REFORMING INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT #RID
#RID is an ambitious program to support work to identify what a new international development system would look like, and what we all need to do to get it implemented.
THE PURPOSE AND VISION OF #RID
#RID is an ambitious program to support work to identify what a new international development system would look like, and what we all need to do to get it implemented. This would lead to a system that local communities need and want.
The HSDT is a small, fast moving, self-funding organisation, with no axe to grind except to improve sector performance and we want to work with partners who have similar values and share our aspirations for change.
We see #RID’S objective as helping very low income people in the Global South, especially women & girls, to reach their full potential on a sustainable basis. Our long term hope is that there will be fundamental changes in the awareness, attitudes and behaviours of funders, including a laser-like focus on the needs and wisdom of local communities.
We applaud the many excellent funders already doing this, and wish to highlight their good example, but others need to change, as we have tried to do in the recent past, recognizing recent mistakes.
HOW THIS VISION CAN BE ACHIEVED
We are now in Year 3 of what we expect to be a 10 year program. In implementing the Purpose & Vision, with partners, we are following two strategies;
1. Building awareness of the opportunities for funders to increase their positive impact by following #RID’s 4 Pathways to Change. The 4 Pathways showcase good practice (see initiatives below).
2. Practically demonstrating how the 4 Pathways increase impact by partnering with and funding organizations which are already practicing them, using them as exemplars or “demonstration programs”. Summaries of these first five partners can be seen here.
WHAT'S BEEN ACHIEVED SO FAR
Today we are in Year 3 of what we expect to be a 10 year programme. So far we have:
Created and shared original insights through the Jigsaw research study
Partnered with Alliance Magazine to disseminate Jigsaw results and share success stories
Created a team consisting of HSDT trustees, Rebecca Hanshaw (until recently CEO of the Global Fund For Women, UK), David Drewery (Executive Director of Alliance Magazine and Barry Knight, (co-founder of the #ShiftThePower movement).
Funded 3 organisations that are trying to reform international development.
Funded 2 organisations that are operating consistently with #RID principles
Creation of #RID portal with Alliance magazine already populated with 21 articles from many authors on reforming international development
11 constituency conversations attended by over 50 people, contributing to producing a co-created document on the system we want (final draft stage)
Over 25 other conversations / interviews / presentations with funders, networks, community activists and other stakeholders to gather data, share insights and build momentum
Two sessions facilitated at the Wings conference in Nairobi
Attended the #ShiftThePower Conference in Bogotá, in Dec 2023, attended by over 700 people from 80 countries. Delivered one “bucket” session and one keynote / plenary address
Actively participated in two conferences in Istanbul and Bogota presenting results and insights on #RID
Run numerous co-creation workshops with a wide range of people involved in the sector, especially those in the Global South, to gather more feedback on the #RID programme.
WHAT NEXT
In order to fully involve those typically excluded from conversations on international development, an invitation to crowd source views and data has been created, translated into many languages, to be shared with the constituency we have already created, for roll out to their networks. In addition, online and face to face conversations have taken place with other selected organizations with objectives for change aligned with our own.
The new Alliance Magazine #RID portal provides links to the Jigsaw Survey, plus a growing body of articles written on reforming international development (27 articles so far).
In “Breaking out of Echo Chambers”, Barry and Rebecca explain how their colleagues are expanding constituency conversations.
Some key themes which we will continue to explore throughout 2024 are:
The need for greater clarity and accountability around shifting power and the system we want. Nina Blackwell's article highlights some of the challenges.
The need to avoid a power shift from one elite to another and to ensure the sharing of power, particularly with the most marginalised. Fabiola Quesada-Andrade's article highlights this issue.
The need for funders to fund change, and Mary Ann Clements shares some of the frustrations.
We know that reforming international development (RID) requires a long-term commitment and collective effort. We are learning from four #RID partners who have actively embarked on pathways to reform international development. Alongside these partnerships, we’re engaged with other funders to share learning and collaborate on how we can support the creation of an international development system which nurtures the world we all want.