Document: Assessing and Starting a Local Economic Development (LED) Initiative: A Primer for USAID Field Staff

This primer on Local Economic Development (referred to as “LED”) is designed to provide Mission staff with a better understanding about LED. The document is broken down into four subsequent sections. The first section provides a framework for how one might want to think about and analyze the utility of a LED Initiative and what some of the elements of a LED program might be. The second section addresses success ful LED strategies and illustrative components of a LED strategy. The third section is directed to key questions to be considered in judging whether or not the timing is right for LED and if so how to move forward. The fourth section provides case studies that demonstrate different approaches to LED programs (sectoral, regional, etc) and also provides samples of some LED scopes of work, related websites and other resource material. We hope that this Primer on LED is useful.