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I’ve spent over a decade working in international development, and if there’s one lesson that has stuck with me, it’s this: the most impactful projects are the ones designed and led by local communities. Yet for decades, the development sector operated on a top-down model where decisions were made in New York or London, and local actors were reduced to implementers. That’s where localisation comes in. At its core, localisation is about shifting power—financial, decision-making, and programmatic—to local actors. It’s not just a trendy term; it’s a fundamental rethinking of how aid works.
Why Localisation Matters: Beyond Buzzwords
I remember a project in rural Kenya. A large international NGO had designed a health programme based on data from WHO reports, but they never talked to the local health workers. The result? They built a clinic in a location where no one lived, and stocked it with medicines that expired before distribution. The local community knew the right spot—a crossroads where three villages met—but they weren’t asked. That failure cost millions and, worse, eroded trust. This is the reality localisation aims to fix.
The Problem with Top-Down Aid
Top-down aid assumes that outsiders know best. It ignores local context, existing capacities, and power dynamics. Research by the OECD shows that only 2% of humanitarian funding goes directly to local and national actors. Despite repeated commitments (like the Grand Bargain in 2016), progress has been slow. Why? Because shifting power is uncomfortable for those who hold it.
A Personal Encounter with a Failed Project
Visiting that Kenyan clinic in 2019 was heartbreaking. The shiny building stood empty, while mothers walked an extra three hours to a different health post. When I spoke to the county health minister, he said, “We told them the village centre was over the hill, but they had already bought the land.” That waste could have been avoided if local actors had been in the lead from day one.
Key Principles of Localisation
Localisation isn’t a one-size-fits-all. But from my work with grassroots organisations, I’ve seen five principles that make it work:
| Principle | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Power Shift | Decision-making authority rests with local actors | Community boards approve project budgets |
| Direct Funding | Money flows directly to local organisations, not through multiple intermediaries | UN agencies pass funds directly to local NGOs |
| Local Leadership | Local staff lead design, implementation, and M&E | Project managers hired from the region |
| Flexible Support | Donors adapt timelines and reporting to local realities | Quarterly reports instead of monthly, to reduce admin burden |
| Mutual Accountability | Both international and local actors are held accountable to communities | Joint evaluations with community representatives |
Shifting Power to Local Actors
This is the hardest part. It means international staff stepping back, and local staff stepping up. In practice, it involves rewriting job descriptions, changing hiring practices, and—often—firing expats who resist. I’ve seen it work: in a WASH project in Uganda, when we handed budget control to a local cooperative, they repaired 20 wells in two months—something the international team had struggled to do in a year.
Funding Flexibility and Direct Access
Direct funding is easier said than done. Many donors still insist on onerous due diligence requirements that small local NGOs can’t meet. A solution is to use pooled funds or intermediary grant-makers (like national NGOs) that can absorb the risk. The Start Network is a good example—they channel money through local members with minimal bureaucracy.
Local Leadership in Decision-Making
Local leaders should be at the table from proposal stage. That means translating documents, holding meetings in local languages, and scheduling around local calendars. In a project in Bangladesh, we changed the steering committee membership to include three community representatives who had veto power over any activity. That built trust and relevance.
How to Implement Localisation in Your Organisation
Based on my experience advising several INGOs, here are the steps that actually work:
Step 1: Assess Your Current Power Dynamics
Map where decisions are made. Who signs off on budgets? Who designs the logframe? Who hires field staff? You might be surprised: many organisations talk local but still centralise power. Use a power audit tool (like the one from ALNAP) to visualise it.
Step 2: Reallocate Funding Mechanisms
Move at least 25% of your programme budget to direct or sub-grants to local partners. Set up a small grants window with simplified application forms. In one project in Nepal, we reduced the form from 40 pages to 5 pages, and the number of local applicants tripled.
Step 3: Build Long-Term Partnerships
Localisation isn’t transactional; it’s relational. Commit to multi-year funding (at least 3 years) to allow local organisations to build capacity. Invest in joint learning events, not just training. I’ve seen partnerships fail when they treat local actors as vendors rather than allies.
Common Challenges (and How to Overcome Them)
Donor Rigidity
Many donors require detailed budgets line by line, which kills flexibility. Solution: negotiate for a percentage of unrestricted funds (at least 10-20%) that local partners can reallocate as needs change.
Capacity Concerns
International staff often argue that local organisations lack financial management skills. But the real issue is often unrealistic expectations. Provide mentorship, not just compliance audits. In Somalia, we paired local NGOs with a fiscal agent for the first year, and by year two, they managed independently.
Measuring Impact
Traditional indicators (e.g., number of beneficiaries) favour large projects. Localisation requires new metrics—like community satisfaction, decision-making power, or sustainability rate. Co-design M&E frameworks with communities.
FAQ: Localisation in the Development Sector
* This article is based on personal field experience and reviewed against ALNAP and OECD guidance.
