Driving Innovation through Collaborative Learning: Evidence from Moldova

The Moldova Future Technologies Activity collaborates with the private sector, academia, and government to build an innovative digital system of economic opportunities for Moldova’s small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs. This “golden triangle” of diverse stakeholders identifies opportunities, co-creates solutions, and advocates for a business-friendly policy environment and integration with global markets. Simultaneously, collaborators address…

How a Global Video Challenge Inspires Collaboration and Learning

By relying on paper records, Nepal’s health supply chain faced a challenge in ensuring essential medicines were reaching all of its population, including those in remote or hard-to-reach areas. To remedy this, our USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project worked alongside the Government of Nepal to co-develop an online database…

Deconstructing Ingrained Patriarchal Attitudes in the Western Balkans One Individual at a Time

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a severe and systemic problem affecting individuals across the world, and leaving physical, emotional, and social scars that can last a lifetime. According to the World Health Organization, one in three women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. Sexual…

The Next Global Shock: Will Tourism Be Ready?

With progress lagging towards reaching the 2030 sustainable development goals amidst compounding macroeconomic crises, the tourism sector offers an opportunity to accelerate inclusive and sustainable economic growth towards full and productive employment. However, recent events such as the global COVID-19 pandemic revealed how vulnerable the tourism sector is to external shocks – especially ones that…

Meeting the Moment: Local Changemakers Lead in Fragile and Conflict-Affected States

Local ownership, especially in fragile, conflict-affected, and non-permissive environments, is critical. So how can development donors and implementing partners bolster partner-driven strategies for sustainable development and meaningful change? Participants included both local and D.C.-based NGOs, community-based organizations, thought leaders, research and policy institutes, local governments, advocacy groups, and implementing partners who have moved the needle in the…

Case Study: Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting Amid the War in Ukraine

This case study focuses on changes in how the USAID/Ukraine Agriculture Growing Rural Opportunities (AGRO) Activity team manages their relationships with local partners, handles communications, and continues to learn and adjust to maintain progress in project activities in response to instability caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine. CLA approaches have helped AGRO adjust to changing…

Redefining Safe Water: A Holistic Approach to WASH

Nearly 1 billion people around the world currently experience water scarcity and the number may rise to 2.4 billion people by 2050. Lack of access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services can expose people to preventable health risks, trigger or exacerbate conflict, perpetuate inequality, and hinder participation in society. Why is “safe” access important?…

Thriving and Learning Amidst Adversity in Ukraine

In fragile and conflict-affected regions, development projects encounter unique difficulties that require innovative solutions. The USAID Agriculture Growing Rural Opportunities (AGRO) project, which Chemonics began implementing in 2019, was designed to accelerate the economic development of rural Ukrainian communities with the greatest need through a better governed agricultural sector that encourages more productive, modern, and…