The document brings together knowledge on Local Economic Development (LED) with current experiences of delivering LED within SDC. It aims to support design, implementation and steering of LED initiatives within SDC. After getting some initial understanding of what LED is this guidance will help you to deepen your understanding of the implications of LED for programme management within SDC’s Project Cycle Management (PCM).

This paper presents the context and background of local economic development (LED). The paper defines LED, looks at the development policy context and operating environments and addresses how donors are responding within a rapidly changing global environment. The paper also summarises lessons learned and the arguments for and against undertaking strategically planned LED as operational approach for employment creation, improvements in governance processes and poverty reduction.

This case study describes how "Skills for Jobs "(S4J) launched and developed an apprenticeship system that meets the requirements of the private sector and describes the results in terms of graduates being more employable. This case also highlights how the program developed an appropriate monitoring system and how the program assesses the impact of this intervention, while dealing with attribution in this challenging context. We hope that different programs and stakeholders will be inspired by the learning acquired in the S4J program, both in terms of designing and managing sustainable interventions in VET and in terms of the ways in which an appropriate Monitoring and Results Measurement system helps to manage interventions and report credible impact.

This case study is part of a comparison of the M4P framework and the Sustainable Livelihood Approach. It reviews and positions the two dominant frameworks or approaches with each other and describes a possible series of steps to further examine each with a view to enhancing them as frameworks for analysis and action.

This case study is one of a series exploring the application of the M4P approach to different fields of private sector development. A consideration of business environment issues features prominently in M4P approaches, where an understanding of how the “rules of the game” influence whether market are pro-poor or not is the starting point for intervention, .it draws on a range of small-scale or pilot activities to improve the business environment in Indonesia and Russia. 

This case study is part of a series of case studies which illustrate the potential of the market development approach and the challenges faced in its implementation.
This case study looks at a variety of market development interventions undertaken by Katalyst in Maize, its impact on market actors, their business models and the maize farmers. Katalyst and Winrock International had a partnership whereby Winrock’s knowhow on maize was combined with Katalyst’s market development approach. Issues related to such partnerships are also brought up in this case.