Most international development work is funded by a large bilateral or multilateral donor. Each donor has their own unique requirements and bureaucracy that can affect everything from budgeting to reporting to project deliverables.
While many international development organizations are trying to diversify their donor base, most firms and NGOs typically rely on one main funder for a majority of their projects. Each donor and the implementing partners that work with them can become their own microcosm within global development, and understanding the ins and outs of how they work is critical to success as well as to getting a job.
One Devex member recently posed the following question about working with USAID contractors: