Pathways Towards Effective Locally Led Development Co-operation

7. Pathways forward, prioritisation and sequencing

Abstract

Although members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) will take diverse pathways and locally led development co-operation will look different in each context, this chapter proposes possible options for DAC members and other development co‑operation providers to adapt their ways of working to better support locally led development. For each of the possible enablers discussed in previous chapters, it identifies key priorities that could accelerate progress.

Mapping pathways and sequencing priorities

The peer learning exercise has helped progress a shared understanding of locally led development co-operation across members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), by proposing a common definition that puts diverse local actor agency at its core. There is recognition across the ecosystem that the system needs to change, moving beyond piecemeal project-based adjustments to longer-term engagement and collective action. Whilst the past two years have seen important advances, there is still some way to go. System-wide efforts are needed to move towards collective and cohesive approaches that address the deep-seated challenges and underlying barriers to effective locally led development co-operation.

DAC members can work more coherently to address systemic issues in the evolving and dynamic development co-operation ecosystem, whilst recognising growing voices and pressures beyond the DAC. Mutual engagement that galvanises the relative strengths of diverse stakeholders and manages divergent priorities, will drive collective change on critical issues, such as shared due diligence, pooling resources, and harnessing collaborative solutions for enabling more impactful and sustainable locally led development co-operation. Being open, supporting and engaging with such processes from across the system will help drive progress.

Inevitably, progress will be shaped by domestic realities in DAC member countries, including tighter budgets, and competing priorities. This makes it even more important for each DAC member to sequence change and identify priorities, drawing upon the framing used in this synthesis report, which helps DAC members navigate individual pathways for locally led development co-operation. Whilst DAC members will have different starting points, which will necessitate tailored approaches (taking into account varied institutional and partner country contexts), sequencing of the enablers for locally led development could consider the following stages:

• Putting in place the foundational enablers – policies and institutional arrangements – for example, developing enabling policies or guidance, through to establishing management structures, such as creating a technical working group for locally led development.

• Strengthening existing financing and partnership mechanisms and introducing new modalities to create space for new and diverse actors to work together in more equitable ways.

• Adapting management processes and delivery practices to centre on the knowledge and capacities of local actors, whilst facilitating collective accountability.

• Tracking change and measuring progress drawing upon the four-level framework. Whilst application of the framework will require adaptation to user needs and context, it can help DAC members on their pathways toward effective locally led development co-operation.

Enabling policy and institutional foundational frameworks

• Action new and existing commitments to locally led development by establishing dedicated guidelines that build on existing good practices and target systemic barriers.

• Draw on multi-stakeholder, consultative and participatory processes to co-design guidelines and/or policy that responds to diverse local priorities and perspectives.

• Engage, educate, and sensitise domestic stakeholders (parliaments, the media, the public) on the role and importance of locally led development co-operation.

• Increase the role of empowered local staff in development co-operation, including through rotations and training.

• Establish a cross-sectoral working group or team to champion and integrate locally led development across different functions, geographies and sectors.

• Support cultural change, by investing in the development of both technical and soft skills of staff to shift mindsets and diversify capabilities.

Enabling funding mechanisms

• Establish organisational position/policies/guidance on the provision of core, flexible, multi‑year, predictable funding for larger local organisations, networks, and coalitions, to move beyond project-based funding.

• Require international intermediaries to “pass on” overheads and quality funding using funding agreements with clear criteria.

• Fund local intermediary structures – coalitions, consortiums, and networks – to address barriers to funding many small initiatives, and to generate cost efficiencies and sustainability.

• Support alternative, new generation pooled funds or adapt existing multi-partner pooled funds (at all levels) to increase access of funding to local actors by streamlining access and due diligence requirements, whilst engaging local actors in fund management leadership positions.

• Increase direct support to national governments alongside decentralised support and agreements with subnational governments, recognising their role as a conduit to broader ecosystems of local actors.

• Support diverse grant mechanisms that provide rapid funding or fund innovations, administered by local actors (e.g., networks of civil society organisations, umbrella groups, subnational governments) to simplify the complexity of multiple small grants, reduce high accompaniment costs, and generate cost efficiencies.

• Apply feminist and equity principles to increase flows reaching women, youth, disability and other representative organisations and movements to address organisational under-resourcing, ensure flexibility, and local agency in framing needs and priorities.

Enabling partnership and collaboration mechanisms

• Create space for mutual listening and local actor agency in framing and designing development, whilst investing in long-term relationship building for mutual engagement and inclusive dialogue.

• Support triangular approaches to build South-South communities of practice, share experience, and co-create solutions by leveraging current good practices including exchange visits.

• Establish equitable partnership policy commitments or guidelines, for diversifying and sustaining long-term, impactful partnerships founded on trust, respect, mutuality, and reciprocity, which move beyond short-term, project-based relationships.

• Mobilise and influence international intermediaries to incentivise the application of locally led principles and practices to facilitate local actor agency.

• Update approaches to partnership transitions to promote partnership evolution with clear strategies and goals for increasing local actor agency, transitioning to local actors as prime partners, and ensuring planned, mutually agreed exit strategies.

• Work and support local intermediary partners, recognising the untapped knowledge and capacities of local coalitions, networks, and larger local Non-Governmental Organisations as convenors, connectors, amplifiers, and fiscal agents, and for peer learning and exchange.

• Support tailored mutual capacity sharing, which responds to local priorities, builds on existing strengths, facilitates peer-learning exchange, supports systemic changes (to enable scaling) and is sustained, including by outsourcing to local actors.

Enabling management processes and delivery practices

• Promote local actor agency in framing and design through centring local knowledge, priorities, and perspectives in the design of strategies, programmes, innovations and accountability frameworks, and appropriately financing co-creation processes.

• Enable collective accountability and mutual learning, including through investing sufficient resources in locally led monitoring and knowledge exchange.

• Engage in efforts to reframe and better articulate approaches to risk including shifting perceptions on risks and moving towards a more impact-oriented approach.

• Adopt more collaborative approaches, harmonising requirements across funders and involving diverse local actors in the identification and management of risk.

• Increase the accessibility of compliance and procurement processes through tailoring and simplifying, addressing language barriers, as well as providing accompaniment and support, including through local intermediaries.

Pathways forward

Whilst there is no one-size-fits all approach, the peer learning has highlighted multiple good practices, where DAC members are successfully enabling locally led development co-operation. A review of these enablers highlights the actions outlined above, which if replicated and scaled, could make significant inroads towards changing the language and practice of development co-operation.

Although DAC members will take diverse pathways and locally led development co-operation will look different in each context, these pathways should strategically converge. This peer learning synthesis report does not attempt to prescribe any one specific pathway. Nevertheless, it provides a general sequencing of broad enablers for locally led development co-operation and uncovers multiple good practices for consideration. It also highlights areas where concerted and focussed progress on knotty issues is possible. Whilst change will not happen overnight, converging on a common understanding and definition of locally led development, and more systematically sharing good practices, will support DAC members as they navigate pathways towards more effective locally led development co-operation.