While claiming to address “The Elephants in the Room: Uncomfortable Perspectives on the Fourth Financing for Development (FfD) Conference” the author of the op-ed avoids confronting the real challenges of development cooperation—even arguing that ‘Innovation may have to wait.’

But can a system that has spent decades evolving into a self-referential sphere afford to delay meaningful transformation?

Despite its self-perception, the development industry has become well-funded but also rife with self-referentiality over its decades-long history as a policy field and industry. It has become highly complex, expert-driven and increasingly disconnected from both those it seeks to serve and those who ultimately fund its initiatives. As the field has evolved, it has lost sight of the fundamental that international cooperation, at its core, must be about people — thinking, reflecting, and acting for change. So, has the development industry forgotten that it is a people business?

In OECD countries development policy has long remained a niche interest. Public engagement was limited, allowing the sector to grow into a quite siloed ecosystem, without being subject to broader and more intensive social scrutiny.

Yet, skepticism was already present. Even before populist narratives gained traction, public confidence in development aid was low. In Germany, e.g., in 2017 only 10% of respondents to a survey thought it was largely effective (while 25% thought it was mainly ineffective). This sentiment did not lead to anything significant — perhaps because the system continued to function well for established players. But was it working well for the people it was meant to serve?

The sector’s top-down decision-making, rigidities, donor-driven priorities and lack of local ownership have often stifled local problem-solving and lasting positive transformation. While the humanitarian sector, for example, has addressed some of these issues through the Grand Bargain process, there has been little in the way of in-depth reactive efforts in development.

This is where innovation comes in. To move the sector forward, it must come to terms with its past. This is why the recent push by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to examine colonial continuities is a step forward. It would also be important to systematically increase the participation of local communities in projects. Innovative digital solutions can improve transparency, accountability and impact, while reducing the risk of corruption. To name but a few

Yet, the op-ed essentially advocates for preserving the status quo — suggesting that “Innovation may have to wait.”

So let’s address the elephant in the room. For too long, the industry has been caught in a cycle of self-reinforcement, not feeling the need for meaningful change even in the face of mounting internal and external challenges.

The question is no longer whether innovation is needed, but whether the key players have the courage to act before the industry loses even more of its reputation as a real contributor to solutions.

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