Locally Led Development Champion - Stephanie Ehrhardt
Since joining USAID/El Salvador in 2016, Stephanie Ehrhardt has been an invaluable champion for locally led development in the economic growth and education office. As the leader of the Local Works program in El Salvador, Stephanie has been instrumental in designing innovative projects focused on youth development, gender equality, economic growth, and social impact.
Stephanie defines effective locally led development as “local organizations taking the lead in identifying local problems or challenges, and generating sustainable solutions… [by] optimizing the resources and leveraging expertise from the community.” She demonstrated this in action through her role in co-creating the High Impact Soyapango project, which aims to increase economic opportunities, social development, and quality of life in the municipality of Soyapango. Additionally, Stephanie has also contributed to the Sustainable Market Access project, which seeks to improve livelihoods for farmers and agricultural producers in rural areas.
Stephanie believes that community organizations are the leaders of change and that strengthening their capacity is fundamental to sustainable development. “It's important to support local institutions,” she says. “We have shared values, and giving them the opportunity to become partners in development… [and] strengthening and promoting collaboration with local actors, is key in order to achieve sustainability [in our collective] efforts.” Her locally led development approach has led to the formation and strengthening of a consortium model under the High Impact Soyapango project, including support for small businesses, youth education, and training.
In tandem with strengthening capacity and leveraging shared values, Stephanie recognizes that cultivating collaboration and shared goals among local institutions, changing mindsets within organizations, and achieving sustainability when projects conclude are often challenges to implementing locally led development. To that end, Stephanie says, “it's important to create opportunities for local institutions to collaborate, come together and identify common [long-term] goals.” She recommends striving to create open spaces, shared agendas, and collaborative environments to promote project sustainability. Stephanie adds that shifting mindsets toward increasing locally led development requires “buy-in from leaders to set examples and engage those resistant to change. [It] is not easy, but yields good results.”
Despite the challenges Stephanie and local partners have faced when implementing locally led projects, she has witnessed many successes, like when local organizations adapted and enhanced their internal procedures and practices for continued success. “There is a multiplier effect when it comes to institutional strengthening,” says Stephanie. “It’s a good surprise to hear from other local institutions… [that] they have improved their internal processes [as well].
Stephanie has three pieces of advice for other development practitioners looking to enhance support for locally led development at their USAID Mission or institution:
- Listen to local partners and institutions to understand the local context better.
- Be fearless in seeking support, guidance, and experiences from other USAID Missions and colleagues.
- Establish a relationship of trust and open communication with local partners.
As Stephanie continues to lead the Local Works program in El Salvador, she hopes others take advantage of locally led development approaches, and recognize the impact of strengthening the capacities of local organizations.