Local Capacity Builder

Many development initiatives become more self-sustainable by defining what the appropriate role for their project is –that is, what role would best enable them to meet their objectives while leveraging resources, time and effort. One of their options is becoming a local capacity builder. 

The role that an initiative adopts to address its target problem has very important effects on the way projects are designed, resources managed and allocated, and self-sustainability fostered. For this reason, several initiatives carefully consider and decide what they want to do with the problem they are tackling. Some projects choose to lay the groundwork for eradicating the problem in the future; others prefer to grow and become major service providers; and still others aim to devise and experiment with solutions that others can replicate elsewhere.

Initiatives that choose to act as local capacity builders have decided that the best way to leverage their efforts and resources is to build the local population’s capacity to gradually take the reigns of their own development.

This is important because we all deserve dignity and the chance to have a say in decisions that have an impact on us. But in addition, when beneficiary communities have control over their own development processes, they often contribute to more systemic projects that are relevant to their context and offer more comprehensive solutions to the problems that affect their region or population. Besides, a development initiative diversifies its sources of support by including local perspectives and sharing responsibilities equitably, becoming less dependent on external resources and their terms of engagement. 

Some projects try to empower the populations they work with to strengthen their own economy and community by promoting entrepreneurship programs, educational projects, or training courses and workshops on different topics. Others create barter systems or alternative currencies to build, little by little, social dynamics that help reduce dependence on external resources. Still others concentrate their efforts on training and strengthening local leaders and stakeholder organizations. Some initiatives even start their projects with an exit plan already at hand, i.e., actions and efforts meant to foster the conditions for communities to eventually take over. This strategy can benefit a development initiative’s self-sustainability because it involves careful planning of how the project can make the most of available resources so that its stewardship is local and less reliant on money, expertise or other external support.