Local organizations in low- and middle-income countries play a critical role in strengthening health systems, responding to humanitarian crises and food insecurity, and addressing the underlying causes of poor health and undernutrition. Donors such as USAID are aligning their approaches with these promising findings and promoting locally-led development to effectively and sustainably address nutrition challenges.

Since 2018, USAID Advancing Nutrition has supported local organizations to deliver effective nutrition programming, including the provision of technical assistance and organizational development. This brief summarizes our experience and what we learned through that process. By sharing what we heard from partners about worked and what did not, we hope to provide others with practical insights for stronger local partnerships.