Locally Led Development

It has been shown in best practices that participatory development has helped further the principles of community-based development. UNDP and UNCDO have recognized that local leadership is a more sustainable approach to providing accessible capacity building initiatives in the field than the previously ingrained top-down practices. “Successful local development requires having a local champion that can rally different stakeholders around a common cause and can manage tensions that may arise from the local development process” (UNDP). FCDE realizes that INGOs require this embedded knowledge and established local networks that communities can mobilize on the ground. Our partnerships reflect a sense of reciprocity and trust as we help build local organizational and leadership capacity while learning from communities’ experiences. In order to truly effect participatory change, we hire personnel that have long-term experience and investment our target communities; implement peer-based models for skills transfer; and work with a range of local grassroots organizations to build their capacity for effective service provision.

In-country Site Team- Typically, a three person staff runs the local FCDE offices, with a host country national holding the lead position as Site Director. To bring diverse development experience and organizational best practices to the team, one staff position is filled with a professional from outside of the host country with an international development background. The third position is usually held by a member of the community who is starting off his/her career in the development field and wants to gain hands-on experience while sharing his/her knowledge of local issues and needs with FCDE staff.

Peer based info exchange - Local professionals who make up the FCDE site team use a peer-based approach to capacity building that we have found to be effective in transferring skills sets, creating viable networks and working towards sustainability in service provision. We build trust and rapport between staff and the community by ensuring that the goals of the community are reflected in the programmatic activities of the organizations with which we work. Involving local expertise in trainings and workshops increases legitimacy and creates a forum in which sincere dialogue about issues and solutions is promoted amongst community leaders. FCDE realizes that leaders in the communities, local organizations, and beneficiaries all have a multitude of skills and knowledge that can further community action toward identified priorities and goals. As a part of our networking strategy, we aim to connect people who know with people who want to learn.