I was about to board my flight to Greece when I received a text message from GBPG’s geopolitical advisor, Jason Blazakis. He asked me a simple question: what was I planning to write about for my Midsummer blog? As I settled into my seat on the plane, I looked down at the book in my hand, FinTech Wars by James
Public sectors around the world are under increasing pressure to deliver more with less. Citizens expect transparency, efficiency, and measurable results. Development partners demand accountability, and policymakers want clearer evidence that public spending is actually improving communities, and achieving the results from the Government’s investments in key sectors. Traditional budgeting methods, which focus on historical expenditures and incremental adjustments to
Fresh, safe, and renewable water resources are in demand everywhere. Water scarcity is threatening peace in developed and undeveloped regions of the world, surpassing energy as the number one political issue in many regions. Economic growth is difficult to nearly impossible without a secure and sustainable water supply nearby. Agriculture is by far the largest user of freshwater worldwide, and
We all procure every day—but we call it shopping. You compare prices, pick who you trust, pay your money, and expect the product to work. Development procurement is the same idea—just on a much bigger scale. The principles stay the same; only the stakes get much higher. We go to the market, compare prices, and decide on a product. Despite
It is easy in a context of seemingly daily, dramatic changes to the global order to miss the longer-term trends that will determine developmental outcomes in the years to come. Concerns and public debates around the restructuring of the institutional and financing architecture of global development often dominate our attention. Meanwhile, quiet revolutions spurred by technological innovation and private initiative
For many organizations, compliance is often treated as a proxy for preparedness. Policies are written, training is logged, exercises are documented, and audits are passed. On paper, the organization is “ready.” Yet researchers at the Center for International Development at Harvard University for example noted in 2023 that compliance focused evaluations often fail to capture if programs and processes are
Many countries find themselves in a tightening fiscal vise. Revenue streams are stagnating while expenditure pressures accelerate. Aging populations demand more healthcare and pension support. Climate-related disasters require costly adaptation, reconstruction, and insurance mechanisms. Public expectations for social protection, infrastructure, energy transition, and digital connectivity rise year after year. Budgets stretch, deficits widen, and borrowing space narrows. In this environment,
Climate change has become the most complex economic challenge of our era, yet the world continues to finance it with a set of tools that no longer match the scale or structure of the problem. The science is unambiguous: global emissions must fall by 43 per cent by 2030 if we are to have any chance of keeping warming within
As this year draws to a close and the festive season brings with it warmth, gratitude, and reflection, I’m reminded of one of the greatest gifts a professional can receive, Mentorship. Beyond the exchange of knowledge, mentorship represents trust, friendship, and the shared spirit of collaboration that helps individuals and organizations truly thrive. Why Mentorship Matters “A mentor is someone
My last field assignment includes memories of our national team members—who form the backbone of humanitarian operations—struggle to keep pace with rising demands. They were stretched thin across multiple fronts: responding to growing beneficiary needs, drafting and revising reports and proposals, navigating complex compliance requirements, and managing safeguarding alerts. As a long-term humanitarian aid worker balancing programs, paperwork, and people,
Introduction We measure everything that makes societies succeed, GDP, inflation, stock prices, even consumer sentiment. Yet we almost never measure trust. Perhaps that’s because trust refuses to be quantified. It’s intangible, shifting, and deeply human. Economists can chart growth; sociologists can map institutions. But the quiet faith that citizens place in those institutions or withdraw from them, is far harder
What do you do if your homeland is sinking due to the effects of climate change? Tuvalu may be losing land to the ocean, but it refuses to lose its voice, its sovereignty, or its future. Located in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, the island nation of Tuvalu is facing an existential threat. With a population of just over 11,000 and
At GBPG, we hold firmly to the belief that true development depends on constant innovation — whether in governance, procurement, infrastructure, or education. Education, in particular, is not only a sector in its own right but also the foundation upon which every other form of development is built. How societies educate their next generation is one of the clearest indicators
The current level of volatility in the development world is unprecedented. International organizations are facing more challenges and more scrutiny than ever before. Whether it is addressing social challenges, advancing education, improving healthcare, or protecting the environment, non-profit international organizations were created for a mission larger than themselves. But passion alone isn’t enough to create lasting change. To truly maximize
To respond to someone, an idea, or to a request should be simple. Yet, how many times can we collectively recollect when someone never responded to an email? Or how many times when a business didn’t deliver what they promised? Or when a politician, pick the country, doesn’t respond to their citizens’ needs? When someone is unresponsive, it sears into
We often say we’re balancing doing good with the resources needed to do good — especially when it comes to climate change. But somewhere in that balancing act, the stakes have skyrocketed. Now, it’s a race against time — against our own limits, against institutional pressure, and against the growing fear that our planet is slipping away. Add the weight
I remember the first time I sat across a table from a CEO who casually confessed, “Compliance is a box-ticking exercise.” It hit me like a punch to the gut. Not because I was surprised — I had heard it before — but because it underscored a truth I have come to know far too well: without decisive state action
Ransomware and data exfiltration continue to represent formidable and ever-present cybersecurity threats for international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These malicious activities not only disrupt an NGO’s operations but also compromise sensitive information. This can erode the trust of donors, beneficiaries, and partners. In this article, we discuss what ransomware and cyber extortion attacks are; why NGOs should focus on risk mitigation
Introduction Your livelihood and that of your employees and customers may depend on having a business continuity plan (BCP) containing one or more Disaster Recovery Plans (DR Plans). And not just having one to comply with some ISO standard but actually being in the position to utilise it when the occasion arises. Sleepless nights for the C-Level – especially the
The Comfort of Predictability vs the Inevitability of Change Security in our everyday lives is founded on predictability. As a species we are comfortable when the parameters of our lives change only slowly and smoothly. Many people are naturally intimidated by change and feel uneasy when faced with it, but if we look back in time, we see that change
