DSA2024 conference. Those interested or engaged in decolonising development anywhere in the world can join and interact with one another to find expertise on decolonisation. The aim is for an active and engaged database rather than a large numbe. By year end, it had 50 members with expertise on different aspects of decolonisation as it pertains to the study of development. DSA and Council members are sharing information about the existence of the database, so colleagues can be pointed to existing expertise and support. The vision for the Directory is that it will facilitate the establishment of longer-term pedagogical and research dialogues in addition to mentoring relationships.

FINANCIAL REVIEW Membership

Individual membership at year-end was 1981, mostly due to a large increase in global South (gS) members (fee waiver category). All other paying membership categories were up on 2023 numbers. Institutional membership dropped slightly (one publisher member and one premium level 1 member).

Finances

With sufficient reserves, the DSA continues to seek to allocate its reserves towards its central purposes: cash at bank increased from £136,242 to £153,740 on 31st January 2025.

Expenditure was slightly lower than budgeted in some areas (Council and HoCs meetings predominantly online; Study Groups claimed less than budgeted with only three groups requesting funds. Conference grants provided by DSA were fully utilised this year. The EDI Audit received external funding late in the year but has not yet incurred expenses. The gS mentoring scheme did not find external support and the DSA did not continue funding for this programme. The Decolonising Development database was set up for less than budgeted. Income was higher than predicted due to a significant refund of an overpayment to GDI in 2020/21 for the salary of the DSA Communications Manager, additionally individual and institutional membership fees were slightly higher than predicted. The conference made an agreed and predicted deficit, due to high London venue costs and Council's decision to keep registration fees affordable to delegates.

The DSA Communications Officer Grade 6, 0.6 FTE continues their work enabling the DSA to achieve its strategic objectives, particularly in advancing connections to deepen understanding of development, raising the profile of the UK development studies community and providing a platform for its collective voice and increasing our institutional strength.

Administration

The administration of the DSA continues to be carried out by NomadIT, on a rolling contract.

FUTURE PLANS AIMS FOR THE COMING YEAR (2024-25)

Particular goals in the coming year are as follows:

Timing Activity
Assist Communications Officer to continue to promote DSA activities and boost the visibility
Feb 2025 - Jan 2026 of the association.
June 2025 Host and organise another DSA hybrid conference at the University of Bath.
Oct/Nov 2025 Convene Heads of Centres meeting.
Continue, and develop some new forms of support for PGR and ECR scholars, as well as
fostering greater student representation from our institutional members and within Council.
Continue to provide support to DSA members, particularly those based in global South;
reinvigorate inactive Study Groups; attract new institutional members, including publishers;
continue the EDI Audit of Development Studies institutions in the UK; further promotion of
the Decolonising Development Database; Begin an affiliation with the journal JDS for DSA
Through the year to produce one special issue per year. Host further DSA webinars on pertinent topics.

Page 5

Development Studies Association

Report of the Trustees

for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust and constitutes an unincorporated charity.

Recruitment, appointment, induction and training of new trustees

Trustees are recruited from members of the DSA with upcoming vacancies signalled in communications to all members from the Chair of the Board. Applicants present their credentials and intentions to the AGM in person or by letter and their appointment is subject to vote. Induction and training takes place before applicants make their approach through informal discussions with existing board members and/or after their appointment. Positions with specific responsibilities (Chair, Treasurer, Secretary) involve more prior training and preparation.

Risk management

The DSA Council reviews sources of, and responses to, risks at least annually. Sources of risk include fluctuating membership, conference attendance, level of study group activity and the status of development studies in the UK. Risks are mitigated through regular consultation with institutional members through Heads of Centres' meetings, monthly newsletters and email communication, reviewing membership categories and rates, reviewing the purpose and design of annual conferences and reviewing costs involved in administering the charity.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Charity number

283670

Principal address 23 Linton Road Hove BN3 5HF

Trustees

Dr L Camfield Dr U Kambhampati Miss N Kabeer (resigned 28.6.2024) Ms A Prizzon Mr P Taylor Ms S Fennell Mr J Fisher Dr I Kvangraven (resigned 28.6.2024) Dr I Roy Dr M Jennings Prof E Mawdsley Dr E B Gebremariam Mr Z B Owutuamor Dr T Y Mir Ms S C Ronoh Dr K Patel (appointed 28.6.2024) Dr C Louise Mcloughlin (appointed 28.6.2024) Dr I Nateel (appointed 28.6.2024)

Independent Examiner

Mr Saeid Mokhtassi Sterling Partners Limited Chartered Accountants Chartered Tax Advisors 2nd Floor, Grove House 774-780 Wilmslow Road Didsbury Manchester Greater Manchester M20 2DR

Page 6

Development Studies Association

Report of the Trustees

for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Bankers

CAF Bank Ltd 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ 20/06/2025 Approved by order of the board of trustees on ............................................. and signed on its behalf by:

........................................................................ Trustee

Page 7

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Development Studies Association

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Development Studies Association

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Development Studies Association (the Trust) for the year ended 31 January 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by Section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Mr Saeid Mokhtassi

Sterling Partners Limited Chartered Accountants Chartered Tax Advisors 2nd Floor, Grove House 774-780 Wilmslow Road Didsbury Manchester Greater Manchester M20 2DR

19/06/2025 Date: .............................................

Page 8

Development Studies Association

Statement of Financial Activities

for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

Unrestricted
fund
Notes
£
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
425
Charitable activities
Promotion of development research
242,226
Investment income
2
3,772
Total
246,423
EXPENDITURE ON
Raising funds
-
Charitable activities
Promotion of development research
228,925
Other
-
Total
228,925
NET INCOME
17,498
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward
136,243
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
153,741		 Restricted
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 2025
Total
funds
£
425
242,226
3,772
246,423
-
228,925
-
228,925
17,498
136,243
153,741		 2024
Total
funds
£
568
203,327
269
204,164
11
198,077
3,973
202,061
2,103
134,140
136,243

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 9

Development Studies Association

Balance Sheet

31 January 2025

Unrestricted
fund
Notes
£
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash at bank
5
153,741
NET CURRENT ASSETS
153,741
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES
153,741
NET ASSETS
153,741
FUNDS
6
Unrestricted funds
TOTAL FUNDS		 Restricted
funds
£
-
-
-
-		 2025
Total
funds
£
153,741
153,741
153,741
153,741
153,741
153,741		 2024
Total
funds
£
136,243
136,243
136,243
136,243
136,243
136,243

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on ............................................. and were signed on its behalf by: 20/06/2025

............................................. Trustee

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 10

Development Studies Association

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

Section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 permits a charity to prepare a receipts and payments account and a statement of assets and liabilities where gross income in the financial year does not exceed £250,000, therefore receipts and payments accounts and a statement of assets and liabilities in its balance sheet) have been prepared and presented for the year; this is consistent with previous years.

Income

All income, including the subscriptions, conference income and bank interest are recorded when received.

Expenditure

All expenditure are recorded when paid.

Trustees' expenses

These expenses are included in the financial statements once amounts are expended by the Trustees on behalf of the charity.

.

Trustees' indemnity insurance

No charitable funds have been used to purchase insurance to indemnify the Trustees against the consequences of any neglect or default on their part.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charity's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

2. INVESTMENT INCOME

INVESTMENT INCOME
2025 2024
£ £
Interest received 3,772 269

3. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 January 2025 nor for the year ended 31 January 2024.

continued...

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Development Studies Association

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued

for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

3. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS - continued

Trustees' expenses

Trustees expenses of £Nil (2024: £Nil) were paid during the year.

4.
COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
Unrestricted
Restricted
fund
funds
£
£
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
568
-
Charitable activities
Promotion of development research
203,327
-
Investment income
269
-
Total
204,164
-
EXPENDITURE ON
Raising funds
11
-
Charitable activities
Promotion of development research
198,077
-
Other
3,973
-
Total
202,061
-
NET INCOME
2,103
-
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward
134,140
-
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
136,243
-
5.
CASH AT BANK
2025
Total
funds
£
Cash at bank and in hand
153,741
Total
153,741		 Total
funds
£
568
203,327
269
204,164
11
198,077
3,973
202,061
2,103
134,140
136,243
2024
Total
funds
£
136,243
136,243

continued...

Page 12

Development Studies Association

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued

for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

6. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Each of the below funds have arisen due to the donors specifying that the funds donated have to be spent on the specific projects.

Restrictions are imposed through contracts which are signed at the beginning of each project.

7. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 January 2025.

8. FUNDS

Project Funds
brought
forward		 Income Expenditure Transfer
Funds carried
between funds
forward		 Transfer
Funds carried
between funds
forward
£ £ £ £ £
RESTRICTED FUNDS
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
General fund
TOTAL FUNDS		 136,243
136,243
136,243		 246,423
246,423
246,423		 228,925
228,925
228,925		 -
-
-		 153,741
153,741
153,741

9. ACCRUAL BASIS

The accounts are prepared on a receipts and payment basis. Should the accounts of been prepared on an accruals basis, then additional £9,846 of administrative costs should be included. This would result in a reduced surplus of £7.7k for the year ended 31st January 2025.

Page 13

Development Studies Association

Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 January 2025

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS
Donations and legacies
Donations
Investment income
Interest received
Charitable activities
Subscriptions
Conference and exhibitions
Total incoming resources
EXPENDITURE
Other trading activities
Interest payable
Charitable activities
Conference
Administration
Study groups
Bank and credit charges
Support costs
Management
Wages
Social security
Pensions
Council expenses
Governance costs
Sundries
Accountancy and legal fees
Consultancy fees
Donations
Professional subscriptions
Total resources expended
Net income		 2025
£
425
3,772
97,990
144,236
242,226
246,423
-
169,996
25,711
5,076
781
201,564
17,099
943
800
832
19,674
3,416
2,976
870
-
425
7,687
228,925
17,498		 2024
£
568
269
75,971
127,356
203,327
204,164
11
131,225
32,144
12,412
1,056
176,837
15,807
926
1,111
2,410
20,254
1,230
2,568
470
223
468
4,959
202,061
2,103

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

Page 14