Shaping Our New Normal: An Unprecedented Opportunity to Reimagine a More Inclusive International Development Workplace

2022.05_MSP Shaping Our New Normal

COVID-19 has profoundly altered the workplace for international development professionals. From the transition to a virtual working environment to the halt in international travel, our industry has been navigating unprecedented changes to our working models, stirring important questions about what our new normal will look like and how we can lay the foundation for a more empathetic, equitable, and inclusive sector. This latest research—which includes input from 950 development professionals across humanitarian, WASH, agriculture, and economic growth fields representing all career levels, 23% minority voices, and 92 nationalities—explores professionals’ shifting perspectives on their careers in light of the seismic changes brought on by the pandemic.

Andrew Panton

Senior Consultant

I am committed to improving human livelihoods and resilience in balance with nature. At the Canopy Lab, I provide research and advisory support to projects working on biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and resilience, nature-based solutions, sustainable tourism, and market systems development. Outside work, I’m a keen guitarist, cyclist and bookworm, with a love for food, travelling and learning languages.

JESSICA RUST-SMITH

Senior Consultant

I work across markets, business and supply chains, impact investing, agriculture, and women’s economic empowerment. I am an experienced monitoring, evaluation, research and learning consultant and project manager with expertise in the use of mixed methods, theory-based approaches and data collection and analysis. I have been working in M&E for market systems development for 10 years now, and going strong.