Inclusive leadership and governance
SDG Clubs – A Guide for Municipalities and Schools
This guide provides a step-by-step approach for local governments to create Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) clubs in schools, empowering youth to engage with local issues, practice leadership, and contribute to sustainable development through interaction with the UN’s Agenda 2030. It takes the reader through: The SDG Clubs Toolbox results from Kibaha Education Centre’s work within…
Strengthening Local Resilience through Democracy – Lessons from Ukrainian Municipalities
What role does local democracy play in times of crisis? This question has been at the heart of ICLD’s recent research collaboration with the Kyiv School of Economics, exploring how Ukrainian municipalities have responded to the profound challenges of war. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, local self-governments in Ukraine have demonstrated that…
Internally displaced persons integration in Ukraine
With over 4.6 million registered IDPs, Ukraine’s approach provides valuable insights into rapid crisis response, community integration, and participatory governance. Innovative local initiatives offer lessons in empowering displaced people to participate in local decision-making and strengthen societal resilience. Studying these approaches and practices can help in shaping global strategies for managing displacement and fostering social…
The tangible value of local democracy
How collaborative local governance supports crisis response in Ukraine amid the Russian full-scale invasion. This brief highlights how collaborative local governance aids Ukrainian communities in responding to crises caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion and boosts societal resilience. Co-production between local governments, residents, nonprofits, and businesses has led to practical solutions for challenges like internal displacement.…
Who gets to take part: understanding intersectionality and barriers to political participation in Colombia
Regional focus: Latin America – Colombia Time: March – November 2025 Abstract: In Colombia, Latin America, and elsewhere, barriers to political participation are manifold. This research project seeks to identify and analyze the intersectional barriers to political participation faced by Indigenous and Afro-descendent populations. Focusing on the dynamics of power that underpin marginalization due to gender, ethnicity,…
Increasing Transparency in Local Governments: Implementation of Citizen Budgets in Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe
This research project investigates the implementation and impact of Citizen’s Budgets at the local level in selected countries. It aims to understand the elements that compose these budgets, the impact they have on the transparency of local government budget processes, and the degree of empowerment they confer, especially to marginalized groups. The study also assesses…
Voluntary Local Review of Klapmuts and Kayamandi Townships, Stellenbosch Municipality
Regional focus: Southern Africa / South Africa Time: January – November 2025 This SDG implementation progress report project follows up on previous ICLD research on conducting VLRs with a participatory methodology. According to this, participatory VLRs enable the process itself to contribute to democratic change and accelerate the SDG implementation. Abstract: There is an increasing realization that…
Peer learning in partnerships – toolbox
The objective of peer-learning in ICLD networks (including team visits) and partnerships is the transfer of knowledge, skills and experience from one local government to another, and vice versa, mainly through international visits. These visits are at the heart of your partnership, and network, and should be well planned and contain elements that encourage peer…
Deciding Together: Citizen Satisfaction and Institutional Design of Participatory Governance in Kenya
This policy brief provides practical insights for local governments on leveraging participatory budgeting (PB) to enhance citizen satisfaction and ownership of development projects. Based on a study in rural Kenya, three PB approaches—consultation, voting, and deliberation—were evaluated. All methods increased satisfaction and willingness to invest in projects, demonstrating their value in strengthening community engagement. Deliberation,…
Local Democracy and Resilience in Ukraine: Learning from Communities’ Crisis Response in War
The research report explores the resilience of local self-governments (LSGs) in Ukraine during the Russian invasion, highlighting their crucial role in crisis response despite significant challenges. LSGs have adapted to wartime conditions by relocating operations, managing resource shortages, and engaging with citizens and stakeholders to meet critical needs such as infrastructure repair, IDP support, and…
