The Rollback of International Aid: A Stronger Case for the Localisation Agenda?
As international aid budgets shrink and development programmes face cuts, a critical question emerges: Is this the moment for the localisation agenda to take centre stage?
One of the more contentious revelations from this aid rollback is the spotlight it has placed on spending patterns within international organisations. It’s hard to ignore the lifestyles of some international development actors—large homes, relocation packages, private security, and children attending international schools. Meanwhile, communities on the ground have often watched, quietly questioning how such expenses aligned with their development needs.
Silence from some beneficiaries may indicate resignation—perhaps they didn’t feel the programmes were working in the first place, and the withdrawal of aid won’t meaningfully alter their lives. But let’s be clear: there are vulnerable groups and essential services that will be hit hard, and this reality cannot be underestimated.
Yet, in the middle of these cutbacks, one Eastern African country has found ways to reallocate its national budget to ensure ARV provision continues. What does this tell us? First, that governments and local actors can be more resourceful and committed to their people’s needs than we often give them credit for. Second, it reinforces the idea that funding local organisations is not just a moral imperative but a practical one.
If aid is to be provided, it should go directly to local organisations embedded in communities. They are inherently more efficient and cost-effective. Here’s why:
• Lower Operational Costs: Local staff will not need relocation packages, housing allowances, or international school fees for their children.
• Stronger Community Ties: Local organisations live and breathe within the communities they serve. This proximity creates trust and fosters a deeper understanding of local challenges and solutions.
• Greater Accountability: When aid recipients can directly engage with local implementers, feedback loops are faster and more effective.
The localisation agenda isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about fairness and trust. It acknowledges that those closest to the problem are also closest to the solution. And when resources are constrained, as they are now, it makes even less sense to fund expensive, internationally managed interventions.
The rollback of international aid should serve as a wake-up call. Its time for the localisation agenda to move from being a side conversation to the main act.