How to Research Investment Chains

HOW TO RESEARCH INVESTMENT CHAINS

The investment chain — the “upstream” in the river metaphor — is where much of the money for a project comes from, particularly during the development phase. Money flows downstream to the project from shareholders, lenders, insurers and other investors. Some of these actors may fund the project directly, while others may channel their funds to the project indirectly through one or more parent companies.

The subsections below describe how to research and analyze the main categories of actors commonly found in investment chains, including corporations, shareholders and lenders. There is a subsection specifically focused on development banks, and one focused on mid-stream actors, such as contractors and insurers. Each of the subsections defines the actors being addressed; provides tips on how to evaluate them as pressure points for advocacy; and suggests methods and tools for uncovering them, often illustrating the process with a case study.