Creating a development sector that shares power fairly, where all parties are held accountable, and where the work is resilient, is a journey as much as it is a destination. The journey will require a shift in how international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), national nongovernmental organizations (NNGOs), and funders work and how they think. We picture this interdependence between the three stakeholders as a “three-legged stool”. When one leg of the stool wobbles, the entire stool shakes. When one falls down, everything collapses.

But how do we track such shifts? And how much progress is currently being made?

In 2022, Humentum used our newly formalized theory of change and first annual Equitable, Resilient, Accountable (ERA) Index survey to begin to shed light on these questions, focusing on one leg of the stool — INGOs.

The data (including anonymous survey respondent comments) shared in this report is from the 2022 ERA Index. The insights shared are the culmination of the many convening and collaboration efforts Humentum embarked on with its INGO community in 2022. What follows is a snapshot of where we are on the journey, so far, and our thoughts on how to keep moving ahead.