It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the scale of the problems we’re facing, from catastrophic climate change to heartbreaking conflict to rampant inequality. If we’re going to address today’s challenges and those of our quickly approaching future, we’ll need development professionals who are equipped to do so, not just by their education, but by their experiences, their diverse perspectives, and perhaps above all, their bravery.

As I look around our global offices, I’m struck by the how this sector has changed since I began my career.

The reality is that today’s problems must be solved quickly. As climate change worsens, conflicts grow more deadly, and our world grows more interconnected, quick, efficient, and sustainable responses can mean the difference between life and death.

Luckily, as our problems have grown, our technology has improved in tandem. We have the technology and the data to address these problems at scale and at pace, but we need the right people to do so. The development professionals of the past had the luxury of time, to take months if needed to test their solutions; to pause, reflect, and regroup. We don’t have the time to do that anymore. We have to iterate in real time with the data and feedback we’re receiving. We have to move quickly and be decisive.

Call it “progress over perfection,” or cite the aphorism that “perfect is the enemy of good.” It’s brave to sprinkle your data and theory with a gut feel for what will be successful when lives are on the line – to switch course when something isn’t working and scale when it is.

The development professional of the future must be brave enough to start the journey and change as they go because ultimately, action is better than inaction.

When I build my teams, I’m not just looking for people with a Master’s Degree in development; I’m looking for their capabilities. Can they analyse and make use of data? Are they courageous in their decision making? Do they have the persona to deal with myriad stakeholders and achieve their goals?

And crucially, do they have the resilience to keep going when the odds are against us?

I also look for diversity in every possible way, visible or otherwise; professionals with tangible skills that can be applied to a variety of situations and contexts.

The future, and especially the future of development, will require those with big, innovative ideas, but the delivery of practical change requires those with the skills and capabilities to turn those ideas into action.

It’s no longer enough to be single-focussed on a technical issue or to unlock toolkits of the way things have ‘always been done.’ It’s time to look at the intersection of our problems; to view our challenges as a system that requires cross sector learning and a true understanding of how things happen, why they happen and how they can be changed.

That’s not to say the deep technical knowledge isn’t important, because it’s still a critical input to all development activity. Rather, we need people who are willing to work across sectors; who are ready to integrate new ways of thinking and to make connections and collaborate in ways that haven’t yet been tried, let alone achieved.

Crucially, this future development professional must be increasingly local to the country in which they’re working, furthering their own national and cultural agendas and priorities. They will be the ultimate expert in the context. And while there will be room for cross learning between the developed and the developing world, the time of colonial, western-centric approaches to development is over.

Already, we’re seeing that shift as more programs than ever are locally led.

While teams are receiving technical assistance from other countries, the priorities are being set by those who know the context best. For development organisations, this means a shift towards the role of convener, translator, and connector. Over the years, I’ve seen how Palladium and our teams have stepped into that translator role, fluently speaking donor, local, private, investor, and public sector, and that’s where we have so much to offer moving forward.

We’re not fully there, but we’re getting closer every day.

Rather than feeling overwhelmed at the enormity of the problems we’re facing as a global community, I’m genuinely hopeful and excited to see the solutions the next generation of development professionals will bring to the table. It’s a table that’s larger and more inclusive than ever before – and one that’s guaranteed to produce fresh ideas and solutions to tackle our greatest challenges.

For more, contact info@thepalladiumgroup.com.