Additional Context: This information comes from a report produced by Inclusive Development Partners, or IDP, a research and technical assistance organization. Using a mixed-methods design under IRB approval from the University of Massachusetts Boston, the study triangulated a global survey of staff from 82 projects across 80 implementing organizations with key informant interviews and focus group discussions across eight countries where IDP had existing programs: Bangladesh, El Salvador, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Data collection took place between January and March 2026.

According to IDP, this represents a significant loss of ground built through decades of deliberate U.S. investment. Many respondents described a sector that, prior to the shutdown, had been moving toward rights-based frameworks, contributions to national policy processes, and holding governments and donors accountable. They described implementing partners as deepening inclusive practices and a policy environment that was open to this advocacy.

Source: Inclusive Development Partners