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IN AN era of unprecedented global challenges — from climate change and pandemics to conflict and displacement — the need for effective and sustainable development and humanitarian aid has never been greater. Yet, traditional approaches to aid delivery, often dominated by international actors, have frequently fallen short of addressing the root causes of crises or fostering long-term resilience. The solution lies in a paradigm shift: transforming aid through the localisation of leadership roles. By empowering local leaders, we can revolutionise the development and humanitarian sectors, ensuring that aid is more sustainable, inclusive and responsive to the unique needs of communities.

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Localisation

LOCAL leaders — whether community organisers, grassroots activists, or local government officials — possess an intimate understanding of their communities’ needs, cultures and challenges. When given the tools, resources and authority to lead, they can design and implement solutions that are context-specific, culturally relevant and community-driven.

This shift toward local leadership has a profound impact on aid delivery. It enhances efficiency by reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks and ensuring that resources are allocated where they are needed most. It fosters sustainability by building local capacity and ownership, ensuring that interventions continue to yield benefits long after international organisations have left. Most importantly, it promotes inclusivity by amplifying the voices of marginalized groups, including women, youth and indigenous communities, who are often excluded from decision-making processes.

For example, in Somalia, local women’s groups have played a pivotal role in delivering humanitarian aid during droughts, leveraging their deep community ties to ensure that aid reaches the most vulnerable. Similarly, in Nepal, local leaders spearheaded earthquake recovery efforts, blending traditional knowledge with modern techniques to rebuild homes and infrastructure in ways that were both culturally appropriate and disaster-resilient. These examples shows the transformative potential of local leadership in addressing complex challenges.

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Bridging divides

ONE of the most persistent challenges in the aid sector is the disconnect between humanitarian assistance and long-term development goals. Humanitarian aid often focuses on immediate relief, while development programs aim for systemic change. This divide can lead to fragmented efforts and missed opportunities for building resilience.

Local leadership offers a unique lens through which to bridge this gap. Local leaders are uniquely positioned to align short-term humanitarian responses with long-term development objectives. For example, in post-disaster recovery, local leaders can ensure that emergency relief efforts, such as rebuilding infrastructure, are designed to support sustainable development goals, such as climate resilience or economic empowerment. By integrating these approaches, we can create a seamless continuum of support that addresses both immediate needs and systemic challenges.

Consider the case of the Philippines, where local leaders played a critical role in the recovery efforts following Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. By involving community members in the planning and implementation of recovery programs, local leaders ensured that the rebuilt infrastructure was not only disaster-resilient but also aligned with long-term development goals, such as improving access to education and healthcare. This integrated approach demonstrates how local leadership can bridge the humanitarian-development divide, creating a more cohesive and effective aid system.

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Best practices

REAL world examples demonstrate the transformative power of local leadership. In addition to the cases mentioned above, there are numerous other success stories that offer valuable lessons for the aid sector.

In South Sudan, for instance, local leaders have been instrumental in delivering humanitarian aid during periods of conflict. By leveraging their deep understanding of local dynamics, they have been able to navigate complex security challenges and ensure that aid reaches those who need it most. Similarly, in Bangladesh, local organisations have played a key role in responding to the Rohingya refugee crisis, providing essential services such as healthcare, education and psychosocial support.

ÌýFirst and foremost,Ìýtrust and collaborationÌýare essential. International organisations must move away from a patronising approach and instead work as equal partners with local leaders. This shift requires building trust through consistent engagement and fostering collaborative relationships grounded in mutual respect and shared goals. When local leaders feel valued and respected, they are more likely to contribute their unique insights and expertise, leading to more effective and contextually relevant solutions.

Another key practice isÌýcapacity building, which equips local leaders with the tools they need to succeed. Local leaders often face challenges such as limited access to training, funding and professional networks, which can hinder their ability to lead effectively. Capacity-building programs should focus on developing leadership skills, enhancing technical expertise and providing access to global best practices. By investing in the growth and development of local leaders, international organisations can help them scale their efforts and achieve greater impact.

Flexibility and adaptabilityÌýare also crucial for empowering local leadership. In dynamic and often unpredictable environments, local leaders must be able to adapt their strategies to meet evolving needs and challenges. This requires a shift away from rigid, top-down approaches toward more flexible, community-driven models.

Finally,Ìýinclusivity and representationÌýmust be at the heart of local leadership initiatives. Local leadership should reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, ensuring that the voices of marginalised groups — such as women, youth and indigenous communities — are heard and valued. This requires intentional efforts to address power imbalances and promote diversity in leadership roles. By fostering inclusive leadership, international organisations can create more equitable and sustainable solutions that benefit all members of the community.

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Framework

To fully harness the potential of local leadership, we need a practical, results-oriented framework that strengthens local capacity and ensures sustainable and inclusive outcomes. Such a framework should begin withÌýcapacity building, which involves investing in training programs that equip local leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to design, implement and monitor aid programs. This includes leadership training to enhance decision-making and organisational skills, technical skills development to address specific challenges and access to global best practices to ensure that local initiatives are informed by proven strategies. By building the capacity of local leaders, we empower them to take ownership of development and humanitarian efforts, ensuring that solutions are both effective and sustainable.

Equally important isÌýresource allocation, which ensures that local leaders have access to adequate funding and resources to carry out their work. This requires a fundamental shift in funding models to prioritise local organisations and reduce the administrative burdens that often exclude smaller, grassroots groups. Too often, local leaders face barriers such as complex application processes or stringent reporting requirements, which can prevent them from accessing the resources they need. By streamlining funding mechanisms and providing flexible, long-term support, we can enable local leaders to focus on delivering impactful solutions rather than navigating bureaucratic hurdles.

Another critical element isÌýpartnership and collaboration, which involves fostering meaningful partnerships between local leaders, international organisations and governments. These collaborations must be built on mutual respect, shared goals and a commitment to co-designing solutions. International organisations should act as facilitators and supporters rather than decision-makers, ensuring that local leaders have a central role in shaping interventions. By working together as equal partners, we can leverage the strengths of each stakeholder, creating more holistic and effective approaches to development and humanitarian aid.

To ensure accountability and continuous improvement, the framework must also includeÌýmonitoring and evaluationÌýsystems that track the impact of locally led initiatives. Robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms allow us to measure progress, identify areas for improvement and demonstrate the effectiveness of local leadership. This not only ensures accountability to donors and stakeholders but also provides valuable insights that can inform future efforts. By prioritising learning and adaptation, we can create a culture of continuous improvement that maximises the impact of local leadership.

Finally,Ìýadvocacy and policy changeÌýare essential to creating an enabling environment for local leadership. This involves advocating for policy reforms that support local leaders, such as changes to funding mechanisms, legal frameworks and institutional practices.

The localisation of leadership roles is not just a moral imperative; it is a practical necessity for transforming development and humanitarian aid. Let us move from a model of top-down assistance to one of bottom-up empowerment, where local leaders are at the forefront of driving change. In doing so, we can ensure that aid is not just delivered but owned, sustained and celebrated by the communities it seeks to serve.

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Musharraf Tansen is a development analyst and former country representative of Malala Fund.