Unlock Aid

?? Big changes are coming to U.S. foreign aid. Here's our roadmap for reform. With a new administration on the horizon, many in the global development community are concerned about potential cuts to the top-line foreign aid budget. We share those concerns. But the moment?also?presents us with a window of opportunity to enact transformational and long-overdue changes to improve the quality, sustainability, and the impact of U.S. global development spending. Today, we're sharing 10 concrete ideas for the incoming Trump Administration to: ? Shift from aid to sustainable economic growth ? Break up big aid industry monopolies & invest in local markets ? Focus on results, not process ? Replicate Operation Warp Speed's success to other challenges ? Scale what works ? Bring innovations from around the world to the U.S. ? Cut visa wait times from years to hours Whether you work in philanthropy, government, the private sector, or at a nonprofit, these changes will affect how the U.S. invests $60B+ annually to solve global challenges. Read our full analysis: https://lnkd.in/eAaF628V USAID U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Millennium Challenge Corporation U.S. Department of State United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations United States House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats House Committee on Foreign Affairs

?? Today, we’re releasing Glassdoor for Primes, a first-of-its kind industry report providing insights into the business practices of 26 of the largest organizations in global development and humanitarian response. ?Why this report? Global development funding is highly concentrated. Typically, the only way for local groups and social innovators to work with funders like USAID is as a subrecipient to one of their largest contracting partners. This report captures survey data regarding how the biggest players in global development and humanitarian response work with local groups and social innovators, based on survey data from the subrecipients themselves. ?? What we learned Business practices vary widely across large prime contractors. Highly rated organizations embrace transparency, fairness, collaboration, and accountability. Subcontracting is costly, averaging $19,622 in proposal costs alone, with no funding guarantee; primes disbursed only 59% of promised amounts, on average, and nearly 80% of respondents reported funding delays, some over a year. Subrecipients also expressed concerns about how large primes used their intellectual property. ?? No matter your role in the ecosystem, the report also includes recommendations for you: Prime Contractors: Steps to improve your business practices to work with local players, social innovators, and other subrecipients. Subrecipients: Use this report to advocate for better partnerships and protect your organization. Policymakers/Funders: Recommendations on ways to promote good practices, discourage poor ones. We’d love to hear what you think. Download the report. What stood out to you? https://unlockaid.substack.com/p/releasing-glassdoor-for-primes

We're thrilled to share that CRS has been recognized as a top organization in Unlock Aid’s new report, “Glassdoor for Primes: Increasing Transparency and Accountability in Global Development Subcontracting.”?Its mission to help development actors “determine which players best keep their commitments, treat organizations in a spirit of true partnership, and involve local organizations and communities in decision-making” is one we fully support. ? We’re honored that CRS ranked #1 and #2 in the categories below: ??Likelihood to Recommend (as a Prime) ??Transparency and Open Communication ??Fairness, Genuine Collaboration, and Respect ??Trustworthiness and Commitment to Accountability ? This recognition speaks to our commitment to authentic partnership, grounded in respect, trust, transparency and the Catholic Social Teaching principle of subsidiarity—the principle that those closest to a challenge are often best equipped to solve it.?The report’s focus on local partners’ perspectives is a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility and accountability in this work. ? We have immense admiration for our colleagues worldwide who exemplify CRS' partnership principles, treating everyone with respect and fostering transparency and equality. How we work together is as important as what we achieve—and this report acknowledges your hard work and dedication. Thank you for your commitment!

Unlock Aid's new report, Glassdoor for Primes, highlights the experiences of local organizations, social enterprises, private sector actors, and grassroots groups in their work with INGOs and prime contractors, with valuable and actionable insights for international development organizations looking to expand and deepen equitable local partnerships.? I’m proud that Mercy Corps ranks highly as a recommended prime contracting organization and received strong scores for transparency and communication.?This reflects intentional efforts to transform our organization and our commitment to intentionally shift power, resources, and decision-making to the communities where we work. By embracing our Locally Led Commitment, we are making meaningful strides toward building inclusive and resilient communities where local stakeholders lead humanitarian and development efforts. Our goal is to ensure that international organizations are responsive and accountable to the needs and voices of communities. This report highlights a reality we all recognize – there's still significant work to do to enhance transparency, equity, and communication in our sector. Thank you, Unlock Aid, for amplifying these local voices. Their insights are vital for helping our organization and others build stronger, trusting, and equitable relationships to partner better to help communities thrive. I encourage you to read the report for more insights: https://lnkd.in/e46jqpFF

?? Today, we’re releasing Glassdoor for Primes, a first-of-its kind industry report providing insights into the business practices of 26 of the largest organizations in global development and humanitarian response. ?Why this report? Global development funding is highly concentrated. Typically, the only way for local groups and social innovators to work with funders like USAID is as a subrecipient to one of their largest contracting partners. This report captures survey data regarding how the biggest players in global development and humanitarian response work with local groups and social innovators, based on survey data from the subrecipients themselves. ?? What we learned Business practices vary widely across large prime contractors. Highly rated organizations embrace transparency, fairness, collaboration, and accountability. Subcontracting is costly, averaging $19,622 in proposal costs alone, with no funding guarantee; primes disbursed only 59% of promised amounts, on average, and nearly 80% of respondents reported funding delays, some over a year. Subrecipients also expressed concerns about how large primes used their intellectual property. ?? No matter your role in the ecosystem, the report also includes recommendations for you: Prime Contractors: Steps to improve your business practices to work with local players, social innovators, and other subrecipients. Subrecipients: Use this report to advocate for better partnerships and protect your organization. Policymakers/Funders: Recommendations on ways to promote good practices, discourage poor ones. We’d love to hear what you think. Download the report. What stood out to you? https://unlockaid.substack.com/p/releasing-glassdoor-for-primes

How do you drive a culture of innovation in global health? ?? We're publishing recommendations for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance & The Global Fund, sourced from interviews with 25+ of the world's leading innovators, timed to coincide with this weeks' World Health Summit. Recommendations include: ?? Creating a $300M Innovation Scale Up Fund to bring to scale the very best innovations & solve the "missing middle" funding gap in global health (something Gavi is fundraising to do right now) ? Cutting red tape and streamlining operations to bring down barriers to entry & improve both agencies' ability to work with a next generation of innovators ?? More effectively aligning countries' needs with agencies' funding Amid shrinking official development assistance budgets and growing health challenges, both Gavi and the Global Fund know they need to invest more to identify and scale up innovations and novel approaches that can cut costs, speed up service delivery, and improve health outcomes. We've identified areas where both agencies are leading the way, and where they can both can do better. But we know there are other ideas and insights that we did not capture. So, please, read the report. Let us know what we missed. What else should we incorporate? https://lnkd.in/eeyQU2gH

?? Exciting news for the future of U.S. global development policy ?? This week, two U.S. senators announced their plans to introduce bipartisan legislation to “transform” the future of development,?prioritizing investments in sustainable economic growth, innovation, and local partnerships. This legislation could be a very big deal, representing a sea change in the way the United States invests globally, and modernizing how the U.S. approaches issues like energy access, pandemic preparedness, and digital inclusion. Take a look at their announcement. Stay tuned for updates. And let us know what you think in the comments below. https://lnkd.in/gP26Uy5g

Yesterday, we were thrilled to kick off #UNGA with?an event co-hosted with?The ONE Campaign?for an exciting discussion on the future of U.S. global development and the critical role?of?innovation?to solve global challenges, create lasting job opportunities, and promote sustainable economic growth. Key Takeaways: Social innovators, entrepreneurs, and front-line organizations worldwide are ready to drive progress toward achieving the #SDGs by 2030. What they need now is?investment—in infrastructure, talent, and governance—so they can scale their impact. Global donors must embrace a new mindset that leads with trust?and is?ready to?adapt to working with a new generation of innovators. Thank you to our outstanding panelists for their valuable insights: - Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, President & CEO, The ONE Campaign - Wawira Njiru, CEO, Food For Education, (named one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential companies of 2024) - Juan M. Lavista Ferres, CVP & Chief Data Scientist, Microsoft AI for Good Lab - Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, President, Human Capital Africa and former Nigerian Minister of Education and Mineral Resources - Dr. Prashant Yadav, INSEAD Professor and global health & innovation expert In addition to surfacing big new ideas, this event's purpose was to bring together a diverse coalition who can work together to make change possible. Thank you to the dozens of social entrepreneurs, civil society & issue activists, diaspora community & business leaders, philanthropists, and policy makers who joined us for this discussion. Stay tuned—we will share more soon on how we’re transforming these insights into?real-world change.

?? Debate Night Preview: What’s at Stake for U.S. Global Development and Social Innovators???? As the U.S. presidential election approaches, we’re entering a crucial period where decisions made today will shape our global development policies for years to come. With Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump facing off in their first debate tonight, here’s what we at Unlock Aid will be watching closely: ?? How might a Harris agenda differ from Biden's on global development??Will there be more emphasis on innovation and investment in regions like Africa and Central America? ?? Will global development issues matter more this election??From diaspora communities to businesses relying on global supply chains, the stakes are high for international engagement. ?? Innovation and emerging technologies:?Will we hear more about how AI, quantum computing, and other fields can be harnessed for global good? ?? Cracking down on industry consolidation:?Will there be a focus on promoting competition to drive down costs and encourage innovation? ?? Beyond Great Power Competition:?Can U.S. candidates offer a foreign policy vision that goes beyond playing up global rivalries? With just eight weeks until Election Day, the conversation we shape now will help determine the priorities for the next administration. We’re looking forward to engaging with all of you on these critical issues. ?? What do you think should be prioritized in U.S. global development policies? https://lnkd.in/gzxGrYrN #GlobalDevelopment #Innovation #ForeignPolicy #SustainableGrowth #Election2024 #SocialImpact

?? Big news for social innovators! ?? ?The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee just passed a bill with exciting updates and funding for the future of global development. Highlights include: ?? New funding to scale proven solutions to help address the 'missing middle' of global development spending ?? A 25% budget boost for USAID's Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) office ? Simplified procurement processes making it easier to apply for funding and manage grants ?? Cost-effectiveness benchmarks to help design future development programs ?? Increased support for local organizations and innovation-enabling infrastructure, like $65M for a Digital Transformation with Africa Fund This work is only made possible through the support and energy of our community. Thank you for everything you do! https://lnkd.in/gGfGqBib #innovation #globaldevelopment #SDGs