The Equitable, Resilient, Accountable (ERA) Index asks leaders to self-assess their commitments and actions towards achieving ERA operating models in the areas of institutional architecture, people and culture, funding and financial systems, and risk and compliance. Twelve of the questions are based on these key areas of change we have identified as essential to sector-wide transformation. An additional four questions ask about the change process itself.
In November 2023, 41 international NGO (INGO) leaders completed the survey. This was a similar response rate from the 2022 ERA Index. Broadly the results do not show a substantial shift in practice. INGOs are still in the messy middle of change. Transformation will take time. And yet, the comments in the survey indicate that there is a greater awareness of what needs to get done and understanding of the complexity of the task at hand.
Among ERA Index participants, there is no longer a question of whether INGOs need to change to survive and thrive in today’s changing development ecosystem. It is just a matter of how and when. Having a baseline to track change in mindsets, policies, and practices is an essential part of understanding change. With two years under our belt, we have developed a picture of how INGOs are acting and reacting to the movement for equitable and locally led development.