In January 2026, Islamic Relief Worldwide took a bold leap into the digital future, unveiling its Global Programme Impact & MEAL System (GPMS) across 27 countries. The launch, years in the making, could not have come at a more crucial moment. As international aid budgets tighten and the needs of vulnerable communities grow ever more complex, Islamic Relief’s new digital backbone promises to transform how the organization manages data, tracks progress, and, perhaps most importantly, safeguards its most at-risk programmes.
The GPMS is far more than just a new software tool. According to Islamic Relief’s official announcement and coverage by outlets such as el-Balad and Bond, it represents the culmination of a three-year collaborative effort involving stakeholders at every level of the organization. The system was designed with a clear priority: to serve the needs of frontline staff. As one project team member put it, the aim was to ensure the platform was built “BY and FOR our colleagues on the ground, first and foremost.”
What does this mean in practice? The GPMS allows field teams to report project updates, manage data, and track lifecycles with ease. Crucially, this information becomes instantly available to staff around the globe, slashing administrative overhead and freeing up precious time for direct engagement with the communities Islamic Relief serves. Features include real-time tracking of risks, issues, and delivery activities—including the number of individuals reached. The system supports both offline and online data collection, making it adaptable for case management even in areas with limited connectivity. MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) activities are tracked in detail, ensuring that every lesson learned and every indicator is captured and shared.
The technical foundation of the GPMS is the ActivityInfo platform, selected after a rigorous evaluation of about 30 potential systems. According to Islamic Relief, the ActivityInfo team’s willingness to collaborate and find solutions to seemingly impossible challenges was a key factor in the system’s success. “It was never about the sale for them; whenever there was something that ‘wasn’t possible’ they always found an alternative solution. This is real partnership in the truest sense of the word,” one team member reflected, underscoring the depth of collaboration that drove the project forward.
Beyond its core functionalities, the GPMS boasts a flexible data structure, advanced analysis and reporting tools, and multilingual support—initially in English, French, and Arabic. It integrates seamlessly with existing financial systems, reducing duplication and maximizing data visibility. These features are not just bells and whistles; they’re essential for an organization operating in diverse, often challenging contexts.
But the digital transformation doesn’t stop here. Islamic Relief’s leadership has made it clear that the GPMS launch is only the beginning. Plans are already underway to expand the system’s capabilities, with additional functionalities aimed at further enhancing management, reporting, and accountability. The goal? To continuously improve the quality of interventions and ensure that every dollar and every hour spent delivers the greatest possible impact.
This optimism, however, is tempered by the stark reality of the current aid landscape. As reported by el-Balad, the GPMS arrives at a time when global development funding is under severe strain. In 2025, aid declined by up to 17% following a 9% drop the previous year. Major donors have slashed their international development budgets—one by 40%, another by more than 90%—forcing the closure or scale-back of programmes across Africa, including those focused on girls’ education and health. Bilateral aid to parts of Africa has been cut by 12%, and up to 50 organizations faced cancelled funding for women’s peacebuilding projects. The consequences are dire: 272 million children and youth are currently out of school, including 133 million girls, and nearly 100 million children aged 6–18 in Sub-Saharan Africa are affected.
These funding cuts threaten to hollow out programmes that protect women and girls from violence, support education, and foster peace. The stakes could not be higher. Research cited by el-Balad shows that peace accords including women are 35% more likely to last a generation. When funding dries up, the ripple effects are felt not just in statistics, but in the lives and futures of millions.
Can a digital system like GPMS shield vital work from the storm? The answer, it seems, depends on how the coming months and years unfold. In the best-case scenario, as outlined by el-Balad, the GPMS scales up with planned enhancements, enabling clearer and faster reporting that demonstrates impact and accountability. Field teams, liberated from paperwork, can prioritize scarce resources and sustain delivery—even as budgets shrink. Better data, in this vision, helps Islamic Relief make evidence-based appeals to donors and ensures that no child or community is left behind due to bureaucratic delays.
The most likely outcome, though, is more nuanced. While the GPMS will undoubtedly improve internal coordination and reporting, deep donor cuts may still force some programmes to close or scale back. The data will enable smarter triage and more persuasive appeals, but it cannot, by itself, replace lost funding. In the most challenging scenario, even the best monitoring and evaluation system cannot prevent widespread closures; efficiency gains are simply insufficient to offset the magnitude of the cuts.
Yet the story is not one of despair. The launch of the GPMS marks a practical inflection point for Islamic Relief. The organization now has a tool designed from the ground up by and for its frontline colleagues. The operational benefits—faster reporting, easier management, reduced admin—are already being felt. The GPMS Project Team, including Juwairiyah Khurram, Assem Kassim, Muhammad Sadiq Rohei, and Ganesh Bahadur Thapa, along with unwavering support from senior management, have set a new standard for collaboration and innovation in the sector.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of the GPMS in protecting frontline services will depend on more than just technology. Donors, governments, and practitioners must track rollout, functionality, and resourcing in tandem, ensuring that improved programme data translates into sustained services for women and girls—not merely a better record of losses. The hope is that this digital initiative will inspire continued investment and innovation, helping Islamic Relief and its partners navigate the turbulent waters ahead with resilience and resolve.
As the organization looks to the future, the GPMS stands as both a symbol of what’s possible through collaboration and a reminder of the challenges that remain. Whether it becomes a shield for the most vulnerable or simply a more efficient ledger of unmet needs will depend on choices made by leaders and funders in the months to come.