The relief and development industry has long known that the impact of aid programming is greater when local organizations bring the solutions, capacity and resources necessary to lead the work. Why has true "local leadership" been so elusive?

Too often international agencies rely on local entities to implement the grants they obtain without strengthening their staff's skills, supporting their institutional development or centering local voices. Doing so would support the local organizations to design, win and successfully implement awards on their own. For local leadership to become the norm, aid agencies must increase their investments, influence aid policy, and change the way they work internally.

This document details how CRS promotes Local Leadership internally and externally.