Localization in Education and International Development

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Localization in the context of international development refers to the process of shifting the focus, decision-making power, and resources to the local level in order to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of development initiatives. It emphasizes local ownership, participation, and contextual relevance in designing and implementing development projects or programs. Localization recognizes that communities and local actors possess valuable knowledge, understanding, and capacity to address their own development challenges.

The goal of localization is to create sustainable, inclusive, and contextually appropriate development outcomes by empowering local communities and institutions. By shifting the locus of control and decision-making closer to key stakeholders, localization aims to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and long-term impact of development interventions.

In the education sector, localization includes efforts to design curriculum to be locally relevant, train teachers to be more responsive to local contexts, and develop partnerships with civil society organizations to mobilize resources and support for education programs. The aim is for education to be high quality, culturally sensitive, and responsive to the needs and aspirations of local communities. By embracing local contexts and involving local stakeholders, education initiatives can have a more significant and sustainable impact on learners and their communities.

Many stakeholders in the sector recognize the importance of localization. But implementation is uneven and partial. This panel will explore the meaning and process of localization. We will offer an operational definition of the concept, provide guidance on how to define success and measure progress, and provide examples of localization in practice.

The panel will start with presentations on guidance to strengthen local capacity and measure performance in the education sector. Then we will present two case examples: One is from higher education that will focus on local systems for employability; the second, from basic education, features efforts to take promising practices to scale for the ownership, sustainability, and improvement of teaching and learning of early-grade reading gains.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Scott Pulizzi, Education Development Center (Edc)

Individual Presentations

• Local Capacity Strengthening Policy Guidance - Corrie Blankenbeckler, Education Development Center (EDC)

• CBLD-9 Indicator - Daniel Lavan, EDC, INC.

• Higher Education and the Employability Ecosystem: Localizing Evidence Generation to Catalyze Locally Led Employability Solutions - Jennifer Lebron, Education Development Center

• The Impact of Technical Assistant Project on Improved Capacity and Performance of the Education Systems in Nigeria - Saheed Salawu, USAID LEARN to Read by CREATIVE Associates; Amy Deal, Education Development Center EDC

Discussants

• Andrew Meaux, U.S. Agency for International Development Dexis Professional Services

• Wale Samuel, Education Development Center EDC