Insights & Resources
Perspectives from our team, voices from our network, and practical resources for locally led development.
-
Resource Local Capacity Strengthening Policy Local Works Global is restoring public access to the USAID Local Capacity Strengthening (LCS) Policy and its companion resources — the policy and a two-page overview in multiple languages — taken offline when USAID closed, and more relevant than ever. Read more → -
Resource Locally Led Development Spectrum & Checklist A foundational framework of two interconnected tools designed to assess and strengthen local leadership in humanitarian and development work. Read more → -
Perspective What Locally Led Development Requires of Funders Locally led development has always been urgent. Now, it is unmistakably so. American and Western funders are being called on to not only talk about locally led approaches, but to practice them. Read more → -
Network Voice Collective Action in Vietnam Duong Nguyen worried locally led development might not work in Vietnam, where civil society remains a delicate subject. After 18 years working with USAID/Vietnam, he learned technical solutions weren't enough, leading him to champion collective action as a way forward. Local Works provided seed funding creating space for local actors to lead, mobilize resources, and scale. Read more → -
Network Voice Ownership and Innovation in Zimbabwe Biggie (Bigbouy) Chikwavarara, former Senior Advisor and Local Works Coordinator for USAID Zimbabwe, knows firsthand that without opportunity, potential can be hard to imagine. Through Local Works, they were able to challenge traditional top-down development by first meeting communities where they were to listen, talk, agree on priorities, and enable space for true community leadership. Read more → -
Network Voice Youth-Led Peacebuilding in Pakistan Zeeste Jahanzaib worked with USAID Pakistan on peacebuilding, youth engagement, human rights, and democracy. It was never work—it is passion. The community-focused approaches Local Works advocated for at USAID were so aligned with what she already deeply believed, and it helped turn a buzzword into a real process. Read more →