One year ago, NGO executives and aid agency leaders were imagining what Brexit and a newly elected President Donald Trump might mean for their work and for the world. Today we know much more. But there remains uncertainty beyond what's normal, even though to a lesser extent than last year.

Bipartisan support for foreign aid has proved itself strong in 2017, particularly in the U.S. Senate, so a budget deal that addresses the president’s priorities — especially increased defense spending — is unlikely to entail draconian cuts to aid.

For one thing, an unprecedented number of major development institutions had leadership transitions of some kind last year: Priti Patel was forced to resign, her replacement Penny Mordaunt, while quite new to the global development field does seem to be committed to it and perhaps less likely to politicize aid.

United Nations reform is another major item on the 2018 development agenda, which could be good or bad depending on where you sit, but is aimed at making the U.N. a more effective global development organization.

Read the full article on the aid sector by Raj Kumar  at Devex International Development