WICE Announces Comprehensive Restructuring to Create New Paradigm for Sustainable Development

WICE, a global organization founded in 1989 by conservationist Daan Vreugdenhil, has announced a comprehensive restructuring of its mission, team, and operational model to create a new paradigm for sustainable development. The organization aims to maintain its established legacy while expanding its capabilities to address contemporary global challenges through community-centered solutions. This transformation represents a significant shift in how development organizations approach complex global issues, blending decades of proven expertise with innovative approaches.

The revitalized WICE will focus on multiple sectors including health, nutrition, agriculture, food systems, artificial intelligence, ecotourism, energy and environment, education, economic development, blockchain technology, governance, partnerships, and humanitarian assistance. According to Emily Weeks, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of WICE USA, this transformation honors previous work while recognizing the urgent need for different approaches to development. Weeks, who previously worked at USAID, emphasized that the restructured organization combines legacy credibility with a high-impact model that emphasizes collaboration over competition.

WICE operates as an agile, decentralized consortium with more than 150 experts working across 100-plus countries. The organization's team has managed over $50 billion in government contracts, advised presidents and national leaders, partnered with more than 2,500 organizations, and delivered a century of combined results with proven ability to rapidly deploy anywhere. This extensive experience positions WICE to foster partnership, investment, and co-design with local communities, creating a more sustainable approach to development work.

Dr. Ahmad Kablan, Ph.D., Vice President of WICE and another former USAID official, emphasized the organization's unique position in the evolving global development landscape. Kablan stated that WICE is not just adapting to changes but helping lead the transformation of the global development sector. As the sector moves toward a new paradigm of collaborative frameworks that blend public and private capital to unlock billions in investment, WICE stands at the forefront of this important shift.

The organization's renewed focus includes advancing climate resilience, clean energy, inclusive economic growth, and sustainable infrastructure. According to leadership, WICE's approach prioritizes creating innovative and inclusive solutions that ensure health, ecosystems, and livelihoods can thrive while ensuring local capacity leads development efforts. More information about the organization's new direction is available at https://www.wice.org.

Weeks concluded that the restructuring represents a bold new beginning for development work, stating that the world needs all hands on deck and that WICE is prepared to lead this transformation. The organization's shift toward a collaborative model that shares skills and resources aims to deliver human-centered solutions at scale while addressing the most pressing sustainability challenges facing communities worldwide. This approach marks a significant departure from traditional development models and could set new standards for effectiveness in the non-profit sector.