Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI)

What Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI) does

Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI) is a not-for-profit public policy think tank, founded in 2007 and headquartered at the University of the West Indies (Mona) campus in Kingston, Jamaica. The institute produces and disseminates impartial, evidence-based research to inform economic, governance, fiscal, social, and sustainability policy across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. Its core deliverables are full-length research reports, shorter briefs, opinion commentaries, and annual "Year In Review" retrospectives; flagship interactive products include the OneCity Explorer — an ArcGIS-based dashboard mapping 14 urban integration indicators across Kingston, St. Andrew, and St. James communities through a composite Urban Integration Index — and the China-CARICOM Dashboard tracking PRC investments across nine CARICOM nations. Technical infrastructure is built on ArcGIS for spatial analysis and visualization, with raw indicator datasets distributed via Google Drive and event content archived on YouTube.

CAPRI serves a horizontal segmentation of customers: Jamaican government policymakers (primary), international development partners (UNICEF Jamaica, EU, IBP, Inter-American Dialogue), Jamaican private-sector sponsors providing untied CSR core funding, CARICOM member states, academia, and the general public. Research findings are made freely available through the website, public launch events, media coverage, and project-specific social channels — the institute does not charge for outputs. Revenue mechanics rest on three streams: untied multi-year Jamaican private-sector CSR contributions (providing financial stability and independence), international donor project funding (EU, UNICEF, HEART/NSTA Trust), and co-developed research with peer institutions (Inter-American Dialogue, IBP). CAPRI maintains formal protocols to preserve intellectual independence from sponsors and has demonstrated willingness to lose funding when findings conflict with sponsor interests, an explicit reputational and operational differentiator from donor-dependent think tanks.

Recent strategic activity centers on expanding the publication cadence (30+ publications annually across fiscal, education, urban, climate, gender, and child-protection themes), deepening partnerships with UNICEF and Inter-American Dialogue, and broadening the Caribbean footprint beyond Jamaica through the China-CARICOM Dashboard and regional comparative research. The organization is led by Executive Director Damien King (PhD, NYU Economics) and Director of Research Diana Thorburn (PhD, Johns Hopkins SAIS), supported by a research staff of roughly 16–21 members including fellows, project coordinators, and communications specialists.

Name

Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI)

Legal name

Caribbean Policy Research Institute

Website

https://capricaribbean.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI) is a not-for-profit public policy think tank, founded in 2007 and based in Kingston, Jamaica, producing evidence-based research reports, interactive data dashboards, and policy analyses for Jamaican and CARICOM government policymakers, international development partners, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), International Affairs (92812)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory (BPADAMAJ), Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA), Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs (BPADAOAL)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Policy think tank
• Evidence-based research
• Budget analysis
• Caribbean governance

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Jamaica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Private Sector Funding: CAPRI receives core funding from Jamaican private sector companies through corporate social responsibility contributions. These are untied multi-year contributions that provide financial stability and flexibility for strategic planning.
2. International Donor Funding: Funding from international development partners including European Union, UNICEF Jamaica, and other organizations for specific research projects and initiatives.
3. Project-based Grants: Time-limited funding for specific research projects such as the OneCity initiative, budget analysis, labour market studies, and climate/environment research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CAPRI is a not-for-profit public policy think tank that produces and disseminates impartial, evidence-based research reports, briefs, commentaries, and interactive data dashboards to inform economic, governance, sustainability, and social policy decision-making in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. Its work spans fiscal policy, education, labour market, national security, climate governance, urban development, gender equality, and child welfare, with flagship interactive tools including the China-CARICOM Dashboard and the OneCity Explorer.

Product overview

CAPRI is a not-for-profit public policy think tank that produces and disseminates evidence-based research to inform economic, governance, sustainability, and social policy in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. CAPRI's product portfolio is organized as a research publication platform with interactive data tools. The core offerings consist of full-length research Reports and Briefs covering fiscal policy, urban development, education, climate, national security, labour markets, gender, and child protection; CAPRI Commentaries providing shorter analytical perspectives; Years In Review annual retrospectives; and Event Videos capturing public launches. Two flagship interactive tools — the China-CARICOM Dashboard (an interactive data portal tracking Chinese investments across nine CARICOM nations) and the OneCity Explorer (an ArcGIS-based visualization platform presenting 14 urban integration indicators through the Urban Integration Index) — serve as data-forward analytical products. The OneCity Project, a six-study research initiative, underpins much of the urban research. The portfolio does not follow a traditional software platform-plus-modules architecture; rather, it is a unified research mission delivered through publications, interactive dashboards, and public engagement events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OneCity: A research initiative comprising six studies that aim to understand obstacles for the socio-political and economic participation of marginalised urban youth, and to identify new pathways that leverage digital technology for meaningful youth participation in urban governance.
• China-CARICOM Dashboard

Products and services

• China-CARICOM Dashboard An interactive data display platform that aggregates and visualizes the People's Republic of China's investments across multiple sectors in nine CARICOM nations. Built for policymakers, researchers, journalists, and the public seeking transparency on Chinese economic engagement in the Caribbean.
• OneCity Explorer An ArcGIS-based interactive web dashboard visualizing 14 urban integration indicators and a composite Urban Integration Index for communities in Kingston, St. Andrew, and St. James, Jamaica. Offers customizable data layers covering land tenure, safety, education, employment, healthcare, civic engagement, and access to services for policymakers, researchers, and community stakeholders.
• OneCity Project A multi-study research initiative comprising six studies examining socio-political and economic participation of marginalized urban youth in Kingston, St. Andrew, and Montego Bay, Jamaica. Covers the Right to the City, youth participation in urban development, ZOSO community integration, digital technology for urban integration, digital governance assessment, and digital public infrastructure recommendations for policymakers, urban planners, and community organizations.
• CAPRI Reports Comprehensive in-depth research reports covering Jamaica and the Caribbean's most pressing policy issues including fiscal policy, education, national security, climate governance, urban development, labour markets, gender equality, and child protection. Published in full report, 10 Things summary, and capsule formats for policymakers, specialists, and the public.
• CAPRI Briefs Shorter-form policy briefs providing focused analysis on specific policy issues, including the Jamaica digital economy taxation brief and the Budget Breakdown series. Targeted at busy policymakers and specialists needing rapid insight on defined topics.
• CAPRI Commentaries Opinion and analysis pieces authored by CAPRI researchers and fellows on current policy issues, covering fiscal policy, productivity, urban development, climate, crime reduction, and institutional reform. Published on the CAPRI blog and distributed through media channels for policymakers, media, and informed public.
• Years In Review Annual institutional retrospective publications summarizing CAPRI's research agenda, key findings, partnerships, and impact for each calendar year. Covers research output across fiscal policy, education, national security, climate governance, urban development, and other thematic areas for funders, partners, and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Budget transparency score of 41/100 for Jamaica in Open Budget Survey, ranking 55th of 125 nations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNICEF JamaicacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026Partnership for 'Room for Improvement: The Gap Between Public Spending and Child Outcomes in Jamaica' - the first comprehensive analysis of how Jamaica's national budget is allocated and spent on children. UNICEF Jamaica co-commissioned and supported the research.
• Fi We Children FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025Fi We Children Foundation received grant from Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP) with EU funding to train youth in budget literacy, building on CAPRI's Open Budget Survey findings.
• Inter-American DialoguecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Joint publication of 'A Review of Chinese Climate Assistance in the Caribbean' with Asia & Latin America Program at Inter-American Dialogue, assessing China's climate cooperation with Caribbean nations 2013-2023.
• Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJAMP collaborates with CAPRI on budget transparency work, providing funding for youth engagement projects and accountability monitoring.
• International Budget PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPRI worked with IBP on the 'Following the Money' COVID Edition report analyzing transparency in government emergency spending.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Budget Partnership: Global NGO promoting transparent and accountable public budgeting. CAPRI co-authored the 'Following the Money' COVID report with IBP, reflecting overlapping mission and methodology on budget analysis.
• Inter-American Dialogue: US-based policy think tank on Western Hemisphere affairs. CAPRI jointly published 'A Review of Chinese Climate Assistance in the Caribbean' with its Asia & Latin America Program, indicating direct peer-level collaboration on Caribbean policy research.
• Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), UWI: UWI's social and economic studies institute. Comparable to CAPRI as a Caribbean policy research institution with overlapping themes of governance, social policy, and development economics.
• Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP): Jamaican non-profit focused on budget transparency and public accountability. Directly comparable to CAPRI because they collaborate on budget literacy work and serve overlapping public-sector audiences in Jamaica.
• Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), University of the West Indies: UWI-based research institute producing economic and social policy research for the Caribbean. Directly comparable to CAPRI as a regional academic-policy research unit with shared subject matter and Caribbean geographic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF): Multilateral development bank publishing economic research and policy reports on Latin America and the Caribbean. Comparable to CAPRI as a producer of Caribbean-focused economic policy research, though operating at much larger scale.
• UNDP Caribbean: UN agency implementing development programs and policy research across the Caribbean. Comparable to CAPRI in the development policy space and as a potential partner or funder for Caribbean policy work.
• World Bank Jamaica: Multilateral institution producing policy research and lending programs for Jamaica. Comparable to CAPRI on Jamaican economic governance and social policy research, though operating at vastly larger scale and global mandate.

Regional players

• Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Caribbean Office): German political foundation with a Caribbean presence supporting democracy and policy dialogue. Comparable to CAPRI as a region-focused think tank conducting policy research and stakeholder engagement in the Caribbean.
• Friedrich Ebert Foundation (Caribbean Office): German political foundation supporting social democratic policy work in the Caribbean. Comparable to CAPRI as a regional policy research and advocacy actor with a Caribbean footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/onecityja
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caribbean-policy-research-institute-capri
• Instagraminstagram.com/onecityja

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI)