In private sector development programming, localisation is increasingly recognised as a way to improve relevance and effectiveness by aligning interventions more closely with market realities. For the purposes of this brief, localisation refers to placing programme decision-making authority closer to markets and partners, covering design assumptions, partner selection, portfolio management, and technical assistance, rather than merely decentralising implementation activities.
In practice, however, localisation is often reduced to decentralised implementation, while critical decisions on programme design, partner selection, portfolio management, and technical assistance remain centrally driven.
Across CFYE country portfolios, experience shows that localisation delivers value when applied as a programme design and management approach, one that enables country teams to exercise judgement over what is funded, how risks are assessed, how portfolios adapt, and how support evolves. Where these decisions remain overly centralised, programmes struggle to respond to diverse markets, fragile contexts, and partner needs.
Drawing on delivery experience from across the CFYE portfolio countries, this learning brief highlights how localised programme management strengthened effectiveness and portfolio quality, with a focus on the role of locally driven technical assistance.
Curious to know more from our Country Leads themselves? Check out the Vice Versa Article:
Localisation Is Not a
Transfer of Tasks, but of Trust
