What makes an organization 'local'?

Talk of aid localization abounds, but what is the definition of a “local” organization? It’s one that was conceived in the country where it’s operating, doesn’t have any offices elsewhere and is “organic and homegrown,” Karen Sichinga, executive director of Churches Health Association of Zambia, told Devex at a recent panel on localization in Washington, D.C. And they shouldn’t be underestimated, Sichinga added. “Increasingly we hear local organizations don’t have the capacity, they tend to generalize … but local NGOs are not homogeneous ... what we don’t like to hear is that there is no capacity at all,” she told Devex. Sichinga instead would like to see more focus on collaboration with donors to streamline reporting, pointing to an example when CHAZ was able to produce the same report for use by four different donors thanks to greater communication and cooperation between them. Read more international development news online, and subscribe to The Development Newswire to receive the latest from the world’s leading donors and decision-makers — emailed to you FREE every business day.