How to Implement Locally Led Development & Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation

If less than 2.5% of humanitarian aid goes to local actors, shifting leadership toward local communities requires those in power to implement reforms that enable effective change

In the evolving scene of international development, there is increasing recognition of the importance of empowering local actors to lead and sustain development initiatives. Locally Led Development (LLD) and Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) prioritize community agency, ensuring that those most affected by development decisions play an active role in shaping, implementing, and assessing these initiatives. This blog explores how to implement LLD and PM&E effectively, emphasizing key strategies and frameworks that promote inclusive, sustainable outcomes.

Key Strategies for Implementing LLD and PM&E

1. Shifting Power to Local Actors

A foundation of LLD is the decentralization of decision-making power to local stakeholders. This involves allocating substantial project funding to local partners and ensuring they play a central role in designing and delivering development interventions. By fostering co-creation and collaborative proposal development, local actors gain control over defining and prioritizing their needs 1. Moreover, decentralizing decision-making allows local actors to implement culturally appropriate solutions and respond quickly to emerging challenges

2. Strengthening Local Capacity

Effective implementation of LLD requires robust investment in local capacities. Providing training in monitoring methodologies, data collection tools, and project evaluation techniques equips local stakeholders to track progress independently. This capacity-building effort must be iterative and responsive to the evolving needs of the community 3.

Building the capacity of local actors enables them to analyse, reflect, and act on development challenges while fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation. This approach leaves an institutional legacy, empowering communities to sustain and scale their development efforts beyond external funding cycles 4.

3. Collaborative Planning and Indicator Development

Collaborative planning is a key principle of PM&E. Conducting a thorough situational analysis helps define expected outcomes and develop performance indicators tailored to local contexts. Participatory frameworks such as SPICED (Subjective, Participatory, Interpreted, Communicable, Empowering, Disaggregated) provide a comprehensive guide for selecting indicators that capture both quantitative and qualitative dimensions 1.

By involving community members in defining objectives and performance measures, PM&E ensures that evaluation processes align with local realities. This participatory approach enhances the relevance of development interventions while fostering ownership and accountability.

4. Data Collection, Management, and Analysis

PM&E emphasizes the use of participatory tools to collect and analyze data. Methods such as focus group discussions, storytelling, and resource mapping capture diverse community perspectives and contextual knowledge 5. Transparent data sharing between stakeholders strengthens mutual trust and promotes collective decision-making.

This localized approach to data collection not only improves the accuracy of evaluation outcomes but also empowers communities to interpret and act on the data. Continuous feedback loops enable real-time learning and adaptive management, allowing for timely adjustments to project strategies 6.

5. Reflection, Learning, and Adaptation

A successful LLD and PM&E framework integrates mechanisms for reflection and adaptive learning. Regularly reviewing project data allows stakeholders to identify gaps and refine implementation strategies. Sharing these insights with the broader community fosters collective learning and enhances long-term resilience 3.

Adaptive frameworks prioritize flexibility and responsiveness, ensuring that interventions remain relevant amid changing social, economic, and environmental conditions. This iterative process strengthens local agencies and reinforces the sustainability of development initiatives

Principles Guiding LLD and PM&E Implementation

Implementing LLD and PM&E effectively requires adherence to eight core principles (Soanes et al., 2021):

1. Devolving decision-making to the lowest appropriate level.
2. Addressing structural inequalities faced by marginalized groups.
3. Providing patient and predictable funding accessible to local actors.
4. Investing in local capabilities to leave an institutional legacy.
5. Building a robust understanding of climate risk and uncertainty.
6. Emphasizing flexible programming and iterative learning.
7. Ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the process.
8. Fostering collaborative action and shared investment.

These principles acknowledge the structural barriers local communities face and prioritize empowering them to lead the development process. For example, addressing gender and social inequalities ensures that women, youth, and marginalized groups are central to decision-making, fostering more inclusive outcomes 7.

The Imperative for Reformation

Historically, development decisions made far from local contexts have resulted in ineffective and maladaptive solutions. By centering local voices and knowledge, LLD and PM&E address these shortcomings and promote sustainable, community-driven change 8.

In conclusion, LLD and PM&E provide a transformative approach to international development by prioritizing local leadership, participatory decision-making, and adaptive learning. Implementing these frameworks requiresa sustained commitment to power-sharing, capacity-building, and continuous reflection. By fostering genuine local ownership, we can advance more equitable, effective, and enduring development outcomes.

References

1. Irvine R, Llulla A. Measuring progress towards locally led development co-operation : Towards a shared framework. Published online 2024.
2. Soanes M, Bahadur A, Shakya C, et al. Principles for Locally Led Adaptation: A Call to Action.; 2021. http://pubs.iied.org/10211IIED
3. Mujuru VT. Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation , Power Dynamics and Stakeholder Participation. 2018;(August).
4. OECD. Risk management and locally led development: Understanding how to better manage risks for sustainable impact. Published online 2023. https://one.oecd.org/document/DCD(2023)48/en/pdf?sessionId=1700675942626
5. Hilhorst T, Guijt I. Participatory monitoring and evaluation : A process to support governance and empowerment at the local level. Using Particip Monit Eval to strengthen local Gov. 2006;(March):54.
6. Muriungi TM. The role of participatory monitoring and evaluation programs among government corporations: A case of Ewaso Ngi’ro North Development Authority. Int Acad J Soc Sci Educ. 2015;1(4):53-76. www.iajournals.org
7. Fox J, Hallock J. Open government and US development co-operation in Colombia: Lessons for locally led development. Dev Policy Rev. 2024;(July). doi:10.1111/dpr.12796
8. Coger T, Corry S, Gregorowski R. Reshaping Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning for Locally Led Adaptation. World Resour Inst. 2021;(January):1-24. doi:10.46830/wriwp.20.00060

About the Author

Lindan Mlambo, a trained Aquatic Ecologist with an MSc in International Studies in Aquatic Tropical Ecology from the University of Bremen, Germany, is an academic educator in Bremen. She has worked with FAO and WWF on development evaluations and has diverse experience in Africa, particularly Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Malawi, as well as Europe. Passionate about sustainable development and bridging the global South-North divide, Lindan recently sought funding to build a school library in Mola, Zimbabwe. Currently a Fall 2024 intern at Cloneshouse, she is part of the EU M&E program, contributing to development evaluation and education initiatives.