Governance and Strategy
Working critically, adaptively, and creatively to shape a more inclusive, sustainable future.
Square Circle is a global development consultancy headquartered in Brisbane, Australia. We collaborate with governments, civil society, and the private sector to bridge policy and capacity – serving diverse communities through inclusive development processes that create sustainable and equitable impact. Working at the intersection of theory and practice, we engage deeply with cultures, politics, environments, and institutions to navigate complex challenges and co-create solutions.
What we do
Our Core Services
Squaring the Circle
Square Circle Global Development draws its name from the mathematical challenge of ‘squaring the circle’ – a problem that has fascinated thinkers for centuries. The task involves creating a square with the same area as a given circle using only a compass and straightedge. The problem endures as a metaphor for innovation, creativity, and the relentless pursuit of solutions to complex challenges.
In the context of aid and development, Square Circle embodies this spirit by tackling global, regional, and local challenges –such as poverty, inequality, and climate change – with innovative, critical, and practical approaches. Just as squaring the circle represents the union of opp osites, Square Circle unites diverse experiences, expertise, resources, and ideas to turn ambitious visions into tangible progress for a better world.
INSIGHT
Square Circle derives insight through critical reflection and participatory processes that aim to understand the content and quality of social relations – from the local to the global – through which people and communities reproduce social life. This perspective is informed by a critical historical approach to the contemporary challenges and opportunities of development.
We seek to understand three core questions:
Where have we come from?
How have we gotten here?
Where do we want to go?
We do this by bringing people’s everyday lived experience into dialogue with commonplace assumptions and abstractions of development theory and practice. As such, we see people, everywhere, as holders of knowledge with important insights for realising the opportunities afforded by the contemporary politics of development and social change.
ACTION
We are deeply committed to grounding our work in local contexts, knowledge, and conceptions of the ‘good life’. With a strengths-based approach, we centre local capacities and perspectives on development challenges. Acknowledging our world’s deep interconnectedness, we design meaningful, sustainable, and inclusive initiatives by strengthening ties across geographies, cultures, and ideas. We aim to foster action that is locally rooted and globally informed.
Knowledge-based and sustainable efforts that connect people, places, and ideas
IMPACT
Creating sustainable and inclusive impact in a dynamic, diverse world is at the core of Square Circle’s research, policy advice, program design, and implementation. We work to address development challenges in a complex global environment. By exchanging knowledge, experience, and practices, we aim to ensure impact at all levels – from local to global. This fosters a development space where governments, communities, institutions, and private partners can learn, grow, and adapt toward more equitable outcomes.
Impact across local, regional, and global scales through adaptive change that embraces a dynamic and diverse world
Collaboration and partnerships
Square Circle invests in building strong and durable relationships everywhere we work.
We believe in knitting together networks across geographies, sectors, disciplines, and cultures to share knowledge of the diverse local experiences, challenges, and opportunities of global development.
Our partnerships are grounded in shared principles and a collective commitment to positive change. They are guided by Square Circle’s Project Governance and Collaboration Framework, which promotes accountability, ethical practices, and effective cooperation. Our policies on Ethical Research, Environmental Protection, Child Protection, and Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment provide clear safeguards for responsible engagement. To support efficient project delivery, we use digital collaboration platforms and tools to enable effective coordination across teams working in diverse and often remote locations, helping us stay responsive and effective in dynamic environments.
We bring together our in-house expertise with a diverse network of experts and partner organisations, enabling us to integrate local knowledge, practices, and insights with deep sectoral expertise and global best practices across all our projects. By fostering strong cross-sector relationships, we also connect diverse perspectives and local insights, allowing us to build agile teams that respond effectively to complex development challenges. This collaborative approach strengthens our impact and helps create sustainable outcomes for the communities we serve.