February 2025 Newsletter

Upcoming events

Data Foundation

• Wednesday, February 19, 1:00–1:30 PM: Modernizing Federal Vital Records Data Management: A New Vision for Reducing Improper Payments

Open Government Partnership

• February 5–7: 2025 OGP Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting

Also shared: Education Transformation Against All Odds by Nadim Matta, Jinan Karameh Shayya & Youmna Helou (Stanford Social Innovation Review).

Members news and updates

Accountability Lab

• The Long Game: Changing narratives and building ecosystems in Southern Africa
• Grounding governance in humanity and shared values

Open Contracting Partnership

• Tab for access: How New York City is increasing participation and access to government contracts
• OCP in 2025: our plans for impact, inclusion, innovation plus a significant birthday
• Empowering women businesses in Uganda through contracts
• Assam’s green budgeting boosts green public procurement trends

Center for Progressive Reform

• What to Expect When You’re Expecting Trump
• What I’ll Be Watching for During Vought’s Confirmation Hearing and Why
• New Report: Private Wells in Virginia: Data Gaps and Public Health Concerns around Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater
• Unleashing Only Some American Energy: Trump’s Early Days Prioritize Polluting Fossil Fuels and Abandon Climate Action
• The CRA is a Payday for Congressional Republicans
• Rural Clean Energy Convening Highlights Need for a Strong ‘Rural Agenda’
• Trump’s War Against NEPA
• Saving Disaster Law from the Imperial Presidency

Feedback Labs

• Open call for new members to join the Feedback Labs board!
• Become a Certified Feedback Practitioner

Horizon Project

• 2025 – New Year’s Resolutions for People with Disabilities
• What is Adaptive Fitness?
• What is invisible disability?

HOTOSM

• Fortaleciendo Competencias en Gestión de Recursos Naturales con ODK en América Latina
• Filling OSM Buildings Data Gaps for Recovery in Lebanon
• Cerramos el 2024 con unión y fuerza comunitaria: el Hub LAC mira hacia el 2025
• We Close 2024 with Unity and Community Strength: The LAC Hub Looks Towards 2025
• Mapping Dhaka’s Informal Settlements for Climate Resilience and Urban Development

PEN America

• For Federal Censorship of Higher Ed, Here’s What Could Happen in 2025
• The Plaintiff Who Secured Academic Freedom Sees Echoes of ‘Red Scare’ Today
• Letter Calls on Escambia, FL School District to Return Kyle Lukoff Book Too Bright to See to Libraries
• PEN America Calls on Minnesota School District to Rescind Policy Naming BookLooks.org as Primary Resource for Book Purchases and Challenges
• PEN America Criticizes Iowa Lawmakers For Effort To Bully University Leaders Into Eliminating Academic Programs
• Advocates and Authors Call on Chappaqua, NY School Leaders To Reverse Ban on ‘Young Palestinians Speak’ Book
• Supreme Court to Hear Case Involving Parents’ Objections to LGBTQ+ Children’s Books
• PEN America Files Amicus Brief on New Hampshire Legal Challenge to a “Banned Concepts” Law in Schools

ITAD

• Private Capital Mobilisation: Concepts and Definitions

The Youth Cafe

• The Youth Cafe Partnership In 2025 Peoples Dialogue Festival | Building a Collaborative Democracy for Kenya’s Sustainable Future

OpenSecrets

• Trump administration profile: Pete Hegseth
• Trump administration profile: Doug Burgum
• Trump administration profile: Elise Stefanik
• By the Numbers: 15 Years of Citizens United
• Trump administration profile: Linda McMahon
• Trump administration profile: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

BudgIT

• Strengthening Community Engagement and Accountability for PHC: Partners Report
• Achieving National Development through Efficient Service Delivery

BRAC USA

• Campaign update from CEO Julia Roberts: The tremendous results you powered
• Afghanistan stories of resilience: Part 1
• The Telegraph: An invisible threat lurking in the water is slowly destroying these women’s lives
• Four ways to give to charity while saving on taxes
• Afghanistan stories of resilience: Part 2
• Remembering Richard Cash: a collection of tributes
• Extraordinary Woman webinar series: Dr. Erum Mariam talks about education, play, mental health and more

Climate Justice Alliance

• CJA Applauds Environmental Justice Movement & Legislators Who Defeated the “Dirty Deal”

Economic Security Project

• Economic Security Illinois Applauds State’s Adoption of IRS Direct File
• 32M Americans Eligible to Use Free IRS Tax Filing Service Starting Jan. 27
• As 2025 Tax Season Begins, Hundreds of Millions in Tax Credits Available to Illinoisans
• FOX8 WGHP: IRS expands free tax filing program into North Carolina
• THE SACRAMENTO BEE: Republicans want to sabotage America’s most important tax credit for workers

International Republican Institute

• Empowering Change: Highlights from WDN’s Sixth Annual 10 Days of Activism Global Advocacy Campaign
• IRI Albania Poll Finds Strong Support for Fighting Corruption, Desire for Democratic Governance, Economic Concerns
• IRI Mongolia Poll Shows Economic Concerns, Negative Views on Media Freedom, Strong Desire for Democracy
• IRI Statement on the Release of Cuban Political Prisoners and Removal of Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List
• Promise and Peril: What Generative AI Means for Women’s Political Participation
• IRI Thanks Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Governor Kelly Ayotte for their Service on IRI’s Board of Directors

Physicians for Human Rights

• Public Health and Former CDC Experts Warn Against Renewed Misuse of Title 42 Public Health Authority
• “Deterrence Through Cruelty”: Trump Administration’s Assault on Asylum System Violates Human Rights and Harms Public Health
• Trump Ending ICE “Sensitive Locations” Policy Forces Immigrants to Choose Between Health Care and Safety
• Millions at Risk as Conflict Escalates in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Trump Administration Use of Guantánamo to Detain Immigrants Threatens Abuse, Inhumane Conditions, Health Harms

Open Government Partnership

• Aidan Eyakuze Takes Helm of the Open Government Partnership as New Chief Executive Officer
• Local Roundup | January 2025

Pact

• Pact welcomes Christian Bowman as Chief Human Resources Officer
• From metal and wire: An entrepreneur in Ukraine rebuilds her metalworking career lost to war
• With clean energy, Pact supports resilient communities around the world
• Closing the energy gap: Smart Power Myanmar reaches 5 MW of energy capacity through partnership

Jobs and courses

Hybrid

ADAPT: Short-Term Political Economy Experts

ITAD: Regional Director · Senior Consultant – Human Development (Health Lead) · Senior Consultant – Human Development (Education Lead) · Senior Project Officer

BudgIT: Senior Program Officer, Liberia

BRAC USA: HR Manager, Africa Regional Office (Nairobi, Kenya) · MEL Advisor, USAID Bangladesh Communities for Gender Equality

Remote

Economic Security Project: Campaigns Communications Director · Senior Director of Policy and Research · Executive Assistant · Director of Finance and Administration

Future of Life: Head of U.S. Policy · Rolling Applications · Website Developer & Editor