Locally led development (LLD) has gained prominence as an approach to re-imagining how development co-operation is conceived, delivered and assessed. Over time, ambitions by the members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) to facilitate more local ownership have increased, reflecting a series of policy commitments by the DAC across development, humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts.
Yet, for most DAC members, translating these commitments into consistent policies, programme design, funding practices and institutional behaviour remains a work in progress. Deep-rooted mindsets, operational, financial and institutional constraints continue to a varying degree to shape how development partners and their intermediaries allocate power, agency and resources to diverse local actors across the development system.
These practical guidelines offer a menu of options to inspire and support DAC members to advance LLD more deliberately and at a greater pace, by reflecting on how their existing systems can evolve, where new approaches may be tested, and how collective action can respond to local actors’ calls to strengthen local agency, rebalance power and build a renewed culture of global solidarity.
