Catholic Relief Services launches strategy to advance community-led development

By Emmanuel AKOMEA

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has unveilled a strategy called the ‘Local Leadership Strategy’ that places local partners to lead a transformational change at scale and implement long-term solutions to promote integral human development in Ghana.

This strategy shapes how CRS Ghana works with local partner organisations and supports their organisational development and sustainability. It also demonstrates mutual trust and commitment in co-creating solutions to the country’s development challenges.

According to Country Reprentative-CRS Ghana, Daniel Mumuni, CRS Ghana recognises the importance of subsidiarity – the principle that decisions should be made at the most local level possible. He said their commitment to local partners aligns with the growing trend of donors investing in community-driven solutions.

“For the strategy’s duration (2024-2029) we want to walk with our partners hand-in-hand on an exciting and fulfilling journey toward three outcomes wherein: CRS Ghana invests in local organisations’ capacity strengthening and sharing (skills, knowledge, and attitudes); CRS Ghana successfully strengthens local Partner organisations’ systems structures and policies to achieve local leadership goals; and CRS is recognised by donors and local partners as a thought-leader and go-to organisation for Local Leadership,” he explained.

Pursuing these outcomes and their corresponding result areas will lead to step changes in local leadership, hence contributing to the Local Leadership (LL) vision wherein Catholic Relief Services Ghana invests in dynamic partnerships with local organisations – so they become catalyst for transformational change at scale and implement long-term solutions to promote integral human development aims at the forefront of its efforts in Ghana.

The launch event was attended by civil society organisations and development partners, and underscored the organisation’s unwavering commitment to fostering sustainable, community-driven change.

“The time has come for African solutions to African problems. We can no longer rely solely on international organisations to lead the development agenda. The human and institutional capacity within our own communities has grown, and it is time we empowered local voices to drive the change they seek,” Mr. Mumuni noted.

To put this vision into action, CRS has committed to investing at least 25% of its resources directly into local partner organisations. Through the organisation’s Partner Capacity Strengthening (PCS) unit, local partners will receive not only financial support but also tailored capacity-building interventions to strengthen their accountability, institutional structures and overall readiness to lead development initiatives.

“We recognise that our local partners bring invaluable expertise and insights to the table. By investing in them and providing the necessary accompaniment, we are confident they will not only deliver on their commitments but also pave the way for a future where development is truly led by the communities it serves,” he said.

The local leadership strategy launch also highlighted CRS’s efforts to influence the external environment, working with donors and international organisations to create an enabling ecosystem for local partners to thrive.

Mr. Mumuni issued a call to action for local partners in attendance, urging them to embrace the principles of accountability, institutional capacity and recognition of the immense opportunity at hand. He challenged them to demonstrate their worthiness of the resources and trust being placed in their hands, emphasising that the success of this localisation movement rests directly on their shoulders.

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