The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) submits this report pursuant to the U.S. Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act (SFOAA), 2024 (P.L. 118-47) and Senate Report 118-71, which incorporates by reference the requirements of the FY 2023 Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying, requiring:
“Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the Act, the USAID Administrator shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations an updated report on the Local Works program including: (1) an assessment of progress in achieving the central goal of Local Works to move USAID toward a model of sustainability-based partnership with local governments, organizations, and communities; (2) a description of the factors that limit or prevent such partnerships from being achieved and steps being taken to address those factors and to expand Local Works; and (3) recommendations for administrative or legislative action that would support further expansion of such partnerships.”
This report focuses on the Local Works program, a key component of the Agency’s localization work. Established in 2015 and housed in the Local, Faith, and Transformative Partnerships (LFT) Hub in the Bureau for Inclusive Growth, Partnerships, and Innovation (IPI), Local Works collaborates with Missions to administer funding and technical support to advance locally led development (LLD). Funding largely supports organizations who have done little or no prior work with USAID to address local priorities, enhancing the Agency’s ability to support local actors. Local Works also supports unsolicited applications that expand and deepen relationships with local actors. Across all of its components, Local Works funding has supported small awards in numerous sectors in 56 countries to date. The USAID/Washington team typically transfers funds to Missions and facilitates design, award, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL). Additionally, the team bolsters policy development and revision to advance LLD across the Agency, invests in expanding the evidence base for what works in LLD (including a portfolio of six research and development awards) and works with Missions and Washington Bureaus to create and share tools that empower local actors to lead their own development.
Local Works pilots operational innovations crucial to the success of the Agency’s localization efforts. While Local Works is not the only space where LLD happens at USAID, nor is it the sole contributor to localization, it is a critical program where new and existing partners can access the financial and technical resources needed to serve local communities without being in competition with larger U.S. and international development organizations.
