This Position Paper sets out IOD PARC’s approach to considering locally led development in our work. It is intended to provide a brief overview of our vision, the principles underpinning our approach, and our plan for translating our vision and principles into tangible changes in behaviour and practice.
We recognise that the ‘who’ and ‘how’ of development and humanitarian decision-making, delivery, and evaluation are important factors. We believe locally led interventions – where local actors have the agency to identify priorities, design activities, oversee projects, and assess results – are most likely to lead to effective, sustainable, and ethical outcomes. We aim to be more intentional in how we incorporate the knowledge, experience, and participation of those local actors in our work.
As evaluators and consultants not often embedded in the contexts in which we are evaluating and working, we recognise that integrating the concepts of locally led development across our work will require us to modify the ways of working we are used to. Change takes time, but we are committed to taking the necessary steps towards localising our monitoring, evaluation, and learning work.
The paper is informed by staff views and experiences following reflective discussions on what locally led development means for our work. The development of this position and the content of the paper itself reflect our employee ownership model, which empowers staff to lead initiatives aligned with the shared values of the wider staff group.
