Strategic Plan: FY 2026-2028

Dramatic shifts in global power dynamics, foreign assistance, and technological innovation have created simultaneous geopolitical fragmentation and interconnectedness of global digital tools, societies, and economies. As financial and geopolitical instability moves from theoretical risk to immediate disruption, governments and institutions, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, are being asked to do more with less. At the same time, the rapid rise of Generative AI presents both opportunity and risk: enabling low-resource environments to leap over legacy hurdles, while also threatening to deepen digital dependency when countries rely on tools and systems they neither own nor fully control.

Development Gateway: An IREX Venture’s Strategic Plan 2026–2028 responds to this evolving landscape by advancing a vision for digital transformation grounded in country ownership, interoperability, resilience, and responsible innovation. The strategy reflects a growing need for trusted, human-centered digital systems that strengthen public service delivery, support data-driven decision-making, and remain adaptable in the face of political, financial, and technological change. Building on DG’s 25+ year ethos of designing and building with empowered partners, the plan centers locally owned digital foundations that can scale sustainably and withstand sudden external disruption.