Associate consultants

Why set up a network of consultants?

In January 2026, Groupe URD formalised the structure of its network of associate consultants. The aim is to consolidate and structure our existing collaborations with consultants, to promote the diversity of expertise and profiles within our organisation, and to strengthen collective learning, external visibility and our joint capacity to respond to calls for tenders. The aim of coordinating this network is also to honour our commitments to reducing our environmental footprint and to move towards greater localisation of aid – a shift in the architecture of aid that we have long considered essential, and which is now more crucial than ever.

Details and outlook

In addition to these challenges, this network enables us to innovate in the way we operate within a changing international context. The aim is really to diversify and localise Groupe URD’s perspectives and research, and to reduce Western-centric bias.

The aim is also to involve these consultants in the organisation’s activities, with a view to creating, in the medium term, one or more Communities of Practice (CoP). The network, as a tool for mutual strengthening, also enables our partners to break out of the isolation inherent in this profession and to connect with colleagues with whom they can share ideas, methodologies and opportunities.

The network’s management is based on collaborative decision-making and processes. Key decisions are taken collectively, and regular meetings help to maintain strong ties between members. This operating framework will be set out in a Governance Note, which will be drawn up during the network’s first year (2026) and to which all members will agree to adhere to.

The network has around ten members as of January 2026, covering diverse and complementary areas of expertise and profiles (across the South/North, junior/senior, thematic and geographical dimensions), and ensuring gender parity within the group. We aim to grow the network to approximately 30 members in the next couple of years.