Fit for the Future? Development trends and the role of international NGOs

This short paper summarizes the main global trends in international development, before exploring two pressing questions: how is our own understanding of development changing, and what are the implications of these changes, whether practical or conceptual, for the future role of international non-government organizations (or NGOs)? Increased attention to systems thinking in development raises profound challenges for international NGOs. It highlights the folly of simple, linear interventions and the merits of alternative approaches such as bringing together stakeholders to find joint solutions (convening and brokering), or multiple experiments and rapid iteration based on fast feedback and adaptation.