Policy localisation in international development: insights from policy dialogue with diplomats

Policy localisation involves promoting the use of local narratives and frames to understand development challenges and governance solutions. The idea is to initiate more local conversations and consultations at the grassroots level to address policy problems and build trust between donors, governments, and citizens. This chapter presents critical issues from a diplomatic policy dialogue workshop organised by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in March 2024 on recent shifts in East Africa and governance challenges. In this workshop, the focus was on addressing the significant challenges international actors encounter when dealing with issues related to megatrends, such as climate change, trade, and humanitarian assistance in conflict-prone areas in the region. Despite focusing on the East Africa region, the issues and challenges discussed in this chapter are relevant to other developing regions across the Global South that struggle with localising neoliberal policies or dealing with globalised crises like climate change. The chapter draws on the conclusions from the aforementioned policy dialogues to recommend a three-tier problem-mapping pathway for developing fit-to-context strategies with local actors and highlights the potential for positive changes through localised policy actions. The urgency for more fit-to-context action plans in international development is emphasised throughout this chapter.