Sub-Granting for Localisation: Aligning Donor Priorities with Local Leadership in Kenya-Lessons from the Centre for the Study of Adolescence
الملخص
This study examines the implementation of Locally Led Development (LLD) principles by the Centre for the Study of Adolescence (CSA) in Kenya, with a specific focus on sub-grant management practices and their implications for sustainability and operational efficiency within non-profit ecosystems. Using a qualitative research design, the case study draws on document reviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions with CSA staff and Sub-Implementing Partners (SIPs) and donors. Findings highlight the central role of resource diversification, particularly through community-led funding approaches, financial accountability, underpinned by real-time monitoring systems and finance, subaward and transparency fostering protocols, in ensuring effective and transparent grant management. Strategic capacity strengthening of SIPs, CSA’s emphasis on adaptive management demonstrated through proper understanding of the SIPs, facilitated through organisational capacity assessments, regular follow-ups, contingency planning, and flexible budgeting, were established as key enablers. Key challenges identified include the unpreparedness of SIPs for the complexity of compliance requirements, rigidity among some SIPs to change, heavy technical support needed by smaller SIPs, adverse effects of currency fluctuations on budget predictability, and significant administrative demands on both CSA and SIPs. The CSA experience offers lessons for organisations seeking to institutionalise LLD principles in development programming across similar contexts. To strengthen locally led sub-grant management, the study recommends a multi-pronged approach: investment in structured, needs-based capacity strengthening for SIPs; enhanced financial accountability through digital systems; institutionalisation of adaptive management practices that promote responsiveness; a graduated compliance framework; adoption of strategies to promote local resource mobilisation; increased donor flexibility and establishment of a learning agenda across the Sub-granting cycle. Further, support mechanisms to address organisational rigidity, improved budgeting and monitoring tools to track progress, and streamlined administrative processes to minimise operational burdens are imperative.
التنزيلات
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الحقوق الفكرية (c) 2025 Christine Wambui Njuguna, PhD, Ndayala Phoebe Didi, PhD, Humphres Evelia
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