A rapidly changing world requires development co-operation providers to continuously adjust their institutional arrangements, policies, systems and processes. Yet, until today, existing tools for public policy reform had not been adapted for the sector. To fulfil this ambition, this paper draws from existing literature and interviews with stakeholders from countries that underwent a reform process during the last decade. It considers what a reform mindset entails for development co-operation providers, explores drivers for change and suggests questions decision makers might ask themselves as they work through the particular challenges at each stage of reform in their own context.