Building ecosystems for the future: reflections on 2025

By Kate Newman

The pace of change and shock to the international development system in 2025 has been staggering. Like many others I am still reeling, and wondering what will come next.  As I consider the ongoing atrocities in Gaza, South Sudan and Myanmar – among others – the global politics at play with the war in Ukraine, and the realities of an international aid system which has shrunk significantly over the year and looks set to drop further, it is hard to feel hopeful. And yet we must, if we are going to keep moving forwards with a vision for a better world.

So I want to reflect on some of INTRACs positives of 2025. Although the year has not been straight-forward, and we have had our challenges, we have also had many reasons to feel inspired and excited. By focusing my attention on what we can celebrate, and giving oxygen to what is going well, we can look forward with energy and hope, to sustain us and build a better future in 2026.

This might seem a strange place to start, when thinking about positives.

Clearly, whatever your thoughts on international aid and the power relations that accompany the financial flows, the speed of decisions and lack of investment in ending well have had terrible impact for many – especially those with the least access to resources or power. At the same time, as INTRAC we were able to join hands with others to ‘Stand with Civil Society’. Our open letter called “for support, solidarity and systems change from global civil society [to bring about] something equitable, durable and led by those closest to the challenges and solutions”. It continues to feel relevant as we draw to the end of the year, to remind ourselves that while change is challenging it can bring something better.

Our response drew directly from our strategic framework, which has continued to guide both our immediate response and the ongoing work we have done this year.  We convened an event to explore resilient ecosystems; offering practical suggestions as to how to build from this moment. We also continued to pay ever deeper attention to  networking with consultants in different parts of the world, and collaborating with others to think about how to support the transformation and potential closure of INGOs. Reflecting on the year behind us, and looking ahead, I am more convinced than ever that INTRAC’s strategy is the right one, and together with our network we are contributing to creating a stronger civil society ecosystem, which in turn will contribute to positive social change and justice.

This year has seen us publish briefing papers and blogs that we are proud of; as well as updating the Planning section of the M&E universe, and translating its papers into the most frequently used languages of our network members (Spanish, French, and Bahasa Indonesia).

We have always known that our value as consultants is not only about our approach, and the skills and expertise of our staff and network members but also about the knowledge that we create together and share with the sector. As Allan Moolman wrote in his paper, “Consultants as connectors” – they interact in multiple organisations, and get an insight into the range of issues faced, but also the similarities between organisations in different contexts. Our role in supporting these connectors to come together and make sense of their experiences, and translate this into useful resources for others in the sector, is one way that we can contribute to the resilience of civil society for the long term.

Since April, 26 people have joined our network, which now has 140 members, with 42% from countries across the Africa, Asia and Latin America regions. More than half our consultancy is being delivered by network members. With them, we continue to build our ethical and values driven approach, centring the rootedness and lived experience of consultants, alongside their technical and professional expertise, and our relationship-based approaches.

We have begun practitioner classes, held network gatherings, and ‘woven’ with C4C networks in West Africa and Indonesia. In our strategic framework we set out to become ‘network-led’ and it feels that we are moving from the idea of a network to the reality of having one.  It has been great to see the development of diverse roles in the network, whether this is steering the agenda, acting as stewards for specific initiatives, or sharing expertise and developing bids.

INTRAC’s reputation has been largely built on our expertise in MEL, OD, and training. This year we have dedicated time and focus to considering what it means to decolonise monitoring, evaluation and learning and we hope to work with others on this learning journey, exploring the role MEL has in transforming power. Our OD work continues to support both those who are grappling with how to shift power and reimagine relationships in their global practices; as well as work in equitable partnerships; while also focusing on consultants themselves, strengthening skills and building confidence through our consultants for change programme, and coming together as part of a global community of practice, Spark.  Looking forward to next year we are planning a range of offers to really support global actors to navigate their shifting external environment, lead through transition and uncertainty, including investing in ‘endings’. We’re looking forward to sharing more about these offers in 2026.

Our training team continue to expand our training offer, with more courses developed by civil society practitioners, for civil society practitioners. Our shadowing programme has meant that we have new trainers based in countries as widespread as Lebanon, Colombia, Senegal, and Ethiopia, among others. We are looking forward to ongoing collaboration in 2026 as we offer new courses in ‘diversity, equity, inclusivity in partnership’; AI and the non-profit, and becoming change agents; alongside our current favourites.  Having a wide range of courses to support shifts in the sector is key to bringing about the long-term changes we hope to contribute to, so that civil society is resilient, impactful and legitimate and better able to contribute to positive social change.

We expect the year ahead will bring further disruption and ongoing challenges to the sector, whether it is from internal challenges to funding and legitimacy, or external challenges due to ongoing pressures on civic space, geopolitics, and climate change.  But we hope that we can continue to build on our work of 2025, contributing to stronger ecosystems of support for civil society, working with others to support civil society actors, organisations and networks that are locally rooted globally connected, that are contributing to building just, equitable and sustainable societies for all.