The shift to localization is one of the biggest talking points in global development — and one donor in particular has been in the spotlight. The U.S. Agency for International Development has faced scrutiny for the limited progress it’s made against a target set by Administrator Samantha Power, who wants a quarter of the agency’s direct funding to go to local organizations by 2025.
But so far, European donors have been spared similar scrutiny. And a study of some of the biggest players reveals that many are lagging behind the U.S.’s efforts.
Devex looked at Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the European Commission, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway to understand the state of play.