In his new blog, TPP Director Neil McCulloch urges a rethink of aid following USAID’s collapse and deep UK cuts. He proposes a low-cost, adaptive model focused on supporting local coalitions for change, rather than imposing external solutions. This “transformational” approach blends development, diplomacy, and security tools, aiming for sustainable, locally driven reform based on how real progress has historically been achieved.

Trump’s rapid reversal of Biden’s climate agenda has shocked many. In one week, he dismantled decades of environmental progress by lifting oil and gas restrictions, scrapping decarbonization targets, and abandoning international commitments including the Paris Agreement. This blog explores how these moves threaten U.S. climate progress and global climate action.

This blog by Alan Hudson reviews the evolution of USAID's local systems policy on the occasion of the launch of USAID's 2024 Local Systems Position Paper, and reflects on creative tensions inherent in the challenges of operationalizing systems thinking and practice in complex development contexts.