Opinion: In an era of zero-based aid, the sector must reinvent itself, fast

The global aid sector is entering a new era — one defined by fewer resources, rising need, and growing pressure to deliver measurable results. For decades, the system relied on sector-based funding, geographic mandates, and legacy organizations. That structure served its time, but it is now eroding — fast.

As a sector we have been on a path of progressively increasing complexity. Both in our programs and the administration of our organizations. The coral has built up with duplication and risk aversion. We have become heavy.

We are now being asked to do more than ever before, with less than we’ve ever had.