Our Evolving Role

Community-led development is often dismissed as unable to ‘scale’ at the speed that funders and governments expect of it. Our own experience suggests the opposite to be the case. Where the communities we have worked with have been able to escape dependency, so they quickly become a source of inspiration and learning for others. 

Communities – as groups of ordinary citizens – are, in fact, what gives ‘scale’ to any initiative that we might support. The limits to scale lies not with them but in our own ability to facilitate shared learning at pace, and with due care and responsibility.

So we are now refocusing our efforts on equipping local civil society with the methods and skills to facilitate conversations about transformation, and to grow strong community organisations and movements in the places where our civil society partners have greatest cultural connection and legitimacy. 

We have learnt that the ‘scale’ we might seek in, for example, a landscape derives from such a strong ecosystem of local support and empowerment. This includes civil society organisations with a clear understanding of their best contribution in nurturing communities as active citizens and stewards of land; and of when to step back and let communities lead.

This is not trivial work and so we do not regard our civil society partnerships as short-term endeavours. Where we might have worked directly in communities in the past, our role is to now serve as companions in reflection and dialogue with those civil society partners, as they make meaning of their own work.

Next: Our partnerships