Pros
There were some very good people on lots of different teams- but there were also people who had titles or roles that didn't really make sense. Lots of reports/thought papers from headquarters and not necessarily lots of good work on the ground. Projects that were successful did not correspond with headquarters support or systems in place- they just happened to have great leadership on the ground.
Cons
For over 2 years there was a program restructure underway, which is WAY too long to have people uncertain about their roles or future. Then when the donor landscape changed so significantly in Jan 2025, there could have been a larger discussion on whether the rollout should be shifted. Instead new staff for new positions were hired in January, while long term positions were laid off in February. I don't think senior leadership knew what to do- They seemed to stick their heads in the ground and laid off staff without communications to other team members. One Senior Director held regular open calls to help answer questions from teams and country officers, which was useful and appreciated- but this was not the norm nor the "tone from the top."