Over the last couple of years, we have seen an unprecedented number of commitments by funders and philanthropists to support locally-led development, increase direct funding to local actors and promote a more enabling environment for civil society.  

It has been six months since the Grand Bargain 3.0 commitments, one year since the adoption of the Donor Statement on Locally-Led Development, two years since United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator’s announced localisation targets and two and a half from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC) Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society. Now seems an opportune time to reflect on how these commitments are being translated into action. We believe the following elements are key to inform such an assessment and need to be prioritised moving forward:

Ensuring access and meaningful participation of diverse local actors in relevant policy spaces where decisions that impact them are being made. As thousands of local leaders reminded the USAID administrator in 2021, it is important to ensure that many, diverse, and truly local actors actively inform the frameworks, policies and solutions that will help operationalize the commitments.

Yet, marginalisation of local actors is still the norm in the United Nations and in international spaces discussing localisation and locally-led development policy. In a recent letter to international funders, over 1300 actors from the Majority World (typically referred as the Global South) denounced this and offered five practical suggestions around agenda setting, language, physical access, visibility and voice to better include local groups and networks.

Investing in existing locally-led spaces for engagement, dialogue and co-creation aimed at mobilising different actors (and funders). This will enable  collaboration with civil society and communities on  agreed priorities, identifying key outcomes that make most sense in each context (policies, investments, measures and mechanisms) and using the full range of levers available to them to achieve these.

Aligning coherently policies and commitments. Currently, there’s a dissonance between pledges, policies and Take the example of Palestine. Despite having been some of the most aid-subsidised people on earth, 30 years after the Oslo Peace Agreement it is evident that the aid industry has not contributed to development for Palestinians.

The current war in Gaza could be an opportunity to apply more coherently locally-led development principles both in the immediate humanitarian response as well as investing in a vibrant and diverse civil society as an essential driver of reconstruction and development. Moving from charity to good solidarity entails trusting and supporting those local actors demanding a ceasefire, documenting violations, advocating for accountability, and engaging people in post-war negotiations, reconstruction and development without undue interference.

Providing high quality funding for diverse actors. Funding that is ‘nutritious’, flexible, unearmarked, predictable, allowing local actors to respond to changing needs effectively and to shape their work and priorities autonomously. Increasing direct funding, investing in locally-led funding models, providing core funding, simplifying grant processes to be more accessible are all important measures requiring concerted efforts of funders, INGOs, and local actors.

Championing transparency and accountability towards these commitments. True progress is not just measured in donor-defined metrics and milestones but in the real and lived experiences of local communities. We need to accelerate a system-wide shift through a common and inclusive reporting framework so that progress and learnings are documented and assessed systematically and collectively. For this to be possible, avenues are required to engage periodically with various local actors. Further, there must be universally agreed terminology, funder-specific targets and baseline data, and  publicly available information on policies, progress, assessments and ways forward.

Connecting locally-led development with strategies and frameworks promoting civic and democratic freedoms. The ability for groups to exercise their freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association (including seeking resources for their work) is an essential precondition for unlocking voice and agency for more just, peaceful, and sustainable societies.Yet, in the current times of democratic backsliding and rising authoritarian regimes, almost one third of the world’s population live in countries with closed civic space, according to CIVICUS Monitor. Strategies and support modalities have to be tailored to each specific context and ensure sufficient flexibility to adapt to changing situations.

This requires actively listening and being responsive to early warning signals detected by groups on the ground, particularly those most severely affected by structural discrimination due to geography, conflict or intersecting oppressions. But also strengthening existing local infrastructure, networks, and processes to prevent, anticipate, counter and respond to emerging crises and opportunities.

As emerged also at the recent #Shifthepower Summit, the way to go about this transformation and “decolonization” journey is through trust-based relationships, power sharing, unlearning and relearning together and by co-creating and catalysing support ecosystems centered around lived experiences, priorities and political ambitions of local communities.

Clara Bosco is currently Senior Advisor on Civil Society Resourcing with CIVICUS global alliance.

Gunjan Veda is Executive Coordinator with the Movement for Community-Led Development (MCLD) and Executive Director of MCLD US

Anita Kattakuzhy is the Director of Policy at NEAR. Her focus for the past seven years has been on the localisation of humanitarian aid through policy and advocacy.