I’ve been working to strengthen local capacity in Malawi for my entire career. And after witnessing too many missed opportunities, I have to say that I am now so excited about the Local Capacity Strengthening Policy.

Happy Earth Day! We have selected 10 organizations from the WorkwithUSAID.org Partner Directory to highlight the positive impacts locally-led development can have on the environment. We aim to celebrate these organizations that serve as inspiring examples of what can be achieved when people come together to work toward a common goal.

A few weeks ago, I was visiting with a local partner team and talking with them about their goals. I asked, “Why are you doing this work? What do you want to achieve?”

Tucked amidst rice terraces and forests lining the hills of Tublay, a municipality of Benguet in the Philippines’s Luzon island, stand the training center and offices of Alay sa Kapatid Foundation (AKAP).

When development actors sit at global and regional conferences to discuss the rights and welfare of children in Africa or other regions, do we see African children, especially those from rural areas, sitting at the table? The localization movement calls for a “participation revolution” of communities impacted by foreign assistance to be involved in decision-making —and this must include children.

USAID's local partner, PASMO, shares information about their path to partnership, challenges they faced along the way, and tips for new local entities interested in pursuing USAID funding.

Although it was unknown what the future would hold, a month before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, our staff at USAID/Peru issued an innovative “bare bones" Annual Program Statement (APS) process to drive rapid development results by requesting only a simple two-page concept note.

Just as COVID-19 strained individuals, families, and communities around the world over the past two and a half years, it also challenged governments. Local and national governments struggled to maintain information flows to citizens during the pandemic.

USAID’s New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) supports projects that engage new partners. The NPI EXPAND project is a five-year project working with new and local partners to expand education and health around the world. The project recently shared some lessons learned about their work in Tanzania. Below, we have excerpted some key lessons that could be relevant for other new partnerships. 

Localization is not just about giving money to local partners. It is a shift in mindset that values listening and learning from the expertise of local organizations, and following their lead. Locally led development is not a new idea at USAID. Globally, individual champions in USAID Missions exemplify how USAID genuinely values and respects the knowledge, commitment, and integrity of local actors.