Theory of Change

All Politics is local: MCLD was launched during the launch of the 2030 Agenda – the Sustainable Development Goals (the SDGs, at right). It is our contention that the SDGs can only be achieved by facilitating a fundamental systems change that shifts power and resources to accountable, responsive, effective local institutions.

Convergence for collective impact

Our Theory of Change begins by forming two types of partnerships for collective impact within each country:

  • Advocacy Partnerships through which civil society can engage national governments to decentralize administration and devolve a fair share of public resources to the community level.
  • Facilitation Partnerships that demonstrate the processes by which citizens can achieve healthy, productive, resilient, self-reliant communities. This bottom-up success not only improves lives. It also serves as a living demonstration to policy makers of the advantages of policy change.

These two streams converge, first developing both capacity and commitment to the goals of community-led development (CLD), and then to the (most likely phased) process of establishing a nation-wide CLD program fully owned by the country.

This process has occurred before. You’ll find on this website case studies of CLD national programs in South Korea and the Philippines among others.

MCLD Forms National Chapters bringing together civil society and aligned actors to carry out this theory of change.

Global Working Groups support these in-country processes through networking, coaching, research, evidence building and communications.

To get involved in country chapters or working groups, visit our Subscribe page.