Development professionals fear for their jobs and organizations, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments about prostitution policies and locally affiliated organizations, and experts fear a tuberculosis surge due to COVID-19. This week in development:
The first installment of a Devex survey reveals that most development professionals believe the coronavirus outbreak poses an existential threat to their careers and organizations. A majority — 55% — of the more than 500 aid practitioners polled are worried their organizations will not survive the financial fallout of the pandemic, 57% are concerned they could lose their jobs, 63% said their activities had been reduced, and 24% reported losses of employment or income. Consultants said they have been informed that organizations are cutting back on international recruitment, while others warned that smaller, niche organizations may lack the reserves to weather a financial crisis. Aid leaders have offered mixed reviews of donors’ efforts to support their partners through greater flexibility in existing grants and contracts and by making additional funding available for coronavirus-related activities. “If having to know exactly what is going to happen is the standard for donors to step up at scale, we’re going to be too late,” said Bill O’Keefe, head of advocacy at Catholic Relief Services. The Devex COVID-19 Trends Tracker survey will be updated over the course of the coronavirus crisis.