USAID has been talking about localizing its work for more than a decade now. But progress has been slow. Why is it so hard? I took a look at the issues.
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Slow going
USAID’s struggles to localize its funding appear hard to understand at first glance. The agency’s leaders want to change how money is given away. Well, they are in charge. Why not just give money to different people?
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There are several big problems, however. For example, USAID gives away much of its funding via open competition, and that’s hard to design so local organizations win. Also, localization is incredibly labor-intensive and USAID hasn’t got the staff. And finally, USAID works within a straitjacket laid down by the U.S. Congress, the White House, and the U.S. Department of State. And while lawmakers say they support localization, their actions don’t match up.
The more you read and study, the easier it becomes to see why things are moving incredibly slowly.
Read: What's stopping USAID from localizing? (Pro)
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Funding activity
We publish tenders, grants, and other funding announcements on our Funding Platform. Here are some of the ones which have been viewed the most in the past 10 days.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has approved a €22 million ($23.9 million) loan to improve the solid waste management and disposal system in Georgia.
Belgian development agency Enabel has announced a grant to enhance the overall maturity, professionalism, sustainability, and market engagement of supported cooperatives in aquaculture and horticulture in Rwanda.
German development finance institution KfW is inviting consultancy firms to conduct a market assessment aimed at providing insights into the market status of different energy technologies in Nigeria.
Swedish development agency Sida is seeking contractors to support gender responsiveness and social inclusion in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Vietnam.
Unitaid has launched a call for proposals to support countries in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and Chagas in endemic areas.
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When FCDO contracting stopped expanding
The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has seen plenty of fluctuation in its funding over the past decade. A steady rise in contract spending each year was followed by a dramatic fall during the pandemic. That spending impacted the department’s largest contractors, who also saw significant fluctuations in how much they earned.
My colleague Alecsondra Kieren Si has charted the ups and downs.
Read: How FCDO development contracts changed over a decade (Pro)
+ Join us on Thursday, Feb. 29, for a Devex Pro event with an expert panel to discuss the future of U.K. aid, including the potential impact of the forthcoming elections.
Bank job
Like USAID, the World Bank is trying to change how it does business. In this case, it’s a wide-ranging set of reforms aimed at speeding up processes and getting more money out the door. Information has been released in a steady trickle over the past year or more, but for anyone who’s not been paying close attention, it’s tricky to understand everything that’s going on.
For that reason, Devex contributor Sophie Edwards has summarized all of the big issues in one place, so you can quickly and easily get up to speed.
Read: Everything you need to know about the World Bank's reform plans (Pro)
+ On Wednesday, Feb. 28, we’ll be hosting a conversation with U.S. Rep. French Hill focusing on multilateral development bank reform. Save your spot here.
Calling the COPs
It seems as if the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP 28, has only just happened, but already we’re looking ahead to COP 29. There are several big-ticket items on the agenda, most notably a new finance goal to replace the $100 billion target which wealthy nations rather questionably fudged their way to last year. Once again, Devex has brought you a summary of all the key issues.
Read: What will be on the COP 29 agenda? Here are 7 issues to watch (Pro)
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About the author
David Ainsworth@daveainsworth4
David Ainsworth is business editor at Devex, where he writes about finance and funding issues for development institutions. He was previously a senior writer and editor for magazines specializing in nonprofits in the U.K. and worked as a policy and communications specialist in the nonprofit sector for a number of years. His team specializes in understanding reports and data and what it teaches us about how development functions.
