Knowledge on financing in protracted crises driven by conflict, climate shocks, and macroeconomic stressors remains fragmented across sectors and programmes, limiting opportunities for system-wide learning. At the same time, shrinking aid budgets and shifting geopolitics are prompting bilateral and multilateral donors to reassess their priorities and engagement strategies. This creates a critical policy window to synthesise existing knowledge on best practice and inform system priorities going forward.

Against this backdrop, the ERICC research consortium and ODI Global are convening a forum that brings together financing specialists and experts across education, health, and social protection sectors to critically examine how the architecture of foreign aid for conflict settings shapes outcomes on the ground, and how it can be reimagined to better strengthen the capacities of domestic state and non-state actors.

To surface actionable lessons, on 25 February 2026, this forum will convene policymakers, researchers, and sector practitioners to debate options going forward and their trade-offs. Expertise will draw from FCDO-funded research consortia working in conflict settings, including ERICC (Education Research in Conflict and Protracted Crises), ReBUILD (Rebuild for Resilience), BASIC (Better Assistance in Crises) and STAAR (Social Protection Technical Assistance, Advice and Resources); ODI Global in-house experts from Development and Public Finance team, Humanitarian Policy group, ALNAP (Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in humanitarian action); and donor agencies.