The Power of Empathy: Unlocked Through CLA
In November 2021, USAID Administrator Samantha Power presented a vision for inclusive sustainable development that aims to incorporate local voices into all aspects of USAID operations. In response, USAID/Nepal launched change management initiatives that were aimed at transitioning local actors from sub-awardees to prime partners, fostering local leadership and accountability. USAID/Nepal set a target of 40% of awards going to local organizations, including government-to-government support, surpassing the Agency's global target of 25% of funding going to local organizations.
Advancing the Mission's localization goal required a tectonic shift in both internal and external processes. The Mission redesigned programming models, reassessed staffing needs, and created new working modalities. This resulted in an increased workload and deep uncertainty among staff, with many feeling overwhelmed. Meanwhile, though many new policy documents and tools aimed to support the shift, there was not a knowledge management system to aggregate these new procedures.
To address this challenge, USAID Learning for Development, implemented by Bixal Solutions, developed a comprehensive change management documentation process that elevated staff voices, centering the human experience within the challenges, successes and lessons learned. This involved a Mission-wide assessment on the emotional impact of change, one-on-one and group interviews on change milestones and lessons learned, and external consultations on the perception of USAID's localization efforts.
As a result, USAID Learning for Development created an interactive web-based knowledge management portal detailing USAID/Nepal’s change management experience, including a timeline documenting milestones and the evolution of initiatives, a map of staff's emotional journey during the change process, as well as a detailed path forward for the Mission based on feedback from consultations. After sharing the findings, the Program Office organized a localization week to celebrate the Mission's shared understanding of lessons learned and achievements during the process, as well as a dissemination of learnings across the Agency.