Over the past two decades, the concept of resilience has gained prominence within development and humanitarian organizations as both
an organizing framework and a desired outcome. The concept helped spark discussions about aligning efforts across the humanitarian and
development spheres, as well as within development sectors. “Resilience” promoted strategies to strengthen the ability of households, communities, and institutions to withstand shocks and stresses, particularly amid escalating climate, food, migration, and conflict-related hazards.
A growing body of research suggests that resilience approaches may reduce future demands for humanitarian assistance and support asset building in increasingly risky environments. However, in 2025, the sudden cancellation of many USAID resilience awards introduced its own significant shock to the system. The loss of hundreds of millions of dollars, deeply embedded networks of expertise, and coordination for international partnerships presents a pivotal moment to assess the impacts and unintended outcomes of a retrenchment in resilience programming.
This study examines these impacts along with the evolution of “resilience” within USAID’s programming. It focuses on the USAID’s resilience activities in Kenya as a case study which represents one of the Agency’s longest-standing and most robust resilience portfolios.
Project Point of Contact: Sarah Clark (saraheclark@arizona.edu)