Localization has been a key component of USAID’s agenda for many years, and it is reflected in the Agency’s ongoing focus on sustainability, self-reliance, and local ownership. USAID’s renewed commitment to localization redefines the concept of localization, requiring its implementing partners to step up and align their efforts in new ways.
As a USAID contractor, EnCompass strives to design our projects to maximize engagement with local experts. Whether we are identifying local innovators through our IDEAS project, or amplifying local and regional evidence already being produced through one of our many MEL platforms, our approach focuses on inquiry, curiosity, and multidirectional learning to help USAID accelerate inclusive, locally led development.
Our project teams know that local partners understand their own needs, the contexts in which they live, and potential solutions better than any outside actor. As EnCompass seeks to engage local partners, we must be intentional in our selection to avoid privileging some parts of local societies over others, and ensure that our selection is inclusive and leaves no one behind. To achieve this, we must grow our networks and take a more strategic view of partnership.
For any intervention to lead to transformational, sustainable change, it must include local partners not only as recipients or participants, but as full and equal partners in the process who engage in facilitated collaboration. This approach fosters local ownership and investment in projects, leverages local knowledge and talent, and helps implementing partners better understand and adapt to emerging local priorities through engagement with these local partners.
Start with a localization plan. At project launch, the EnCompass team often facilitates an Appreciative Inquiry–informed process with stakeholders, USAID/Washington and Mission staff, and local and regional partners to develop a tailored localization strategy. Appreciative Inquiry involves a robust analysis of strengths, deeply respectful collaboration, vision-setting, and constant innovation and learning in implementation. Leveraging our team’s expertise in virtual learning and human-centered design, we use a mix of Appreciative and strengths-based surveys, discovery sessions, and facilitated discussions to co-create a project localization strategy that outlines best practice approaches, potential challenges, and mitigation measures for engaging local and regional experts during the research cycle.
Identify and amplify networks. Over more than 20 years of supporting USAID programs around the world, EnCompass has had the opportunity to identify and connect with an extensive number of local actors and regional networks. We have deep ties to country-level and regional Voluntary Organizations for Professional Evaluation, including associations such as AfrEA in Africa and ReLAC in Latin America and the Caribbean, and we maintain connections to practitioners in global health, education, climate, and other technical sectors through public listservs and EnCompass’ custom contact databases we have built over time.
Use an adaptive learning agenda. To support localization objectives, the EnCompass team created a Localization Learning Agenda for our projects that includes indicators which track the extent to which USAID staff and IPs engage with local experts. Periodic pause points throughout implementation allow a project team to review evidence generated by the Learning Agenda and recommend updates to the Localization Strategy. Findings are often captured and disseminated through case studies, research briefs, and virtual webinars for project stakeholders, USAID broadly, and local networks.
Understand the impact of localization priorities on timelines and costs. Our teams’ tailored project designs are informed by the Localization Strategy, our global network, and the Localization Learning Agenda. Local engagement can require additional considerations that may affect project timelines and costs, such as cross-linguistic and cross-cultural differences associated with reporting. U.S. business English, which is typically used for USAID reports, can differ greatly from other language standards. To help bridge this gap, our teams have sometimes organized discussions with local partners focused on USAID reporting needs. However, there are costs involved in planning and executing these events, and tailoring versions of a report to each language requires greater editorial effort. To help USAID make informed decisions about what it takes to identify and engage local partners, EnCompass helps clarify the various choices associated with local engagement by framing them around the management triangle of cost, scope, and timing.
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At EnCompass, we collaborate with USAID to identify and build new competencies and processes required to implement key Agency guidance across all programmatic sectors. We help USAID staff strengthen capacities for developing sustainable local partnerships. As we continue to work closely with USAID Missions around the world, we look forward to applying our experience and capacity to supporting localization and locally led development.
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