Locally-led Action Toolkit

The international development and humanitarian sector is inherently shaped by politics and power. ACFID members recognise their shared responsibility to establish equitable partnerships, and to contribute to a more just system where local actors are resourced, supported and trusted, to lead and respond to the needs of their communities.

The movement towards locally-led action – reflected in global commitments such as the Grand Bargain, the Charter for Change and Pledge for Change – is important to redress historic and ongoing imbalances in power and resources between local and international actors, including both donors and international NGOs.

Working in a locally-led way means transferring power and ownership of development activities and outcomes to local actors who are best placed to understand and make decisions about the needs of their communities. It is inextricably linked to the concept and practice of anti-racism.

Research commissioned by ACFID in 2022 showed that ACFID member organisations hold diverse objectives for engaging in locally led action. The most common objectives focus on: 

• Improving the effectiveness, relevance and sustainability of development and humanitarian action through recognising the intrinsic value of local knowledge, networks and cultural understanding in the design and delivery of programs.  
• Nurturing strengths-based partnerships to build local capacity for development and humanitarian action.  
• Redressing historic and ongoing imbalances in power and resources within the development and humanitarian architecture, particularly between local and international organisations. 

Visit the online Locally-Led Action Resource Hub to explore the concept and practice of locally-led action further.

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