Today, USAID reported it had slid backward on its localization target — directing 9.6% of eligible funding toward local organizations in 2023. But the true figure may be closer to 5.2%, according to a new report by the nonprofit group Publish What You Fund.
“Regardless of which approach one considers, USAID is a long way from channeling 25% of its funding directly to local organizations,” Publish What You Fund wrote in its report, which was released the same day as the USAID report. “Just as importantly, how USAID defines and measures its 25% goal is working against its own progress.”
The difference between USAID’s estimate and the lower PWYF figure is mainly down to two things, according to Gary Forster, chief executive of PWYF. First, there’s the definition of local: The way USAID counts a local organization is looser than some would like, often including local affiliates of multinational organizations.