Democracy and accountability

We believe in the principle of subsidiarity, where decisions are taken as close to communities as possible. This allows for resources to be allocated in a way that responds to local needs, and for development challenges to be identified and tackled.

We work to improve governance systems in our partner countries, aiming to deliver better outcomes for diverse populations. Over a quarter of the world's population now lives under governments that are sliding away from democracy. In response to this challenge, we strive to:

• Reduce inequality
• Enhance the inclusiveness of public policies and services
• Safeguard democratic freedoms and human rights.
• Narrow the gender gap in all aspects of development work
• Encourage democratic participation
• Strengthen connections with civil society
• Invest in safeguarding the integrity of public institutions and processes
• Bolstering democracy more broadly

Democratic societies are best served by well-functioning and well-designed governance systems. These systems need to be crafted to ensure high quality, efficiency, and accountability at the local level. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches and reforms in local government should complement each other. This in order to drive improvements at both the national and local levels. Our work revolves around evidence-based policy dialogue, pursued through both formal and informal channels.

Through this domain of change we strive to:

• Improve policy frameworks supportive of Local Government key mandates in line with the needs of local communities.
• Advancing functionality and delivery of Local Governments´ core functions and services.
• Strengthening Local Governance Associations to effectively and successfully pursue and represent Local Governments´s interests.