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In the heart of El Salvador, a remarkable force of local organizations is working to enact positive change and drive progress within their communities. USAID/El Salvador (USAID/ES) collaborated with the <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/about-us/partnership-incubator">Partnerships Incubator</a> to co-create technical assistance (TA) service packages for 12 organizations in El Salvador. These organizations, representing a spectrum of focus areas, years of operation, funding levels, and technical expertise, are a testament to the robust landscape of community-driven initiatives that exist across the country.&nbsp;Effective leadership can transform communities—it carries forward vision, executes common goals, and inspires others. In the case of development programs, a strong and effective chief of party or project director is critical to ensuring a community realizes sustainability by empowering their team to implement strategies and innovate beyond the duration of their direction in their organization. These individuals also have a profound responsibility to be <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/blog/the-value-of-empathetic-leadership">empathetic leaders</a>, particularly in the development space when work can be psychologically challenging.Through the TA provided in El Salvador, the Incubator worked with many organizational leaders to assess their leadership practices and receive executive coaching. Many of these leaders described how a strong interest or passion initially led them to stimulate change in their communities, from founding organizations to taking on leadership roles. Once activities took shape and program implementation began, however, they struggled to pause and evaluate their leadership styles and impact. In the flurry of day-to-day work, leaders do not have much room to take stock of how each decision can affect the organization years from now. Their primary focus is on serving their community and fulfilling an immediate need, but the longer-term needs of the organization may be left behind.&nbsp;<blockquote>“Organizations are often dedicated to all the work we do externally, and we neglect a bit of the internal part, and it is very important to be able to take this space [for technical assistance] so that our work, our goals, our objectives have the impact that we expect,” says Wendy Morales Gálvez, Executive Director of Azul Originario, a nonprofit organization implementing programs in the areas of governance and democracy, education, and livelihood.</blockquote>Though it requires intentionality, assessing one's leadership can help organizations identify how to make necessary adjustments, enhance existing skills, and leverage the strengths of their staff to build a strong foundation for the future.&nbsp;<h4>Why Leadership Development Is Important</h4>USAID transforms communities through its programs and promotes paths to self-reliance and resilience. The Agency’s goal by the end of the decade—as outlined by Administrator Samantha Power’s speech on “<a href="https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/speeches/nov-04-2021-administrator-samantha-power-new-vision-global-development">A New Vision for Global Development</a>” at Georgetown University on November 4, 2021—is 50 percent of Agency programming will need to place local communities in the lead to either co-design a project, set priorities, drive implementation, or evaluate the impact of USAID programs. Through these paths to self-reliance and localization, communities and their leaders can elevate their voices and lay the foundation for sustainability.One central factor in this effort toward development transformation is identifying impactful leaders within local organizations. Leaders are responsible for cultivating a culture of excellence that can take organizations from good to great. Effective leadership can influence the direction of an organization for generations, guide strategic planning, navigate organizational challenges, attract talented and loyal staff, promote transparency and communication, develop and maintain stakeholder relationships, embrace a culture of innovation, and set a tone of integrity.When given the room to evaluate their role and impact and refine those skills, leaders can provide clarity to a development organization’s vision by setting a roadmap that aligns with their country’s development goals and allocates resources and staff toward their most critical issues. <a href="https://leaders.com/articles/leadership/why-is-leadership-important/">Leaders.com</a> explains that organizational leaders require constant adaptation to meet the changing needs of their companies and how training can help them be more effective and inspirational.Beyond establishing a strong organizational workflow, collaboration is a key pillar of a remarkable leader. When effective leaders make a conscious effort to foster collaboration among stakeholders, such as government entities, donor agencies, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations, they can amplify their impact and prevent duplicated efforts.&nbsp;Moreover, everyone benefits when leaders take the time to hone their skills, as was identified through the Incubator’s interviews with these organizations. Effective training makes them more likely to engage and inspire their team members. In the article “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/09/21/why-leadership-training-matters/?sh=140fd8f14629">Why Leadership Training Matters</a>” by Forbes, good managers can influence up to 70 percent of a team’s engagement. Engaged staff members tend to be more productive, more likely to seek growth opportunities from within, open to sharing innovative ideas to reach common goals, aligned with organizational values, and better at resolving conflicts.Building leaders’ skills is critically important, but this shouldn’t happen in a vacuum. Leadership development should also be accompanied by enhancements to the internal governance frameworks that leaders rely on, such as a project’s or organization’s human resources, finance, and procurement manuals.&nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>“Transitioning people within the team to different positions takes time…if you were colleagues on the same level and now one of them ascends as director, it's not always an easy transition for everybody,” says Andrea Schildknecht de Méndez, Deputy Chief of Party of <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/directory/fundacion-gloria-kriete">Fundación Gloria Kriete</a>, a local organization supporting the most vulnerable Salvadorans through education and training programs. “But now that we have the manuals and everything is written down, it's much easier to be clear about what the responsibilities of each person are.”</blockquote><h4>Developing Skills for Development Leaders</h4>The reality of the development landscape is that many local organizations may have limited resources to strengthen their leadership through one-on-one executive coaching or training sessions, which can be expensive. Even when resources are limited, there are steps organizations can take to help leaders develop critical skills.&nbsp;Strengthening leadership is a marathon, not a sprint; it is an ongoing journey and does not need to require substantial resources. Below are a few recommendations for local partners and smaller organizations seeking to make big changes:<ol><li>Peer-to-peer learning. The local organizations in El Salvador identified that developing a community of practice with other local organizations helped reduce the burden of facing obstacles alone. In the blog “<a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/blog/unlocking-the-power-of-local-peer-to-peer-networking-lessons-from-el-salvador">Unlocking the Power of Local Peer-to-Peer Networking</a>,” these organizations shared that working together helped them to understand their strengths and learn from their weaknesses through an unbiased third-party partner. Leaders can collaborate with other organizational leaders to provide guidance, share insights, and offer advice.</li><li>Monitoring, evaluating, and learning (MEL). As the “<a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/blog/capturing-organizational-successes-with-mel-lessons-from-el-salvador">Capturing Organizational Successes with MEL</a>” blog discusses, documenting clear objectives and MEL plans can help leaders make data-driven decisions. This creates greater accountability and transparency in leaders, positioning them to strive for positive results and create trust with their team members.</li><li>Online resources. Take advantage of <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/">WorkwithUSAID.org</a>, a one-stop shop that provides organizations with a robust and carefully curated <a href="https://workwithusaid.org/resource-library?search=leadership">Resource Library,</a> <a href="http://workwithusaid.org/events">Events</a> calendar, <a href="http://workwithusaid.org/blog">News &amp; Insights</a> blog, and <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/pre-engagement">Pre-Engagement Assessment</a>. This free online resource is globally accessible. It offers leaders downloadable resources and networking opportunities to learn how to become more effective in their roles and develop the skills donors seek.&nbsp;</li><li>Solicit anonymous feedback. It may not always be easy for staff and stakeholders to share unfiltered opinions and recommendations about their leaders. Create an anonymous stream of feedback that provides a safe space for those closest to leaders to express their thoughts. By simply sharing an anonymous online survey on a quarterly or annual basis, leaders can evaluate common positive themes about their impact and explore areas for improvement.&nbsp;</li><li>Stimulate a learning culture. Leaders are responsible for creating the organizational culture, so foster one of lifelong learning. Team members should be encouraged to share knowledge, mentor one another, and pitch ideas to improve processes and programs. Leaders should always be proactive about learning from their staff and working alongside them to ensure continuous growth and effectiveness.</li></ol><blockquote>“I've been able to obtain feedback from the team and also have gained awareness on how we can improve in the delivery of messages, especially in our growth moment, where a lot of people might be experiencing workload and [a heavier] workload,” says Karla Segovia, Executive Director of <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/directory/fusal">FUSAL</a>, a Salvadoran organization dedicated to providing social programs focused on health, education, and community building.&nbsp;</blockquote>In the ever-evolving landscape of international development, local leadership will have the greatest impact on the sustainability of programs and community resilience. Effective leadership is a commitment to continuous growth to reach a steady goal.&nbsp;A ripple effect happens when an organization invests in leadership development, from defining a clear path toward a common goal to setting expectations for employees to influencing the decisions of potential donors. “Thanks to the coaching support I've had, I've learned more about my leadership style and also about how my leadership impacts others,” says Segovia. As your organization embraces its leaders, be encouraged to know that even the smallest investment can shape them as individuals and your organization as a changemaker.&nbsp;Learn how to strengthen the leadership in your organization by visiting WorkwithUSAID.org’s <a href="https://workwithusaid.org/resource-library?search=leadership">Resource Library</a>.

USAID’s Administrator Power holds a roundtable discussion with youth in El Salvador.

Sustaining Development through Effective Leadership: Lessons from El Salvador

This blog was jointly written by Aga Khan Foundation team members from around the world.Disclaimer: This article was submitted to WorkwithUSAID.org as a guest blog post. The views expressed by WorkwithUSAID.org guest blog contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.The challenges facing the most marginalized communities across the globe have only increased in complexity in recent years. With advances in information technology, the widening of economic inequalities and the acceleration of the climate crisis, problems like environmental degradation, geopolitical conflict, and global pandemics are becoming more difficult to address with traditional approaches to humanitarian aid and international development. Furthermore, one common critique of international development work is that it has the potential to replicate neocolonialist power structures by using outsider-driven, top-down decision-making.In 2019, under USAID’s <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/npi">New Partnerships Initiative</a>, the Agency worked with the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) to launch <a href="https://www.akfusa.org/local-impact/">Local Impact</a>, a multi-year, multi-sector, and multi-country global partnership that uses a human-centered design (HCD) based approach to facilitate locally led development.Through Local Impact, our staff are collaborating to elevate the voices of those closest to challenges facing communities in an effort to move toward a more participatory approach to international development work. We believe that this approach is not only more ethical and more just but also more effective at addressing complex problems through locally owned, innovative solutions that will have lasting impact.As we continue on this journey of strengthening the partnership between USAID and AKF and developing capacity in our teams and communities, we want to share initial reflections to encourage and support other organizations in doing this work.<h4>What Is Human-Centered Design?</h4>The HCD approach places community needs and lived experiences at the center of the problem-solving process. The HCD process involves extensive field work and engagement with local community members. Sometimes these constituents offer qualitative data and feedback. Even better, sometimes community members join the design team and share decision-making power with the development practitioners who are facilitating the process.<h4>Strengthening Capacity with HCD</h4>While inclusivity and co-creation have always been central tenets of AKF’s approach to development, HCD offers new tools and techniques that can help development practitioners dig deeper into challenges, elevate the voices of those with lived experience, and rapidly iterate to get feedback before implementing a solution at scale. The Local Impact team has honed these skills over time.The HCD approach has changed the perspectives of AKF team members, giving them powerful insights into the needs and challenges of the communities. Sedbegim Mirzosaidova, who participated as a member of an HCD team for a Local Impact project focused on supporting women entrepreneurs reflected: “During our work, we have learned directly from the people we are designing for and immersed ourselves in their lives in order to come to a deep understanding of their needs.”&nbsp;Najimiya Abdurahmonova, another HCD team member, elaborated: “When we were in the field, the female entrepreneurs opened up about their daily challenges that they are facing in their businesses and personal lives. Being able to build trust with the female entrepreneurs sometimes felt emotional and close.  [...] As a consultant, one can’t implement his/her ideas because at the end of the day the project is all about these female entrepreneurs, and they are the ones who should propose the solutions.” The participants also noticed the positive dynamic that was created through the HCD sessions. One of the participants, Nilufar Hukumatshoeva, noted, “I liked the reflection meetings where we came together and shared our insights with Sedbegim and Najmiya. It was very helpful for us to feel included and to have influence over the process.”Like many activities, HCD went virtual in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, HCD training was able to be expanded to more than 300 AKF staff and stakeholders (including almost all Local Impact staff). In partnership with Accelerate Impact, a global initiative of AKF, teams have received in-depth HCD training along with project-based experience, to reinforce “an HCD mindset” and practice applying tools to adopt this inclusive approach. We believe that this new awareness of the HCD approach will benefit our colleagues far and wide.<h4>Benefits of Incorporating HCD Approaches</h4>To date, Local Impact has tackled eight design challenges – collaborative design sprints focused on a specific problem in a specific community – across rural Tajikistan, including in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) and Khatlon regions as well as the Rasht Valley. These eight challenges were identified collaboratively with communities, local stakeholders, USAID, and AKF staff who also nominate specific members to work on these challenges. These members then form a design team and participate in HCD training to acquire the mindsets and tools. Design teams are coached by an expert design practitioner who provides guidance through the different stages of the solution development process.Examples of the design challenges included:<ol><li>How might we provide rural smallholder farmers, especially women and youth, with an increased access to finance?</li><li>How might we improve the transition from childhood through adolescence to adulthood for girls and boys between 10 and 15 years of age?</li><li>How might we support growth-oriented women micro-entrepreneurs to formalize and sustainably expand their business?</li></ol>Of the eight design challenges, six are being piloted now, and two are being scaled. While it may be too soon to comment on the long-term impact on the communities we serve, we have seen some promising immediate outcomes.First, the Local Impact HCD process not only makes community members feel included, but it also builds confidence for those who participate. A bakery owner, Soro Aliyorova, expressed how, “I felt that I matter as a woman, and as a woman entrepreneur, and that my opinion matters too.” The HCD process increased community engagement and representation through this culture of inclusion. In reflecting on her experience, Lali Mamadsultanova, a hotel owner from GBAO who participated in one of the design challenges, shared that, “our involvement has led to [the] creation of women-led business collectives that will empower women to learn together and support each other in building and scaling our business ideas.”Second, even beyond the individual impacts, the HCD process instilled confidence in the project’s outcomes and sustainability. Mamadsultanova noted, “The idea of the HCD approach is different from the way we are used to working with projects. Because most of the time, there is a designed project to be implemented…which might not consider the context at a specific moment. Because of that, those kinds of projects are not typically sustainable.” She added, “I have a big hope that this project with its new approach will benefit our community, not only for a short period of time, but for a longer one. Being engaged in this project from the very beginning will provide a sense of ownership and this is where we will all feel responsible for effective and sustainable implementation.”Finally, local leaders of the Local Impact HCD trainings also noted a new awareness of their own community’s interests and needs. Nilufar Qambarova, a participant in an early HCD training who went on to lead other HCD trainings, shared, “we closely engage[d] communities in project-specific districts through participatory research tools to identify their needs, aspirations, and challenges. Despite having grown up in the same context, I am surprised by some of the nuanced findings that we learn from these HCD tools. These findings help us analyze the underlying socio-behavioral insights that are critical to designing a solution that will be adopted by the communities.”<h4>Tips for Integrating HCD into Development Projects</h4>When integrating HCD processes into our organization, several challenges arose. We would like to share five lessons that we learned while overcoming these challenges that may help other organizations working to integrate HCD into their practice.<ul><li>Provide professional development experiences that encourage practitioners to adopt design mindsets and to use HCD methodologies effectively. These capabilities will include: (1) deep listening and empathy to understand the needs of communities in complex and fragile settings while being aware of one’s own biases and presumptions; (2) synthesis and sensemaking to enable participating teams to analyze and consolidate varied pieces of information to formulate actionable insights for solution development; and (3) prototype and test to manifest ideas tangibly and early to fail fast and learn from mistakes before we invest money to scale.</li><li>Allocate sufficient time and resources to HCD process. Implementing HCD processes requires time, resources, and dedicated efforts to engage effectively. Organizations may face challenges in allocating sufficient resources, especially in fast-paced environments focused on immediate results. Adequate planning, resource allocation, leadership support, and adaptation are crucial to overcome this challenge.</li><li>Work with the leadership team to create a collaborative organizational culture.&nbsp; Traditional organizational structures often have functional silos, with separate departments or teams working in isolation. Integrating HCD requires cross-functional collaboration and breaking down these silos. Overcoming this challenge involves fostering a culture of collaboration, establishing multidisciplinary teams, and promoting knowledge sharing and communication across departments.&nbsp;</li><li>Build partnership frameworks for new forms of collaboration. It is crucial to foster effective engagement with government offices, private stakeholders, and civil society organizations in problem-solving processes. By involving these stakeholders as co-creators and owners of solutions, rather than just implementation partners, organizations can tap into their expertise, leverage diverse perspectives, and enhance the likelihood of successful outcomes.</li><li>Work with monitoring, evaluation, and learning teams to measure the impact of HCD initiatives. It is essential to develop frameworks that can effectively evaluate the impact of the process and the solutions implemented. Define indicators for both the process (e.g., stakeholder satisfaction, knowledge transfer, or collaboration effectiveness) and the solution (e.g., user adoption rates, efficiency gains, or customer feedback ratings). By establishing correlations between the two, organizations can gain insights into the effectiveness and success of their problem-solving initiatives. This can be done by examining how changes in the process have influenced the impact of the solution.</li></ul>AKF and its local community members have experienced firsthand the power of leveraging HCD approaches to solving complex problems. We are confident that as we continue to learn and grow, our ability to engage the community in a co-design process will only improve and our level of trust and further integration into the community will only deepen. We are excited to see how this new approach to international development will further promote inclusivity in development work and democratize innovation by empowering community members as equal partners in the design and decision-making process.Interested in leveraging human-centered design to tackle challenges in regions where you live or work? AKF and USAID will be releasing a comprehensive set of guides to support teams in doing this kind of work in the next few months. Click <a href="https://akflearninghub.org/guide-to-human-centred-design-for-social-innovation/">here</a> to sign up to receive the resources when they are released.

Four women talking near a table with baked goods

Empowering Local Communities to Lead Development through Human-Centered Design

Teresa Torres is the Development Outreach and Communications Officer at USAID/Paraguay.Founded over three decades ago, local Paraguayan nongovernmental organization <a href="http://www.fundacionparaguaya.org.py/v2/">Fundación Paraguaya</a> started as a small office with just seven employees. Today, it has a workforce of 440 individuals spread across 28 offices in Paraguay, as well as a satellite office in Tanzania.&nbsp;However, the road to Fundación Paraguaya’s present success was plagued with challenges, including the sort that affect many local organizations around the world. The primary hurdles were obtaining funding and recruiting high-quality talent, as well as some growing pains as the organization expanded in prominence.<figure class="image image-style-align-right image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/strapi-media-dev/DA_Paloma_Adams_Allen_visit_a_women_committee_supported_by_USAID_7bc95e9b3a/DA_Paloma_Adams_Allen_visit_a_women_committee_supported_by_USAID_7bc95e9b3a.jpg"><figcaption>Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams-Allen visits a women's committee supported by USAID and Fundación Paraguaya.</figcaption></figure>Appreciating the vital role of partnerships in this remarkable journey, Fundación Paraguaya attributes much of its success to the technical assistance provided by USAID. In 1985, USAID's initial investment of $200,000 kickstarted a microenterprise and financial inclusion program that remains the cornerstone of Fundación Paraguaya's operations to this day.&nbsp;“Fundación Paraguaya went from receiving a small grant to becoming a leading NGO that provides technical assistance to other countries. They demonstrate how local partnership leads to more sustainable, transformative, and inclusive development,” stated USAID Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams-Allen during a site visit to a Fundación Paraguaya project in March 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2010, the organization secured its inaugural award from USAID for a microbusiness project that benefited 92,000 people. That early support from USAID played a paramount role in the project’s success and paved the way for more great work to come.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h4>Solving Funding Challenges with Self-Sustaining Projects</h4>Fundación Paraguaya's success lies in its resourceful, self-sustaining projects, particularly in the areas of microfinance and micro-franchise. Microfinance provides small loans and other basic financial services to low-income individuals and communities, most of whom do not have access to traditional financial services. This microfinance initiative empowers women in impoverished urban and rural settings with financial education and entrepreneurship training to start their own businesses. Micro-franchises, on the other hand, consist of a small-scale business model that allows individuals to replicate a proven business concept and brand through a low-cost and simplified franchising arrangement. The interest generated from microfinance operations and fees from micro-franchises form the backbone of Fundación Paraguaya's financial sustainability.At the heart of Fundación Paraguaya's approach is the innovative "Poverty Stoplight'' methodology, developed with USAID support. This simple yet effective tool enables vulnerable populations to identify the specific areas in which poverty impacts their lives by using a color-coded system similar to a traffic light. By evaluating socio-economic factors such as income, health, and education, families can chart their own paths out of poverty using personalized strategies.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-right image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/strapi-media-dev/Paraguay_Fundacion_Paraguaya_and_USAID_Stoplight_3d51d30b1e/Paraguay_Fundacion_Paraguaya_and_USAID_Stoplight_3d51d30b1e.jpg"><figcaption>The Poverty Stoplight tool is supported by USAID and Fundación Paraguaya.</figcaption></figure>Over the past five years alone, the "Poverty Stoplight'' methodology has empowered approximately 35,000 Paraguayan families to overcome poverty. This transformative methodology has gained global recognition and is currently being implemented by Fundación Paraguaya in 52 countries worldwide, including in the United States in partnership with Cornell University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of California at Irvine.“Not only did USAID help create Fundación Paraguaya almost 40 years ago, but it has always supported our antipoverty and education programs. USAID Mission Directors and staff have always encouraged us to pursue social innovations that can help spread our country's prosperity among the poor and strengthen our democracy,” noted Martin Burt, Founder and CEO of Fundación Paraguaya.<h4>Gaining Organizational Strength from Local Connections and Adaptability&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4>Fundación Paraguaya boasts an extensive nationwide presence in Paraguay. It maintains direct and meaningful connections with beneficiaries – an impressive 85,000 families! – through a diverse array of programs.The organization's remarkable adaptability to change has helped them stay relevant and grow within an ever-evolving development landscape. A robust management structure, comprehensive succession planning, and strategic alliances are additional organizational principles that help them deliver the most impact on the communities they serve.Most important, however, is their deep connection to the communities in which they work. “Being locally driven is a key element of our success,” emphasized Roberto Gimenez, Chief of Party of USAID’s Women’s Entrepreneurship and Resilience Project, implemented by Fundación Paraguaya. “Continuous presence in the field and close contact with families have fostered innovation and novel solutions for vulnerable communities in Paraguay and worldwide. This direct connection with local reality compels us to adapt and effectively respond to changing needs. This clear, bold vision has guided us every step of the way, keeping our purpose at the heart of our actions and decisions.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<h4>Transforming Lives, Locally and Globally</h4>The remarkable impact of Fundación Paraguaya's work has not gone unnoticed, as they have been honored with numerous international awards, including accolades from esteemed organizations like the Inter-American Development Bank, the Templeton Foundation, UNICEF, and the Global Development Network. However, the true measure of their success is the lives they have transformed for the better.<figure class="image image-style-align-right image_resized" style="width:50%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daQnW6ucHO0"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/strapi-media-dev/Screen_Shot_2023_09_18_at_4_35_40_PM_38feb3cb69/Screen_Shot_2023_09_18_at_4_35_40_PM_38feb3cb69.png"></a><figcaption>Click on the image above to play the video.</figcaption></figure>“I feel happy and satisfied with the support of the Fundación Paraguaya and USAID and that encourages me to continue growing and to be an example for my daughter, my family, and my fellow group members,” said Ruth Verón, an entrepreneur living in Mariano Roque Alonso, near Paraguay's capital Asunción, who participated in the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Resilience Project.&nbsp;From strategic partnerships and self-sustaining projects to the groundbreaking "Poverty Stoplight'' methodology, Fundación Paraguaya's remarkable journey is a testament to the transformative power of local organizations. The organization embodies USAID’s “progress beyond programs'' ethos, shaping the communities it is a part of while making a lasting impact beyond its local reach.<h4>Six Tips from Fundación Paraguaya for Local Organizations</h4><ol><li>Have a strong legal, administrative, and accounting structure.&nbsp;</li><li>Dare to propose new projects/ideas – be creative!&nbsp;</li><li>Collaborate to increase the reach and impact of your projects.&nbsp;</li><li>Identify your strengths and focus on them.&nbsp;</li><li>A good team with strategic design and operational capacity is crucial.&nbsp;</li><li>Lastly, think big! The work is for the world, not just your country or community.</li></ol>Find out how ready your own organization is for USAID partnership by taking the <a href="https://workwithusaid.org/pre-engagement">WorkwithUSAID.org Pre-Engagement Assessment.</a> This streamlined quiz provides a confidential scorecard ranking your organization’s strengths in five key areas: programming, compliance, human resources, program management, and budget and finance.

A Local Partner with a Global Impact

Pramila Dongol is an Acquisition and Assistance Specialist at USAID/Nepal. Since starting with the Mission in October of 2013, Dongol has been providing acquisition and assistance (A&amp;A) guidance and support on procurement and contracting procedures, as well as grants management to USAID technical offices and implementing partners, supporting compliance with A&amp;A rules and regulations. She is also the lead A&amp;A specialist supporting the <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/local-faith-and-transformative-partnerships/local-works">Local Works</a> program.When USAID/Nepal’s Mission Director, Sepideh Keyvanshad, heard about the <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/USAIDs_Localization_Vision-508.pdf">Localization initiative</a> announced by Administrator Power in November 2021 to direct a quarter of USAID funding to local partners, she believed that USAID/Nepal could increase it to 40 percent. What started as an Agency-wide goal for shifting power to local actors and strengthening the capacity of local organizations became a critical focus for the team in Nepal.&nbsp;In striving to place 40 percent of USAID/Nepal’s funding in the hands of local partner organizations, the Mission needed to come up with creative, new ideas to connect with these local organizations. Many local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and private sector entities in Nepal face challenges being competitive for USAID-funded awards, which traditionally go to larger international NGOs. For example, English is not normally a first language for many partners and might even be their third or fourth language, so it can be difficult to fully adhere to solicitation requirements and interact in learning sessions presented by USAID staff in English.To confront some of these challenges, I worked with my team, USAID/Nepal’s Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA) staff, to launch a series of roadshows. The roadshow program served as a platform for USAID to connect with local organizations to answer questions and create relationships. The Mission launched this program in May 2023, and we have coordinated four roadshows throughout the country: one in Dhangadi (Sudurpaschim Province), one in Mugu (Karnali Province), one in Surkhet (Karnali Province), and one in Biratnagar (Koshi Province). Over the course of these programs, we have had more than 205 participants attend from about 100 different organizations. At the moment, we have two more roadshows planned.&nbsp;Jumping in with a great idea and not much time to prepare, our Nepal OAA team worked to incorporate key topics to assist local partners to join these sessions. The sessions contained information about USAID technical areas, award mechanisms, prime vs. subpartners, co-creation and participatory processes, grants and contract processes, funding opportunities, entity registration requirements, and a question-and-answer session. These topics helped hit our team’s priorities of sharing information about funding opportunities and providing guidance to local organizations on how to access, apply, and learn about the requirements to engage with USAID.With an agenda ready and the steps falling into place, our team had to figure out how to get local partners to attend the roadshows. The Development Outreach and Communications (DOC) team developed the Work with USAID Strategic Communications Plan to promote these events on multiple platforms and venues. USAID/Nepal's DOC team leveraged social media outreach on Facebook and Twitter, so we were able to promote the events through those channels, reaching roughly 1.4 million people. But for some organizations, their teams may not have easy access to social media, so our team creatively diversified our advertisements by collaborating with American Corner and the <a href="https://www.ngofederation.org/">NGO federation of Nepal</a> to spread the word by distributing invitations and flyers with the event’s information.In many ways, these roadshows were created because USAID recognized the importance of engaging more deeply with the local community, and we were able to see gaps in partner organizations understanding who USAID is and how they can work with us. Our team got to see how these local organizations were unaware of USAID and its initiatives. Furthermore, the local organizations who do know about USAID didn’t want to take a step to collaborate because their impressions of USAID requirements were daunting.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-right image_resized" style="width:64.64%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/strapi-media-dev/IMG_6866_55e6e5bd6a/IMG_6866_55e6e5bd6a.jpg"><figcaption>PHASE Nepal’s Rudra Neupane sharing his experience as a USAID grant recipient. (Photo credit: USAID/Nepal)</figcaption></figure>Besides using the roadshows to disseminate information about USAID and its priorities, these events started to create deeper levels of trust between local partners and the Agency. We were able to connect with <a href="https://phasenepal.org/">PHASE Nepal</a>, which is one of USAID’s current local partners. Rudra Neupane, from PHASE Nepal, shared firsthand experience about being a USAID grant recipient, and he confronted the stereotype that USAID did not actually give funding to local partners. He shared how his organization found the opportunity to work with USAID, how they completed the steps in the application process, and how they used co-creation to help them apply.&nbsp;Our team was also able to address areas that created mistrust for partners like concerns from organizations that thought USAID funding had a political influence impacting award decisions. In reality, we explained that there was a review board for applications, negotiations with applicants, and utilization of co-creation when discussing funding opportunities. Our ability to address partner organizations’ concerns with poise while breaking down complex information and doing all of this in Nepali was another primary way that our team was able to build trust. So by bridging this knowledge gap and creating critical trust through the roadshows, our Mission has already seen valuable networking and collaboration among local NGOs, organizations engaging in informative conversations with USAID staff, and an increase in responses to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs).&nbsp;Although our team and local partner organizations have found these roadshows incredibly impactful, we are still identifying improvements. Our team is still striving to lower barriers for local partners who cannot attend in-person by using social media livestreams to broadcast these events. Also, an additional benefit that has room for growth is USAID/Nepal’s facilitation of networking and collaboration among participants at roadshow events. This can continue to create a more informed and connected group of NGOs with global development initiatives.&nbsp;These roadshows have been one way that our USAID/Nepal A&amp;A team has pushed for an expansion of our localization efforts. Our team is convinced that the USAID roadshow events are an effective mechanism for engaging with local stakeholders and promoting dialogue; also, they are a platform to enhance partners’ understanding of USAID's objectives and provide them with opportunities in the development efforts. Not only is this a creative tool for other USAID Missions to replicate, but it helps incentivize partners to want to connect with USAID and its Missions. These events have given local partners a new sense of hope about the possibility of working with USAID, because they now have deeper trust and a mutual understanding of USAID/Nepal’s procurement and award process.You can check out more information on USAID's localization efforts, by visiting the Agency's <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/localization">localization page</a>. Also, take tips from Nepal’s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USAIDNepal/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/USAIDNepal">Twitter</a> channels as a mechanism for reaching local partners. Local partners, you can get involved with your country’s Mission by following their social media handles, which you can look up on their <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/where-we-work">Mission’s USAID Homepage</a>. Also, be sure to check out the <a href="https://workwithusaid.org/events">WorkwithUSAID.org events page</a> for more opportunities to connect with USAID.

People in Nepal sitting in chairs at a conference 

USAID/Nepal Hitting the Road for Localization

Vy Lam is the Advisor on Indigenous Peoples in the Inclusive Development Hub in USAID’s Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI).Sandra Lazarte is the Indigenous Peoples Specialist in the Inclusive Development Hub in USAID’s DDI Bureau .<h3>A Q&amp;A with Vy Lam and Sandra Lazarte on USAID’s Co-Creation with Indigenous Partners (IP) Learning Document</h3><figure class="image image-style-align-right image_resized" style="width:36.85%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/strapi-media-dev/Screenshot_2023_08_29_at_11_19_51_58f5d1c989/Screenshot_2023_08_29_at_11_19_51_58f5d1c989.png"><figcaption>Vy Lam (left) and Sandra Lazarte (right)</figcaption></figure><h4>How did the idea for USAID’s <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/Indigenous-Peoples.pdf">Learning Document on “Co-Creation with Indigenous Partners”</a> originate? What were the key factors that contributed to its creation?</h4>[Vy Lam] The idea emerged during <a href="https://workwithusaid.org/blog/ask-an-expert-q-and-a-with-luis-felipe-duchicela-on-how-usaid-partners-with-indigenous-peoples">Luis-Felipe Duchicela's</a> tenure as Senior Advisor for Indigenous Peoples’ Issues at USAID. The document captures insights into USAID's co-creation processes with Indigenous partners, highlighting pilot efforts by Missions to trial methods of engagement better aligned with Indigenous peoples priorities, capacities, and preferred approaches, in accordance with the principles of USAID’s <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/policy/indigenous-peoples#:~:text=USAID's%20Policy%20on%20Promoting%20the,programs%20that%20affect%20Indigenous%20Peoples.">Policy on Promoting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (PRO-IP)</a>.Historically, USAID has faced challenges in co-creating programs with Indigenous peoples and Indigenous communities and organizations because of the often diverse perspectives and visions for what development means for Indigenous peoples. Each tribe has their own culture, cosmovision, philosophy, and perspectives on the environment, natural resources, community well-being, and the meaning of development. It takes a lot more effort for USAID to engage, consult, and co-create development programs in a way that's meaningful for Indigenous peoples’ organizations (IPOs) and communities.The co-creation document aims to highlight how various Missions and staff tackled challenges in timing, effort, procurement processes, and mechanisms to co-create programs with IPOs and communities.<h4>The document emphasizes the importance of harmonizing concepts from Indigenous communities' own languages when designing interventions. Could you share more about the significance of this approach, and how it enhances the effectiveness and relevance of the interventions?</h4>[Lam] Harmonizing may not be the appropriate perspective. I think a more appropriate way to think about that is how do concepts in English and concepts from USAID translate into a local language specific to the community, specific to the Indigenous peoples and their own concepts of society, governance, and natural resources? What we need to be mindful of is that there are many perspectives for USAID that may not be readily translated or may be offensive when translated into local communities’ languages, culture, or perspectives.&nbsp;Some of the key challenges for USAID to work with IPOs include issues of accountability, record keeping, financial disclosure, and conflict of interest, which are all very critical to USAID's foreign operation procurement laws and program implementation. But many community cultures and governance systems have their own mechanisms for legitimacy, their own mechanisms for decision-making, which may not satisfy USAID standards and requirements.[Sandra Lazarte] To have sustainability and projects that are not harmful, the development community is looking into Indigenous peoples’ governance systems, languages, and ways of understanding how they live and manage their livelihoods. If we take into account how Indigenous peoples perceive the world and the concepts they have, we are creating sustainability because we are working in development from their perspectives.&nbsp;<h4>What specific challenges do Indigenous organizations face in establishing strong management structures and financial administration in compliance with USAID regulations and taking on a more active role in project management?</h4>[Lam] The question is, how do we help IPOs achieve USAID’s standards of the operational and financial management aspects? One example is USAID’s collaboration with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to establish the <a href="https://www.fscindigenousfoundation.org/ipard/">Indigenous Peoples Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD)</a>. This program aims to create an independent management team aligned with USAID standards while respecting Indigenous leadership in defining technical prioritizations and focus.Launched three years ago, IPARD successfully merges USAID's operational requirements with supporting Panama's Indigenous communities’ leadership and priorities in enhancing their self-governance. The program also fosters economic development and political empowerment, enabling Indigenous leaders’ engagement with Panama's government and devising Indigenous community-oriented development plans.<h4>What considerations are taken into account when USAID decides between direct partnerships with Indigenous groups and collaborative prime-sub relationships?</h4>[Lam] The prime-sub relationship can be driven by technical needs. If USAID is designing a program for a region or nationwide, it would not be feasible to build direct partnership relationships with every single community within the country, so you need a prime that has visibility and can manage and aggregate individual efforts from individual communities and geographies. In the IP Learning Document, almost all the co-creation processes ended up needing a year or more. USAID devoted that level of commitment, in terms of staffing, to continually engage with Indigenous peoples throughout that year.One question is, how can we honestly expect Indigenous peoples, their communities, and their leaders to devote so much effort, bandwidth, and commitment to engage with USAID over the year, keeping in mind that many of these communities may be in rural areas. And that these experts and leaders have other responsibilities, to their own families for their own livelihoods, and they may need to travel for days to come meet with USAID.&nbsp;<h4>In the co-creation process with IPOs, how does USAID ensure that cultural elements, for example, the role of elders or traditions related to dialogue, are prioritized?&nbsp;</h4>[Lam] We try to ensure this through multiple mechanisms. Our PRO-IP policy underscores engagement and consultation. We've crafted toolkits for social impact assessments and consultation handbooks. Adhering to a framework of free, prior, and informed consent ensures that USAID safeguards Indigenous peoples’ rights and invites their contribution to impactful decisions.Recent White House guidelines and internal mandates direct integrating Indigenous knowledge into USAID’s program cycle. Ultimately, the Agreement Officer's Representative (AOR), Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), or program design lead at Missions or other operating units (OUs) drive consultation and proactive measures.According to the <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2020/08/07/everyone-equal-the-resilience-of-indigenous-peoples-across-the-globe#:~:text=its%20response%20efforts.-,There%20are%20476%20million%20Indigenous%20people%20from%20over%2090%20countries,worse%20access%20to%20basic%20services.">World Bank</a>, there are more than 5,000 distinct Indigenous cultures around the world, and each one of them is unique. We cannot presume to understand what their needs are, how they want certain things done, and what they would like to see done for the benefit of their community.<h4>What are some best practices for building trust, establishing relationships, and facilitating meaningful engagement and consultation with Indigenous communities? How does this approach foster an environment where activities can be tailored to their specific governance systems and realities?</h4>[Lam] One example is for all USAID OUs to hire Indigenous peoples advisors; my team is providing funding support for recruiting advisors in Missions, reaching seven or eight with upcoming Indigenous advisors.Another case, guided by USAID/Colombia and USAID/Guatemala, involves establishing and publicly monitoring an Indigenous engagement process. USAID/Guatemala publicly posted an <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/guatemala/document/indigenous-peoples-engagement-strategy">online strategy</a>. USAID/Colombia conducts an annual consultation process, welcoming civil society participation.Co-creation, like the document highlights, is another example. Find different opportunities within the program cycle to bring in Indigenous leaders, Indigenous experts, and allies to reflect on USAID’s goals, intentions, and activities.&nbsp;In addition, during program design, involve communities to align visions. If not aligned, explore shared objectives. USAID/Peru released a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit input and gather civil society feedback before revising and finalizing the solicitation. After the program issues awards, grant partners over six months for inception, refining designs and work plans with target communities. Lastly, integrate community input into the monitoring and evaluation processes[Lazarte] To build trust, it's very important to consult with Indigenous communities from the beginning. Also, we should create accountability mechanisms so Indigenous peoples can reach out if there is any malpractice towards them.<h4>What advice do you have for Indigenous-led organizations that might want to partner with USAID?&nbsp;</h4>[Lazarte] My advice would be to trust. We don't want to implement anything that will harm Indigenous communities; we want to work towards their self-determined development through a co-creation process. We have principles that guide our work and that we are respecting. I suggest for IPOs to define their role, based on their capacities, opportunities, limitations, and so on, and the development they want. We say this because sometimes an organization may want to have the technical leadership but they cannot prioritize addressing the administrative burden of working directly with us, so define what role you want. Based on that role, we can build partnerships together.If you are an Indigenous peoples’ organization looking to work with USAID, we encourage you to take the <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/pre-engagement">Pre-Engagement Assessment</a> to determine your readiness and register in the <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/directory">Partner Directory</a> to get connected with similar organizations. For additional resources on collaboration and co-creation with USAID, check out our <a href="https://workwithusaid.org/resource-library">Resource Library</a>.

A man rowing a canoe in a river through a forest.

Empowering Indigenous Collaboration: Insights from USAID’s Co-Creation Journey

In the heart of El Salvador, a remarkable force of local organizations is working to enact positive change and drive progress within their communities. USAID/El Salvador (USAID/ES) collaborated with the <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/about-us/partnership-incubator">Partnerships Incubator</a> to co-create technical assistance (TA) service packages to 12 organizations in El Salvador. These organizations, representing a spectrum of focus areas, years of operation, funding levels, and technical expertise, are a testament to the robust landscape of community-driven initiatives that exist across the country.&nbsp;In a dynamic landscape of local organizations, a prevalent challenge hinders the potential for progress and innovation. Too often, organizations may either see themselves as competitors or too dissimilar to glean insights from each other. When faced with obstacles, these organizations embark on the arduous task of constructing solutions from the ground up rather than tapping into collective experiences. The consequences of this approach are inefficiency and the perspective that one organization’s gain inevitably translates to another’s loss. The mentality that donor support is a fixed resource fuels this problem further.&nbsp;By embracing the power of collaboration at the local level, however, organizations can start to unravel the tightly woven threads of competition and scarcity, fostering collective growth, resource optimization, and innovative solutions. In El Salvador, amidst a mosaic of dedicated efforts, a common truth emerges: the journey toward localized development is not a solo endeavor.&nbsp;<blockquote>“There is a very large civil society force here, built on decades of experience. We should all unite better, in a better symphony. We need to know how to make a better song together, where everyone can play an instrument in a spectacular way, but perhaps we have never been faced with the challenge of playing a single song together.” ~Claudia Blanco, Executive Director of <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/directory/fundacion-salvadorena-de-desarrollo-y-vivienda-minima-fundasal">FUNDASAL</a></blockquote>But what does it mean for local organizations to create music together, and how can it be possible to play a single song? A glimpse into the relationships forged between partners in El Salvador sheds light on how local peer-to-peer networking lays the bedrock for sustainable progress.<h4>Transforming Competition into Collaboration&nbsp;</h4>Local organizations are not competing notes in discord. They are harmonious chords producing a stronger civil society. During Incubator-led interviews with these local organizations, they emphasized how prioritizing collaboration over competition in their relationships with another can create avenues for growth and shared success.&nbsp;For Lilia Ivett Padilla de Menjivar, <a href="https://workwithusaid.org/directory/fundacion-salvador-del-mundo">FUSALMO</a>’s Management and Development Manager, it was crucial to see the organization move from acting as “yo único”—an isolated entity—to acting as partners and “creating an ecosystem that allows us to collaborate with our strengths.”&nbsp;FUSALMO and FUNDASAL have shared longstanding partnerships with Fundación Rafael Meza Ayau (FRMA), another local organization receiving support through USAID's Partnerships Incubator. In embracing this philosophy of partnership, the organizations create an ecosystem where different strengths combine, generating solutions that transcend the boundaries of any single organization.It is important to “ask for help within other organizations and understand that we are not competing,” says Andrea Schildknecht de Méndez, Deputy Chief of Party for <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/directory/fundacion-gloria-kriete">Fundación Gloria Kriete (FGK)</a>. “We can all learn from each other so that we don’t have to make the same mistakes.”&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Fostering Organizational Longevity</h4>Peer-to-peer networking isn't just an exchange of ideas. It's a catalyst for change, enabling organizations to harmonize their efforts and drive sustainable, meaningful impact. The value of an outsider perspective provides a crucial counterbalance to the internal dynamics and emotions within an organization.&nbsp;“There's always something to be learned from somebody outside the organization. I think that the objective point of view is always important because you can get overwhelmed within the day to day,” says Schildknecht de Méndez. “Being able to step back and just analyze with somebody who's not part of the organization is important.”Collaborating with someone external to the organization can provide an opportunity for analysis from a fresh perspective, ensuring the organization remains agile, innovative, and capable of making informed choices. For <a href="https://workwithusaid.org/directory/asociacion-azul-originario">Asociación Azul Originario (AZO)</a>, a nonprofit organization implementing programs in the areas of governance and democracy, education, and livelihood, the recognition that they don't need to possess all the answers is liberating.&nbsp;“In the long term, we would like our projects to be sustainable,” says Wendy Morales, Executive Director and Co-Founder of AZO. “We are allied with organizations that already work in other regions of El Salvador, and we don't necessarily want to just create more spaces, but rather want to build and solidify the spaces that already exist.”&nbsp;Strategic local partnerships reduce the burden of facing obstacles alone. Through these relationships, they find solace in the collective wisdom and resilience, which in turn prevents frustration and burnout. AZO envisions a future where their projects stand the test of time, not by embarking on isolated endeavors, but by tapping into the potential of collaborations. This approach serves as a gateway to accessing new avenues of cooperation and diverse streams of financing.<h4>Aligning Social Causes for Increased Visibility</h4>Creating alliances with other local organizations stands as a vehicle through which shared goals are amplified, strengths leveraged, and positive change is propelled within communities.&nbsp;<blockquote>“It is about joining efforts and pushing the sun to the same side. We are expanding the theme of inclusion in the work of other local institutions. We are supporting each other and adding strengths to other institutions, and the other institutions are adding their expertise to ours.” ~Wendy Caishpal, Executive Director of <a href="https://workwithusaid.org/directory/fundacion-red-de-sobrevivientes-y-personas-con-discapacidad-CzteYEqoX">Fundación Red de Sobrevivientes y Personas con Discapacidad</a></blockquote>Together, Fundación Red de Sobrevivientes y Personas con Discapacidad and AZO have collaborated to ensure AZO’s documents, and other aspects of their work, are inclusive for everyone. AZO and FUNDASAL, though previously working separately, have both been engaged in addressing issues within Indigenous communities of El Salvador. Their paths converged at the Incubator’s two-day Leadership Summit in San Salvador, revealing their shared focus and potential for mutual assistance.&nbsp;Access to land emerged as a paramount concern for El Salvador’s Indigenous communities. FUNDASAL's longstanding engagement in housing projects since 1968 has required them to untangle numerous concerns related to land access. AZO's multidisciplinary work, primarily with Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, has led them to address critical human rights challenges, including land rights in Indigenous communities. The larger struggle faced by Indigenous communities in their quest for secure land tenure, whether for housing, cultivation, or communal space, is a relevant facet of both FUNDASAL and AZO's work.&nbsp;This shared hurdle of addressing prominent land issues in El Salvador's Indigenous communities became a point of convergence. The potential for collaboration underscores the organizations’ abilities to find innovative and sustainable solutions that can help garner visibility to USAID or other donors. Local organizations hold a unique position that enables them to forge strong connections with on-the-ground needs.&nbsp;“I think local organizations have the opportunity to connect a lot with the needs in the field. And because of that, we are also responsible to translate what's going on in our countries for different audiences, but particularly for donors,” says Karla Segovia, Executive Director of <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/directory/fusal">FUSAL</a>.To further tap into the experiences of other organizations, Segovia advises local partners to “create a community of practice with organizations that are going through different experiences in the country.”&nbsp;By advocating for the establishment of a community of practice among local partners, she emphasizes the power of peer-to-peer networking as a strategy through which these organizations in El Salvador can navigate diverse challenges and collectively drive positive change within their communities.Peer-to-peer networking, a dynamic and reciprocal exchange of insights, expertise, and support, can ​​transform the pursuit of localized development into a collective endeavor, even beyond El Salvador’s borders.Access <a href="https://workwithusaid.org/directory">WorkWithUSAID.org’s Partner Directory</a> to unlock collaborations and expand your impact alongside other local organizations in your region.

A group of women wearing black shirts picking beans at a gray table. 

Unlocking the Power of Local Peer-to-Peer Networking: Lessons from El Salvador

This article is the first in our three-part <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/blog/series/2">“How to Write a USAID Proposal” blog series</a>.&nbsp;You have an innovative development idea, and you want to secure USAID funding to implement it. You’re eager to jump in and begin writing USAID proposals and concept papers. But wait! Crafting a USAID proposal can be a time-intensive process, so before you spend precious resources on proposal writing, check out the tips we’ve gathered. By following the guidance shared in this blog series, you can help make your proposal-writing process go smoothly, and you can maximize your chances for success.&nbsp;The following steps can—and should—be taken even before a USAID solicitation is released. (For a refresher on how USAID issues funding opportunities, see this <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/get-grant-or-contract/grant-and-contract-process">overview of USAID’s solicitation process</a>.) Taking these actions early can help you be ready when the time comes to write your proposal.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr><h3>Phase I: Positioning Your Organization for Success</h3><h4>1. Ensure that your organization is ready to directly manage USAID funding.&nbsp;</h4>Review the <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/start-here">Start Here checklist</a> on WorkwithUSAID.org, and then take the WorkwithUSAID.org <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/pre-engagement">Pre-Engagement Assessment</a> to understand your organization’s strengths and capacity gaps. If you find that you are not ready to work as a direct USAID partner (or “prime” partner), don’t worry! Focus on building your experience as a <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/get-grant-or-contract/trainings-how-work-usaid/how-work-usaid-building-strong-sub">USAID sub-partner</a> (or “sub”) and with other donor organizations while growing your capacity. Remember, organizational development takes time.<h4>2. Do your homework.</h4><ul><li>Read the <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/results-and-data/planning/country-strategies-cdcs">Country Development Cooperation Strategy</a> (CDCS) for the country where you hope to work and consider where your development solution fits into the USAID Mission’s overall strategic direction.</li><li>Research other solicitations in your country and sector on <a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=USAID">Grants.gov</a> and <a href="https://sam.gov/search/?page=1&amp;pageSize=25&amp;sort=-modifiedDate&amp;sfm%5Bstatus%5D%5Bis_active%5D=true&amp;sfm%5BsimpleSearch%5D%5BkeywordRadio%5D=ALL&amp;sfm%5BsimpleSearch%5D%5BkeywordTags%5D%5B0%5D%5Bkey%5D=usaid&amp;sfm%5BsimpleSearch%5D%5BkeywordTags%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D=usaid">SAM.gov</a> (you can access both through the funding tab on <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/">WorkwithUSAID.org</a>), and review past projects in the <a href="https://dec.usaid.gov/">Development Experience Clearinghouse</a> (“DEC”).&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/blog/why-you-should-respond-to-requests-for-information-and-sources-sought-notices">Respond to any Requests for Information (RFI) or Sources Sought Notices</a> (SSN) in your area of expertise to get your organization on USAID’s radar.&nbsp;</li><li>Begin gathering a standard package of materials that are required for most USAID solicitations (e.g., your organizational capability statement; copies of your human resources, travel, and procurement policies and procedures; any current NICRA; any approved fringe benefit rate; past performance information; an organizational chart; etc.).</li></ul><h4>3. Network with potential partners.</h4>You should build relationships with other organizations working in your country and sector. <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/">WorkwithUSAID.org</a> has made that easier with our searchable <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/directory">Partner Directory</a>. You can filter by country, sector, or keyword, and if you find a good match, you can contact that organization through the directory itself. Building your knowledge of compatible organizations may help you form partnerships later in the process. You can also talk to current USAID primes and subs to get a real feel for what it’s like being a USAID partner. Finally, it’s always a good idea to stay aware of which organizations are actively investigating opportunities in-country. Watch job boards for organizations that are recruiting for specific roles, such as Chief of Party.<h4>4. Keep an eye on the USAID <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/business-forecast/search">Business Forecast</a>.</h4>Once you feel confident that USAID is the right fit for you and you are the right fit for USAID, keep an eye on the Business Forecast — which is updated daily. This is where you will get an early glimpse at what programs and activities the Agency is planning. USAID rarely accepts unsolicited proposals, so it is a smarter strategy to determine how your work can support initiatives that the Agency already has underway. The Business Forecast is an important tool to get your organization prepared with the right staffing, resources, and documentation to compete for funding.<h3>Phase II: Preparing for a Specific Opportunity</h3><h4>5. Make an initial “go” or “no go” decision.</h4>When a promising opportunity appears on the Business Forecast, your organization’s senior leadership will make a “go” or “no go” decision about whether to pursue that opportunity once it comes out as a solicitation. Proposals can be a costly venture, not to mention the major impact of a new project on your organization. Leaders in your organization must ensure that you can adequately resource the proposal, that it's a good fit with your organizational growth strategy, and that your organization can be a competitive candidate before committing significant resources.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h4>6. Identify your team.</h4>When your organization’s leadership identifies a potential opportunity on the horizon, it’s time to get set up for success. A proposal development team usually has at least three core members:&nbsp;<ul><li>A proposal manager who organizes the team and keeps the project on schedule,&nbsp;</li><li>A proposal technical lead who serves as the main subject matter expert and may lead the writing, and&nbsp;</li><li>A budget preparer who assembles the cost proposal and budget narrative.&nbsp;</li></ul>The core team will be drawn from existing staff, but you may need to supplement your organization’s skill sets with additional support. For example, you should ensure that you can connect with a strong copy editor to review your proposal for correct grammar, punctuation, formatting, clarity, and flow. And if your team does not include anyone with prior experience writing USAID proposals, you could consider seeking external support.&nbsp;<h4>7. Create a proposal development schedule and template.</h4>You can prepare your proposal development schedule before USAID releases the solicitation. Map out your plan and create a proposal template before the solicitation is released. Most USAID solicitations are open for 30-45 days after they are issued. <a href="https://www2.fundsforngos.org/featured/how-to-plan-prepare-and-respond-to-a-usaid-call-for-proposals-a-free-guide-for-ngos-4/">FundsforNGOs.org</a> has a basic schedule that you can customize for your team. While it may seem like a good idea to begin drafting portions of your proposal ahead of the solicitation, it is better to wait so that you know USAID’s exact language and framing of the opportunity. (One exception might be your organizational capability statement, which outlines your prior experience and can be developed ahead of time.) Even at this early stage, some organizations may also begin conducting field visits to collect data for their proposal in the location of the future project.<hr>All USAID awards are unique, and each proposal process will differ, but the steps you take now to prepare for responding to a solicitation can give you a strong head start once the right opportunity is released. More importantly, most of these actions—researching your sector, networking, etc.—are beneficial for your organization no matter what partnership path you pursue.&nbsp;Read some tips for Day 1 and beyond in our <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/blog/writing-your-usaid-proposal">second blog in this series</a>.

Outstretched hand holding a small green plant

Preparing to Write a USAID Proposal

This article is the second in our three-part <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/blog/series/2">“How to Write a USAID Proposal” blog series</a>.&nbsp;Once USAID has released its solicitation, it’s time to put pen to paper—at least in a digital sense! The <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/blog/preparing-to-write-a-usaid-proposal">previous article</a> in our series helped you prepare and put your proposal team and schedule in place to be ready for an expected opportunity. Once the solicitation has been issued, the writing begins—and the clock starts ticking! Solicitations are typically open for just 30–45 days, so it is important to plan ahead and be ready to start your response on Day 1 when the funding opportunity is issued.&nbsp;&nbsp;This portion of the proposal development process occurs in three phases, outlined below.<h3>Phase I: Understand the requirements.</h3><h4>1. Read the solicitation carefully.&nbsp;</h4>It might be tempting to jump in and write up your technical approach. But if you did, you would miss the most crucial step of the proposal-writing process: reading the entire solicitation. Why is this step so important? You need to understand how USAID frames the issue in their program description, statement of work (SOW), and theory of change; the terminology they use for discussing the topic; proposal submission instructions; the proposal evaluation criteria; formats and supplemental materials that are required; and the types of approaches they may be seeking. So take a deep breath and slow down.&nbsp;<h4>2. Share the opportunity with your leadership and team.</h4>Circulate the opportunity to your leadership and to other stakeholders within your organization, including your proposal development team. Then mark up a copy of the solicitation by hand or on a computer so that you can track the key elements of the opportunity. Some organizations create a “crib sheet” that strips the solicitation down to its critical components, forming a kind of checklist to help the team ensure that they have all the required pieces. Share your markup or crib sheet with your full group of internal stakeholders and ask for their own contributions.<h4>3. Note the required format.</h4>Some solicitations will include very specific instructions about the sections to include and the length of those sections. You must follow all such requirements. A typical USAID proposal may include sections such as:<ul><li>Cover letter from the President or Chief Operating Officer;</li><li>List of acronyms;&nbsp;</li><li>Table of Contents;</li><li>Executive summary;</li><li>Technical approach for completing the deliverables in the statement of work (SOW);</li><li>Management approach and staffing plan;</li><li>CVs of key personnel;</li><li>Summary of relevant experience;</li><li>Corporate capabilities; and</li><li>Performance references for similar work.</li></ul>A budget component, or cost proposal, is also required as part of your proposal, as we will discuss in the third blog in our series. Other sections that may be required include a draft monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) plan, a gender equality and social inclusion plan, a work plan, a fee schedule or milestone payment plan, a branding and marking plan, representations and certifications, letters of commitment from sub-partners, etc. You can find resources to help with these components in the <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/resource-library">WorkwithUSAID.org resource library</a> and answers to <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/faq?category=submissions-and-proposals&amp;themes=solicitation-response&amp;questions=">frequently asked questions about these proposal sections</a> in the FAQ portion of the website.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h4>4. Follow the opportunity on <a href="https://sam.gov/">SAM.gov</a> or <a href="https://www.grants.gov/">Grants.gov</a>.</h4>USAID will sometimes amend an opportunity based on questions they receive during the open-question period for an award. You can avoid missing a deadline extension or a change of requirements by visiting Grants.gov or SAM.gov frequently to watch for any updates to the opportunity. You are strongly encouraged to submit any questions that your own organization has during the open question period. There is a designated point of contact for each opportunity listed within the proposal. Be aware that all questions and answers are made public to ensure transparency and fair treatment.<h4>5. Schedule a kick-off meeting and confirm your organization’s “go” decision.</h4>Once your team has read the solicitation and has a good sense of USAID’s desired approach, your proposal manager should schedule a kickoff meeting with your proposal development team and senior leadership. At this meeting, you will:<ul><li>Discuss why this opportunity is important to your organization and confirm your “go” decision;</li><li>Brainstorm relevant prior experience and how to build upon that to address the requirements of the solicitation;</li><li>Formulate a “win theme” for your proposal—an “earworm” that your team wants USAID to remember;&nbsp;</li><li>Identify knowledge gaps and plan for how to fill them (desk research and/or outreach to your network);</li><li>Identify experience and expertise gaps, discuss what organizations could help fill them, and plan for this outreach to potential partners;&nbsp;</li><li>Review the proposal due date, your proposed schedule, and the roles that staff members will play;</li><li>Go over the proposal evaluation criteria provided with the solicitation and discuss how your proposal will match up to those criteria; and</li><li>Have an initial discussion about budget to ensure alignment.&nbsp;</li></ul>A strong proposal will often require a lot of team brainstorming to work out the many facets of the technical solution. The writing can only come once the content has been developed and fine-tuned.<h3>Phase II: Gather information and write the technical solution.</h3><h4>6. Fill in information gaps.</h4>In your kickoff meeting, your team may have identified some information gaps to address before your proposal can be formulated. Begin that research now, so that your proposal will include recent, relevant facts and figures and will demonstrate a solid understanding of the subject matter. ​​This is also when your organization should be doing community/stakeholder engagement to ensure the sustainability and relevance of the proposed interventions and prove to USAID that you truly understand the context and specific needs of the project.&nbsp;<h4>7. Form teaming agreements.</h4>Partnering with capable, respected organizations that have complementary expertise and/or relevant local experience strengthens your proposal and adds credibility to your approach. You may want to develop a “teaming agreement” with another organization doing compatible work. A teaming agreement is an agreement between a prime partner and sub-partners to combine resources in order to respond to a USAID funding opportunity. Teaming agreements are usually legally binding and are negotiated by people with authority from the organizations involved. A properly established teaming agreement reflects the role of each sub-partner, as well as the prime. Find out more about building sub-partnerships in <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/get-grant-or-contract/trainings-how-work-usaid/how-work-usaid-building-strong-sub">this USAID training module</a>. Be aware that there are two types of teaming agreements—exclusive and nonexclusive. Some solicitations may encourage nonexclusive teaming.<h4>8. Begin drafting.</h4>Start a draft document with the sections you will need (they may be outlined in the solicitation). You may have a lead writer, possibly your proposal technical lead, or you may make assignments to the team members with the expertise to draft each section. Sometimes you may need to have a staggered writing process, as some sections depend on others. For example, it might be necessary to finalize the technical approach before the staffing/management section. Make sure that the writer or writing team continues to coordinate closely with the budget preparer who is developing the cost proposal.<h4>9. Stay on schedule.</h4>The proposal manager supporting your development team will track the schedule your team developed. Proposal timeframes are short, so your proposal manager will remind your team members about internal deadlines. Make sure to leave at least two weeks for review and editing.<h3>Phase III: Review and edit.</h3><h4>10. Polish your writing.</h4>Once your team has a complete draft, your proposal lead and/or another senior staff member should review that draft proposal to ensure it is clear, consistent, and professional, and that the language you use reflects the language in USAID’s solicitation. Your proposal must grab and maintain the interest of the reader while addressing all of the evaluation criteria, as well as instill confidence in your technical expertise and ability to communicate.<ul><li>Clear: Avoid jargon and overly technical language. If you must explain a technical component of the project, do not assume knowledge or expertise. Spell out all acronyms at first use.&nbsp;</li><li>Consistent: Make sure that you maintain a consistent tone/voice in your narrative, especially when sections are drafted by different team members: for example, you should decide if it is appropriate to use “we” to refer to your organization, or if you will use the third-person “XYZ Organization.”&nbsp;</li><li>Professional: Avoid informal language, including contractions, and read your proposal from USAID’s point of view to assess how well your idea addresses the needs outlined in the solicitation.&nbsp;</li><li>“Mirror” language: Ensure that your language mirrors that of USAID when describing your development solution. You will often want to use the same terminology and framing that USAID uses in its solicitation. A strong proposal should be very easy for USAID to review because it speaks directly to the solicitation’s evaluation criteria.</li></ul><h4>11. Circulate for feedback.</h4>Make sure to get as much internal feedback as possible from team members with technical expertise and even colleagues on other comparable initiatives. These reviews should be kept on a tight schedule, and may go through multiple organized levels of review with specific goals at each session. If your organization has a win theme (discussed above), make sure your reviewers are aware of this theme and can evaluate its effectiveness.&nbsp;<h4>12. Edit, edit, edit!</h4>Ensure that you build time in your proposal development schedule for an editor to review your narrative for grammar, punctuation, Amercian English spelling, formatting, clarity, and flow. The editor should reference the formatting requirements in the solicitation and the stylistic guidance in the <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/style-guide">USAID style guide</a> to ensure a compliant, high-quality document. By submitting an error-free proposal, you will show USAID that you are detail-oriented and that you are attentive to the quality of your work. It’s also important that your editor helps the team adhere to any page limitations stated in the solicitation, as USAID will not review any pages beyond the stated limit.Writing a USAID proposal requires teamwork, attention to detail, and awareness of deadlines. The process can be daunting for organizations that have never applied for USAID awards before, but with discipline and motivation, you can craft a strong and competitive proposal package.&nbsp;Watch for the third blog in our “How to Write a USAID Proposal” series for information on the cost proposal.

Two people seated at a table with computers while one person stands and writes on a whiteboard

Writing Your USAID Proposal 

What is USAID's approach to localization, and how is it evolving? Read the latest on this important topic in the article below from Donald Steinberg, USAID's Expert Advisor to the Administrator.&nbsp;Expert&nbsp;Advisor Steinberg&nbsp;outlines the goals, plans, and challenges facing localization. Steinberg also discusses why&nbsp;localization—which has been attempted by multiple administrations—is different now, and why we are beginning to see real progress on this agenda.&nbsp;The full article was originally posted on the&nbsp;<a href="https://globalgovernanceforum.org/global-embrace-localization-changing-power-dynamics-development-humanitarian-aid-systems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Global Governance Forum</a>.<hr><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Global Embrace of Localization: Changing the Power Dynamics in Development and Humanitarian Aid Systems</h3>By Donald SteinbergAPRIL 13, 2022Whether it is called localization, decolonizing foreign assistance, community ownership, locally led development, or any other term, the global impetus to change the power dynamics in our current development and humanitarian assistance structures has never been stronger. Simply put, stakeholders throughout the assistance ecosystem have come to the shared conclusion that their work is more effective, more resilient, and more equitable when local partners play a lead role in identifying sectors, planning programs, implementing projects, and evaluating progress.&nbsp;&nbsp;The ground truth, credibility, accountability, and long-range time perspective these local partners bring to the table are essential for success in achieving collective objectives under the Sustainable Development Goals and the Humanitarian Grand Bargain.&nbsp;By contrast, the current power game where the deck is stacked to give all the trump cards to bilateral and multilateral donors, UN agencies, international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and development contractors must change.In her seminal address on A New Vision for Inclusive Development at Georgetown University in November 2021, USAID Administrator Samantha Power embraced this vision and outlined her agency’s response to this imperative.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h4 style="margin-left:0px;">Four Lines of Effort</h4>For Administrator Power, localization requires four principal lines of effort.&nbsp;First, it means channeling a larger portion of development and humanitarian awards directly to local civil society, business, and other institutions that are supported by and accountable to local communities.&nbsp;She pledged that 25 percent of USAID direct funding will go to these entities in the next four years—up from 6.2 percent in 2021—and&nbsp;that 50 percent of its projects over the next decade will put local partners in the lead to co-design projects, set priorities, drive implementation, and evaluate impact of aid programs.&nbsp;&nbsp;These goals will be achieved by expanding existing programs such as <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/local-faith-and-transformative-partnerships/local-works" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Local Works</a> and the <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/npi">New Partnerships Initiative</a>; increasing the use of flexible, performance-based partnership tools like Fixed Amount Awards; and implementing new regional initiatives like <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/nov-4-2021-usaid-announces-centroamerica-local-initiative-empower-local">Centroamérica Local</a>, which will invest $300 million to expand USAID’s work with community-based partners in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras over the next five years to address the root causes of irregular <a href="https://globalgovernanceforum.org/global-issues/migration-and-population/">migration</a>.<img class="image-style-align-right image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://globalgovernanceforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/farming-el-salvador.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://globalgovernanceforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/farming-el-salvador.jpg 400w, https://globalgovernanceforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/farming-el-salvador-240x300.jpg 240w" sizes="100vw" width="400">Second, localization means changing the power dynamics among local actors, international prime partners, and donors to ensure a seat at the table—and preferably at the head of the table—for local actors, under the principle, “Nothing about us without us.” There will be a new focus on listening to the voices of marginalized populations, including women, people with disabilities, youth, the LGBTQI+ community, Indigenous populations, displaced persons, and ethnic and religious minorities.&nbsp;This effort requires international partners to display new humility and flexibility, and a willingness to adapt their systems and procedures to accommodate new and smaller partners unfamiliar with the complex application and compliance procedures, language preferences, and reporting requirements of each international partner.&nbsp;At USAID, one reflection of this effort is the launch of a new and simplified online entry point into the agency, <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/">WorkwithUSAID.org.</a>Third, USAID is adapting its planning processes to reflect a “local systems” approach tied to each country’s unique political, social, cultural, economic, and environmental conditions and targeting the drivers and barriers to change.&nbsp;Donors cannot come to the table with preconceived&nbsp;notions of sectors and regions for their assistance; instead, they must align their contributions to priorities identified by representative and accountable local partners.&nbsp;At USAID, this means integrating local voices into all its planning processes, and modifying its Assistance and Acquisition Strategy, Risk Appetite Statement, Policy Framework, Local Capacity Development Policy, and Partnership Principles.&nbsp;Finally, Administrator Power challenged her USAID colleagues to serve as global public advocates and thought leaders for the localization agenda, using their convening authority, partnerships, voice, and power of example to persuade others to climb on the localization train.&nbsp;At the April 2022 Skoll World Forum, for example, Administrator Power called for a global convening this summer of stakeholders to debate, discuss, and reaffirm concrete commitments to this agenda in a power-neutral environment.[…]<hr><a href="https://globalgovernanceforum.org/global-embrace-localization-changing-power-dynamics-development-humanitarian-aid-systems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read the full article here.</a>Do you have a story about how USAID's focus on localization is changing dynamics on the ground between the Agency and local organizations? Email your story idea to <a href="mailto:askzara@workwithusaid.org">askzara@workwithusaid.org</a> for a chance to be featured on the WorkwithUSAID.org News &amp; Insights blog.&nbsp;

USAID's Commitment to Advancing Localization

Seeking Photographs That Showcase USAID Partnerships&nbsp;What does partnership with USAID look like? Enter our 2023 Photo Contest to show us your best images of how USAID and its partners collaborate to achieve development impact around the world.Photos should showcase the diversity, innovative spirit, energy, and dedication of the USAID and partner staff whose shared efforts are changing the world. Creative ways of depicting partnerships are encouraged, and we are open to a range of submissions.&nbsp;Suggested topics of interest for submission include:<ul><li>Partnerships in Action</li><li>Innovative Partnerships</li><li>Partnership Iconic Moments</li><li>Partnership Results</li><li>Inspiring Change through Partnership</li></ul><h4>&nbsp;</h4>Contest RulesSUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS&nbsp;<ul><li>Accepted Formats: High-quality JPG, JPEG, and PNG.</li><li>High-Resolution: Please submit the highest resolution version possible (at least 300 pixels per inch and 1MB).&nbsp;</li><li>File Name: &nbsp;Country_Partner name_Photo number</li><li>Photo Credit: Name of photographer and organizational affiliation. Photos must be submitted either by photographer or with permission from photographer, and with all other necessary permissions for use (consents, etc.).</li><li>Photo Caption: Description of the photo, who is involved, location, dates of the event (approximate is okay), and how it relates to USAID partnership (and if the photo relates to a current or former USAID award).</li></ul>WHO CAN PARTICIPATEThis contest is open to anyone. Participants do not need to be recipients of USAID funding. USAID staff may also participate.&nbsp;HOW TO SUBMITPlease send up to five (5) images and accompanying submission requirements for each photo as attachments to the USAID Industry Liaison Team at: <a href="mailto:IndustryLiaison@usaid.gov">IndustryLiaison@usaid.gov</a>. You may include a separate document with captions and credit.SUBMISSION DEADLINEAll photo entries must be received by August 1, 2023.USE OF PHOTOGRAPHSA panel of development communicators will judge the submissions and select the top three (3) favorites. Winning submissions will be announced and featured on USAID’s main Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts.&nbsp;All photos entered may be featured on USAID.gov and associated websites, various USAID Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts, in future USAID reports and presentations, and other USAID communications products.&nbsp;<h4>&nbsp;</h4>DisclaimerBY SUBMITTING YOUR PHOTOGRAPH YOU:&nbsp;<ul><li>Certify that you own the copyright of the photograph and that it is your original work or that you are submitting the photograph with appropriate permission;</li><li>Certify that you have appropriate permission to use the visual image of any identifiable individual or building in the photos for entry into the competition and for the image to be published as set forth in these contest rules.</li><li>Grant full reproduction rights to USAID for use of the photographs you submit on websites, social media accounts, and other various communication materials at USAID’s discretion (photographs will be given attribution where appropriate).</li><li>Acknowledge and agree to the terms that USAID will not be responsible for the infringement of any third party rights in the photography you submit. If your entry is claimed to violate or otherwise infringe on any rights of third parties, you shall, at your sole expense, defend or settle such claims.&nbsp;</li></ul>OTHERThis contest is void where prohibited. By submitting an entry, you acknowledge that you have read, understand, and agree to all rules and disclaimers herein.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/strapi-media-dev/Wednesday_Wisdom_2_377538c5a2/Wednesday_Wisdom_2_377538c5a2.jpg"><figcaption>WorkwithUSAID.org Photo Contest with photos of winners from the previous year</figcaption></figure>

Woman and man holding light looking at car parts

Show Off Pictures of USAID Partnerships around the World

In the heart of El Salvador, a remarkable force of local organizations is working to enact positive change and drive progress within their communities. USAID/El Salvador (USAID/ES) collaborated with the <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/about-us/partnership-incubator">Partnerships Incubator</a> to co-create technical assistance (TA) service packages for 12 organizations in El Salvador. These organizations, representing a spectrum of focus areas, years of operation, funding levels, and technical expertise, are a testament to the robust landscape of community-driven initiatives that exist across the country. Amidst a mosaic of dedicated efforts, a common truth emerges: transparency of impact builds trust, tells the story, and inspires investments for donors, beneficiaries, and staff.On all sides of the development equation, trust must be a constant variable. A tried and true way to establish trust and transparency is through identifying, monitoring, and reporting impact. “Document everything so that you can show what you're doing and convince others to trust you and to be a part of it,” says Andrea Schildknecht Mendez, Deputy Chief of Party for <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/directory/fundacion-gloria-kriete">Fundación Gloria Kriete</a>, a local organization supporting the most vulnerable Salvadorans through education and training programs.&nbsp;Whether seeking funding through USAID or other donors, capturing and documenting your organization’s performance, progress, internal systems, and future plans is critical to a successful collaborative relationship.&nbsp;<blockquote>“I think it's a really rich relationship [with USAID] where we now learn from each other instead of just receiving help. Once you develop that relationship where they see what you see…you can start giving back to help the organization that's actually given so much support that you become equals. And it's a fun spot to be.”</blockquote><h4>What Is MEL?</h4><a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/resource-library/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning-usaid-training-module">Monitoring, evaluation, and learning</a>, or MEL, also is recognized by a few other names—monitoring and evaluation (M&amp;E) or monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL). Irrespective of what title an organization gives their MEL program, assessing impact is paramount for successful project implementation. This practice ensures an organization reaches its desired results by providing clear data about progress to guide decision-making, learning, and improvements.Organizations will find that most USAID contracts and awards require an in-depth MEL plan before an activity can begin. Establishing a comprehensive plan for accountability and implementation provides transparency to the Agency, its stakeholders, and your organization.&nbsp;A robust MEL framework is an essential building block of an effective project, ensuring that to reach project outcomes, there are specific indicators to measure success and grow from failures.<h4>Discover Evidence of Organizational Impact</h4>Once a USAID partner receives an award or contract, it’s time to get to work and prove organizational effectiveness. But what are the key ways to measure impact on a development project? Beyond the who, what, where, when, and why is the how of an organization’s story and mission. Through data collection and analysis, project teams can identify how a project works and what needs improvements. Documenting data and its meaning informs stakeholders what decision-making processes are happening and how resources, such as time, money, and staff, are optimized. Through this transparency, organizations can tell a vivid story of how their work impacts communities. This evidence not only can be used to secure future funding but can also be used as lessons learned to help influence policies and development methodologies for future programs, whether their own or other similar organizations.&nbsp;One of the challenges of implementing MEL on a project is identifying indicators for the activity’s more abstract impacts. For example, a project can quantify the households that now have access to clean water, the girls who have completed their secondary education, or the number of vaccines distributed to older adults in a rural community, but the abstract impact assessment, such as happiness or conflict mitigation, is where the challenge lies.&nbsp;“The assistance we received in M&amp;E has been really helpful—rethinking how to measure impact, including the intangible things,” says Claudia Blanco, Executive Director of <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/directory/fundacion-salvadorena-de-desarrollo-y-vivienda-minima-fundasal">FUNDASAL</a>, another local organization transforming low-income Salvadoran communities by improving their housing and living conditions. “This is important to what we do.”While field research and data collection capture quantifiable impact, qualitative research, such as focus groups, surveys, case studies, and regular beneficiary interviews, can help organizations measure impact anecdotally. As a standard practice, this also builds trust with the community members receiving support to ensure their perceptions of the project activity are considered.&nbsp;<h4>Sustaining Localization through MEL&nbsp;</h4>As USAID continues to advance localization and empower local organizations, communities, and institutions, MEL becomes particularly vital in elevating local voices.&nbsp;<blockquote>“I think local organizations, we have the opportunity to connect a lot with the needs in the field,” says Karla Segovia, Executive Director of <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/directory/fusal">FUSAL</a>, a Salvadoran organization dedicated to providing social programs focused on health, education, and community building. “And because of that, we are also responsible to translate what's going on in our countries for different audiences, but particularly for donors. That's why I think we need to be mindful about how we tell the stories and how important it is to invest in communication so that we can not only share better what the challenges are in the field but also how we are changing lives once we have the opportunity to work with partners, such as donors.”</blockquote>Localization requires tailoring projects and actions to specific cultural contexts of the implementing country. MEL facilitates putting local actors in the driver’s seat by strengthening their capabilities to measure implementation activities independently. This structure creates a sense of ownership for local organizations, enabling them to choose their indicators and measurement methods. When local organizations establish their MEL programs, USAID and other donors can better understand what is truly important to local communities and what long-term, sustainable success looks like.<h4>How to Implement a MEL Plan?</h4>Within the first 90 days of a new activity, organizations must present a thorough MEL plan to USAID. As a best practice, this should be carried out regardless of the donor or donor agency. Thankfully, implementing a MEL plan does not need to be a complex process. With the help of the <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/resource-library/activity-monitoring-evaluation-and-learning-plan-template">MEL Plan Template</a> from <a href="https://usaidlearninglab.org/">USAID’s Learning Lab</a>, organizations can standardize and streamline their process.“The important thing is, the policies and processes we have developed will remain and will help us create programs and give better answers, using the tools for monitoring,” says Padilla. “The formats, forms, and tools will help us continue working and be transparent to the team. It won't be with just one person but with the team. It will be an organizational policy.”The core elements of a strong MEL plan include defining clear objectives and indicators. These guide organizations through data collection and outcome measurements. Whether using a simple spreadsheet or a more robust system—such as the MEL template above or a digital tool—establish a timeframe for regular data collection, such as monthly or quarterly. As data is populated, a picture will form for organizations, donors, and beneficiaries to help them make informed decisions about what to iterate or improve.For organizations seeking funding to scale growth and impact, it is critical to understand the importance of a MEL plan. Each of these local organizations advises investing in developing an impact assessment plan to establish a baseline of trust with your donors and community. Whether local or international, a startup or an established corporation, all organizations benefit from a strong MEL plan.&nbsp;Learn how to measure your organization’s impact by completing <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/get-grant-or-contract/trainings-how-work-usaid/monitoring-evaluation-learning">USAID’s MEL Training Module</a>. Find additional support by taking the WorkwithUSAID.org <a href="https://www.workwithusaid.org/pre-engagement">Pre-Engagement Assessment</a> and visiting the <a href="http://workwithusaid.org/resource-library">Resource Library</a> to strengthen your capacities and understand USAID’s partnership expectations.

Two canoes of Salvadorans glide across the water in La Libertad, El Salvador.