Key Themes of Localization
Localization is an idea and an initiative that has been around for a long time in international development. To better inform this occasionally heated discussion, the Brookings Center for Sustainable Development hosted a roundtable. George Ingram, a Senior Fellow at the Center, and a long-time player in international development, digested the contributions in a recent article that captured the broad consensus, its multiple contours, and a few unanswered questions:
- There is a recognition that localization has compelling moral and practical rationales.
- There’s been some progress over the years, but there is a need to strengthen capacity, tighten the definition of local actors, simplify processes and requirements, provide more flexibility, and allow greater risk tolerance.
- International actors continue to have a role in strengthening localization. Peace Direct lists them as interpreters, knowledge brokers, trainers, convenors, connectors, advocates, watchdogs, critical friends, and sidekicks.
- Greater use of grants, which have fewer conditions and strings attached than contracts or cooperative agreements.
- Not local vs international, but networked for global connections and learning.
Two challenges have been difficult to resolve now and since the 1990s when localization became a stated objective of donors:
- How do you build trust between the international and local levels?
- How do you remain accountable for taxpayer money?
The report applauds the progress made by USAID to date. While the agency may fall short of its 2025 goal of directly awarding 25% of its funding to local organizations, there may be sufficient momentum to reach the 2030 goal of 50% of USAID programming being led by local communities.
Read the Brookings report here.