Indigenous peoples and communities are critical to sustainable development outcomes across many sectors, including environmental conservation, economic growth, and social justice. Yet historical and structural barriers have posed a challenge for meaningful engagement of Indigenous peoples, that leverages their knowledge, expertise, and solutions. In part due to a misalignment of priorities, Indigenous peoples’ representation has…
This post was originally published by BEAM Exchange, and is cross posted with permission. As the project director for a new USAID-funded global flagship programme called Frontier Health Markets (FHM) Engage, you may think that I spend all my time focused on markets for family planning, maternal and child health, HIV, malaria, or TB. But you’d…
Economic development does not happen in a vacuum. Each country has unique attributes and challenges that can affect program outcomes – from local identity politics to tensions over resources – and attitudes towards minorities. Promoting economic growth in fragile and conflict-affected areas adds an additional layer of complexity as programs run the risk of exacerbating…
On this International Youth Day, and every day, young people are speaking out about the urgency of addressing the climate and biodiversity crises facing the world today and they are rising as changemakers to drive and accelerate action. As a society, we must transform the way we live and the way we interact with nature…
Traditional interpretations of security that focus on ‘gates, guards, and guns’ can lead to the perception that project resources are being diverted from development to security objectives. Consequently, security within development projects is often seen as a zero-sum game. At times, security measures may feel unrealistic given the operating environment, time or budget constraints, and perceptions that…
Technology and innovation are crucial tools to achieve meaningful development. Whether it’s using drones to deliver supplies to remote areas of the world or implementing new finance systems in each of our offices, technology is far-reaching and increasingly impacts all of our lives. Anne Kottmeier, Chemonics’ new CIO, explains what development professionals can learn from…
As a 19-year-old student living in Benin, Kidita* dreamed of finishing her studies before starting a family. She relied on the pill so she wouldn’t get pregnant while at school. But one day, when Kidita went to the health facility in her village to pick up her monthly prescription, she found that it was unavailable.…
Governments around the world, from the national to the village level, have been devising, implementing, and regulating innovative tools, like payment for ecosystem services and sustainable production certifications, to combat and adapt to environmental problems like climate change and deforestation. However, despite these innovative tools, sub-national governments face a daunting challenge: They are often responsible…
River basins host complex and interrelated natural and human communities which depend on the basins’ resources to survive and thrive. Planning and managing resources at the basin level are critical to understanding interactions and addressing impacts to mutually benefit people, ecosystems, and wildlife. While natural systems know no boundaries, these basins often span national boundaries…
Youth – defined by USAID as those between the ages of 10-29 – are creating innovative solutions to global issues, building their capacity as leaders, and, in some instances, assuming positions of power. In the international development sector, we must invest in youth and prioritize their development to ensure that they have the support they…
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately two billion people around the world do not have access to necessary medicines, vaccines, medical devices, and other health commodities. In addition to the limited access to medicines, 10.5% of all available health commodities are classified as substandard or falsified, which harm patients, healthcare economies, and supply…
In its final year of implementing the USAID-funded Human Resources for Health in 2030 (HRH2030) Capacity Building for Malaria (CBM) activity, the question of sustainability is looming. Since 2016, the CBM project has embedded long-term technical advisors into National Malaria Control Programs (NMCPs) to strengthen leadership, management, and governance capacity. However, with the program wrapping…