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BUREAU FOR DEVELOPMENT, DEMOCRACY, AND INNOVATION
LOCAL, FAITH, AND TRANSFORMATIVE PARTNERSHIPS HUB
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Locally Led Development Initiatives |
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2022 REFLECTIONS
PHOTO CREDIT: HOPE FOR USAID/BURMA. LOCAL ORGANIZATION HOPE TAKES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HEALING DRUG ADDICTION AND PREVENTING USE IN BURMA’S KACHIN STATE, LIKE THROUGH GROUP MORNING EXERCISE (SECOND PLACE WINNER OF LOCALLY LED DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES 2022 PHOTO CONTEST).
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A Note from Joyce Friedenberg, Locally Led Development Initiatives Team Lead
Having worked on the programs in the Locally Led Development Initiatives (LLDI) for over ten years now, I have seen locally led development efforts take many different forms at USAID. Continuously, the LLDI programs have remained committed to USAID’s understanding that when local leaders guide our programming, communities will gain more inclusive, sustainable outcomes. Over the past year, USAID’s redoubled commitment to localization and locally led development has enabled our team – both in Missions and from Washington – to more prominently support the Agency with our learning, stories of change, and leadership. LLDI’s programs, opportunities, and technical expertise support the entire Agency to enhance support of local ownership. During 2022, the LLDI team supported over 60 USAID Missions advance locally led development, stood up a USAID localization community of practice, advocated for deeper empowerment of our Foreign Service National (FSN) staff, invested in research that improves USAID’s understanding and practice of locally led development, and more.
The Local Works program, in its seventh year, continues to drive innovation and learning in direct partnerships with local organizations. This year, I had the opportunity to travel to North Macedonia, hear from Local Works Missions in the Balkans region, and talk with local Macedonian partners. I asked the partners what it means to be working directly with USAID. One partner responded that “when [communities] hear USAID is behind us as partners, they trust more that it will take place. This project will be sustained because of the trust.”
Locally led development is not just moving money to local organizations. It is a process enabled by relationship and trust-building, and engagement of local leadership, resources, and knowledge. It is not one single approach, but a range of ways that we at USAID can support partners and communities to shift decision-making power and development activities into the hands of local actors so outcomes that truly fit their needs and hopes can ultimately be sustained by them.
Photo by Megan Smith for USAID. Pictured are staff from USAID/North Macedonia and USAID Local Works Washington, with Joyce Friedenberg on the bottom right.
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LOCAL WORKS PRINCIPLES IN ACTION |
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The Local Works program encourages innovation in locally led development according to six principles. In 2022, Local Works continued working towards a future where local actors truly lead their own development.
1. LISTEN BEFORE ACTING: To better understand local needs, build relationships between communities and USAID, and reflect on new ways to approach development challenges, USAID undertook its first listening tour with a local partner in Nepal. USAID staff and the partner traveled together to 10 different municipalities this year to hold 268 listening sessions. The sessions were conducted in local languages, and included focus group discussions and individual interviews. Traveling to incredibly remote municipalities sometimes nestled deep in the Himalayas—where USAID has never gone before—the team focused on hearing, respecting, and lifting the voices of marginalized communities. With the listening tour complete, USAID’s Local Works team in Nepal is poised to co-design and support meaningful activities with local partners in these remote areas. Photo by Grace Hwa for USAID/Nepal.
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2. FOCUS ON THE LONG TERM: In the Philippines, USAID partners with Alay sa Kapatid Foundation (AKAP), a local faith-based organization with over 30 years of experience working in the Tublay municipality of Luzon, to facilitate reliable water access in underserved communities. Before the activity began, AKAP joined a USAID-supported consortium to understand community dynamics around water scarcity and conducted an initial social network analysis. Using the findings to inform their approach, AKAP now works to support and facilitate linkages among water source owners, ten local water associations, and local officials through dedicated outreach and workshops on partnership building, self confidence, and technical training. “[AKAP] did not just teach us, but they let us do it… It is our locality,” one community leader shared during an October 2022 town hall. The personal growth, expanded networks, and new knowledge gained through AKAP’s work will enable these water associations to continue their work long after USAID funding ends. Photo by Megan Smith for USAID.
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3. EXPERIMENT, LEARN, AND SHARE: In May 2022, USAID Local Works Missions in the Balkans gathered in North Macedonia for the Local Works program’s first regionally-based learning summit. These Missions, at all stages of USAID’s Program Cycle, came together to share their experiences, approaches, and ideas. Five local Macedonian partners also joined to share their experiences and thoughts on partnering with USAID. One representative shared how the Local Works approach enabled a strong relationship between their organization and the USAID Mission’s Local Works team, led by Macedonian staff: “USAID came as a partnership. This relationship is far different, it’s way better. We meet because we want to fix something. We coordinate like partners.” Mission staff and partners learned from each other about innovative approaches different activities are taking to advance locally led development. This gathering provided an excellent model for future regional learning events. Photo by Megan Smith for USAID.
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4. UNDERSTAND LOCAL SYSTEMS: In Azerbaijan, In Azerbaijan, USAID has been working with local partner Azerbaijan Micro-finance Association (AMFA) to strengthen the ability of the country’s associations to drive economic growth and expand inclusive economic opportunity. Recently, AMFA completed a baseline survey to inform their approach by deeply understanding the environment for local associations. AMFA knew that consultations with Azerbaijani entrepreneurs and associations would enable them to more intimately understand their innovations and challenges. Once the survey was completed, AMFA facilitated a Pause and Reflect session, convening USAID, government representatives, and other local stakeholders to share their findings. AMFA’s work is ensuring that all relevant stakeholders understand the local systems and build relationships that advance evidence-driven work. Through this program, AMFA is empowering associations to develop better practices for innovation, and in turn become innovation champions and incubators for both their members and society. Photo by USAID/Azerbaijan.
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5. SUPPORT LOCAL LEADERSHIP: This year in Malawi, a three-year Local Works activity led by the Farmer’s Union of Malawi (FUM) along with their other local partners, came to a close. Their work increased agricultural productivity by sharing new technology, facilitating access to profitable markets, and enabling agriculture policy discussions aligned with local needs. Despite a smaller budget and challenges along the way, FUM and its partners’ approach of building upon existing local networks and governing structures led to efficiency and high potential for sustainability. This strong collaboration nearly tripled the number of activity participants initially envisioned. Additionally, facilitating direct interaction between farmers and district governing bodies has shifted the voices of local farmers to the national level. For example, local farmer and community representatives were ensured inclusion in the review process of key national agriculture policies and plans. The Local Works approach in Malawi has supported the leadership of both direct USAID local partners and all local stakeholders involved, further ensuring sustainability. Photo by FUM.
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6. EMBRACE DEIA AND GENDER: With Local Works funding, USAID Missions are exploring new ways to prioritize the inclusion and leadership of marginalized groups, including youth, different gender identities, and people with disabilities. In El Salvador, USAID partners with Fundación Rafael Meza Ayau (FRMA) to inclusively improve quality of life for vulnerable families in Soyapango, home to the country’s second largest youth population but low levels of economic growth. Under the multi-sectoral program, nearly 2,000 individuals–ranging from teachers to students to job-seekers–have engaged in various skills training programs, while over 1,700 individuals have attended FRMA’s two job fairs. Franklin, one newly employed worker whose disability had complicated his previous job search, participated in one training to grow both personally and professionally. “The first day I arrived [at the new job], the deputy manager received me very kindly and made me feel good… I get along well with my colleagues. I like the work environment. The project training has helped me improve my income at home and has improved my lifestyle,” he shared. The program has shown how equitable approaches taken can help transform local systems, one individual at a time, for more sustainable, inclusive outcomes in the long term.. Photo by FRMA.
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FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE COOPERATIVE SYSTEMS |
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PHOTO BY HEALTHPARTNERS
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PHOTO BY NATALY FABRIKANTOVA, NCBA CLUSA
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Cooperatives are a force for sustainable and inclusive development. Representing over one billion members worldwide, cooperatives operate to advance the shared economic, social, and cultural needs of their members.
Through the Cooperative Development Program (CDP), USAID partners with U.S.-based cooperative development organizations to invest in cooperatives and credit unions around the world to build social cohesion, stabilize economies, and support local communities. Over the course of the United States’ 2022 fiscal year (FY), from October 2021 - September 2022, CDP strengthened the capacity of 318 cooperatives in 22 different countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to reach a total of 9.5 million people. The full CDP FY 2022 Annual Report will be published on the CDP web page soon.
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PHOTO BY USAID PERU
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PHOTO BY THOKO CHIKONDI, LAND O'LAKES VENTURE37
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PHOTO BY GLOBAL COMMUNITIES
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PARTNERING WITH THE PEACE CORPS |
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To catalyze locally led development worldwide, USAID and the Peace Corps leverage their shared, unique capabilities by collaborating through two interagency agreements: the Small Project Assistance (SPA) Program and the Global Interagency Agreement (GA).
Now in its 40th year in 2023, SPA proved its resilience and impact in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2022. After the global evacuation of Peace Corps Volunteers in 2020, SPA enabled Peace Corps Posts to maintain relationships with grassroots community groups and further expand local leadership in 2022. This year in Vanuatu, for example, after attending a training facilitated by Peace Corps Post education specialists, mothers from three villages went on to lead their own fall classes with other mothers through SPA funding. These mothers are ensuring expanded support for children’s learning while deepening their own leadership within their communities. This year also marked the return of SPA-supported grants. One ongoing project supports a women’s association in Zambia, the only active women's group in their community, to explore new agricultural ventures to generate greater income and improve the nutritional health of the wider community. To date in 2022, SPA has funded one grant, 21 activities to support learning and other needs, and 79 trainings, each of which prove that small funds can create sustainable impact. Photo by Peace Corps/Vanuatu.
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The Global Agreement, a newer partnership opportunity for USAID and Peace Corps, leverages both Agencies’ resources to catalyze local impact and currently supports five collaborations at the country and headquarters (HQ) levels. In Uganda, USAID and Peace Corps are partnering at the country level to mobilize grassroots leaders to address local food security, health, and education priorities. For example, after Peace Corps staff supported one agriculture training, a local partner organization went on to lead their own training with four youth groups to grow and sell vegetables using community land plots. At the Agency HQ level, USAID and the Peace Corps are collaborating to promote women’s economic empowerment by enhancing their digital literacy skills worldwide. In the past year, this partnership provided Peace Corps Posts with the opportunity to build greater technical expertise and specialization in this area through training of trainer workshops, materials development, and support to local communities. For example, Peace Corps Guatemala received support to work with local governance and technical experts to adapt Johns Hopkins’ Self Empowerment and Equity for Change Empowered Entrepreneur Handbook for the Guatemalan context while incorporating digital literacy. Photo by Peace Corps/Uganda.
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INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM ANYWHERE |
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USAID continued to strengthen our Unsolicited Solutions for Locally Led Development (US4LLD) program this year. By supporting innovative, unsolicited ideas that advance locally led development, US4LLD contributes to expanding and deepening USAID’s partner base and practice of locally led development. This past year, 14 US4LLD-funded projects made significant progress supporting community priorities.
In Guyana, USAID partners with the Guyana Economic Development Fund Inc. (GEDF) to offer local agricultural manufacturing businesses access to advisory services and mentoring, expert economic training, and capital to help scale their businesses up through the Economic Development Accelerator (EDA) program supported by US4LLD. As part of the accelerator, five final Guyanese agribusinesses were awarded grants of $30,000 each to scale the production and sales of their locally manufactured products to the international market. “The program experience was great fun from start to finish,” shared one awardee, owner of Taz Foods Tasmin Pellew, with GEDF’s Innovate Guyana initiative. “It really gives us that push that we were looking for… Seeing the other candidates and their products, getting to listen to their challenges on a weekly basis, knowing that it’s not just our company that has these hurdles to cross… We are all striving for that dream.” Photo by USAID/Guyana.
Meanwhile in South Africa, USAID is working with a local South African private company, SA SME Fund, to help drive innovation and growth by expanding the venture capital market. The SA SME Fund, established about six years ago, understood that venture capital was needed to kickstart new entrepreneurship, innovation, and impact in the South African economy. USAID’s support through US4LLD to SA SME takes a unique approach to attract new investors: create a venture capital “fund of funds” that reduces the risk of private sector investment in small and medium enterprises while catalyzing new, innovative ideas. By leveraging private capital in the nascent venture capital market in the country, SA SME has outraised capital in a difficult market, serving as a catalytic model for other entities to learn from.
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🏆 LOCALLY LED DEVELOPMENT
CHAMPION OF THE MONTH 🏆
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PHOTO BY USAID SOUTHERN AFRICA
We’ve been honoring USAID Mission staff–both individuals and teams–who go above and beyond to advance locally led development. Nominated by the Washington Local Works team, these staff embody the spirit of locally led development through commitment, dedication, innovation, advocacy, and exemplary initiative in advancing its work.
Chris Mothupi, a USAID/Southern Africa Sr. Project Development Specialist and Local Systems Specialist, strongly advocates for locally led development both in his Mission and across the Agency. He serves as the Mission’s Point of Contact for Local Works, the New Partnerships Initiative (NPI), and localization. Chris is building on the Agency’s renewed commitment to localization by using his expertise in systems thinking to organize spaces through which USAID staff can share lessons learned, ask questions, and collaboratively strengthen localization efforts. Chris’s enthusiasm and persistence has enabled the Southern Africa Mission’s Local Works program, “Power to the People,” to truly reflect an idea emerging from local actors best suited to local solutions. He has supported numerous co-creations with local partners, and advocated to make these experiences as respectful and accessible as possible for the partners.
With all this incredible experience, Chris shared two pieces of advice to development practitioners:
- “The strengthening of the capacity of local implementing partners (IPs) and localization in general is a process not an event. It takes time. In order to have a bigger development impact, we need to dedicate resources to capacity strengthening.”
- “Country context matters… whatever the situation, there is always a system in the partner countries we work in so we should not approach development as if local actors there did not have any idea on how to address their development challenges before we (development partners) came to their lives/countries!”
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- USAID is redoubling its commitment to ensure the Agency’s work puts local actors in the lead, strengthens local systems, and is responsive to local communities. Informed by over a decade of experience, the Agency is advancing localization—a set of internal reforms, actions, and behavior changes—to shift more leadership for priority setting, project design, implementation, and measuring results to the people and institutions with the capabilities and credibility to drive change in their own countries and communities. Find out more about USAID’s localization goals and the Agency’s efforts to advance locally led development on USAID’s ew webpage.
- The Local Works program, an annual competition among USAID Missions interested in experimenting with innovative approaches to locally led development, launched its seventh round. Read the Local Works Guidance.
- USAID and diverse partners co-created six new awards advancing locally led development, committing $8.8 million to generate knowledge that meets local priorities, strengthens local capacity, and engages local actors as producers and end users. Read more.
- We published a Participatory Evaluation Guidance Note to offer practical guidance and examples to help USAID and its evaluation partners design and carry out evaluations in more participatory, locally led ways.
- Out of 120 entries, USAID named the Timor-Leste Mission’s Local Works team a winner of the 2022 Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Case Study Competition for their youth-led listening approach.
- A Paraguayan NGO challenged their own assumptions and took a demand-driven approach to strengthen the capacity of low-income women entrepreneur committees. Read the case study and watch this video.
- After an extensive public comment period, leaders from LLDI and the broader LFT Hub continued to support finalizing and socializing the Local Capacity Strengthening (LCS) Policy, an Agency-wide commitment to working inclusively and collectively with local partners. Explore the LCS Policy.
- Colleen Brady – a LFT Hub Senior Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist – joined an InterAction-hosted conversation with other donor agency representatives to discuss shifting power in development evaluation. “Participatory approaches in evaluation need to start with participatory approaches in implementation,” she shared. Read InterAction’s blog now for the top four takeaways from the conversation.
- USAID’s Mission in Serbia, one of the first to join the Local Works program in 2016, has learned a lot about how to really make localization work. One key lesson: a supportive, flexible Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA) is a crucial piece for successful partnerships between local organizations and USAID. Read four key lessons learned.
- How do USAID Missions actually measure local capacity strengthening effectiveness? Our former Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) qualitative analysis interns Uchenna Mbawuike and Katrina Freeman asked six Missions, and shared their findings in a USAID Learning Lab blog.
- We asked Mission staff advancing locally led development for their reflections and best advice for other development practitioners. Read it here.
- In November 2022, members representing the LFT Hub’s Locally Led Development Initiatives team participated in the American Evaluation Association’s 2022 conference on “(Re)shaping Evaluation Together” to share locally led approaches in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL):
- Local staff from Missions participating in the Local Works program (Fiona Waata, USAID/Uganda; Riad Berdayi, USAID/Morocco; and Chandan Samal, USAID/India) along with hared their approaches to their experiences moving beyond theory to localize evaluation practice, both in terms of who carries out the work and how evaluations are conducted.
- Oxfam and Movement for Community Led Development collaborated with Danielle Pearl, Evidence and Learning Team Lead, nd Colleen Brady, a LFT Hub Senior MEL Specialist, to share tools to advance locally led development; Oxfam LEAF, MCLD Participatory CLD Assessment, and LLD Checklist.
- USAID’s Stopping as Success+ held a roundtable discussion with evaluators engage evaluators on the potential for transitions to transform relationships and power structures and support efforts towards localization.
- Dina Milovanovic, a USAID/Serbia MEL Specialist, and Amanda Satterwhite, a LFT Hub Senior MEL Specialist, facilitated a discussion with MEL practitioners on how to more effectively support local implementing partners to design and execute MEL systems that provide value to them.
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Locally Led Development Initiatives are part of the Local, Faith, and Transformative Partnerships (LFT) Hub.
The LFT Hub focuses on strengthening USAID’s ability to partner with non-traditional and diverse actors including local, faith-based, and community organizations; schools and hospitals; foundations; diaspora communities; cooperatives; and volunteer organizations. Learn more about how LFT is harnessing the power of partnerships through the following:
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