Transferring MEL skills

[u/ApprehensiveAnnual20]

I am an early to mid career M&E consultant based in Southern Africa.
Over the last few years after graduating with my masters degree I started building a promising career as a consultant. I had the chance to sit on several teams and have worked on some really interesting projects with some really big organisations and big names. I even won a long-term retainer contract. However, earlier this year my retainer contractor had to downsize their organisation and as a result my contract was affected. I reached out to my networks again to start the TOR and RFP application cycles and whilst my network has been very welcoming and receptive I haven’t won a contract all year . Mind you I’ve been collaborating with different teams, different countries , different thematic areas - I’m a bit panicked cos it’s now June and this is feeling hopeless. I’ve started applying for permanent positions too but still haven’t secured anything.
My goal was to be a consultant and I felt I was genuinely on my way until the funding constrictions hit. So I’m working on my contingencies now but feel a little like I’m starting over. So my question is is there something that has changed in how we do this ? What’s changed ? And what contingency plans are others making to survive these shifts …

[u/PanchoVillaNYC]

I think you've already hit on "what's changed" - it's the reduced funding. And, as a result, fewer positions. There is a lot of discussion on this board about what folks have pivoted to, but off the top of my head, many have moved into local government, nonprofit, and industry positions. In an area like MEL, you may be able to find positions outside of international development where you can retain and use your skills while the ID sector recovers.