LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
We work from the bottom up with local communities to aggregate available assets, engage stakeholders, create synergies and multipliers. We help local authorities to develop both supply and demand-side incentives and planning instruments, and we support them to develop partnerships with civil society and businesses. We understand that stakeholders have different valuation priorities, so we support them to negotiate win-win concepts and prepare feasibility studies for projects. Supporting women as economic actors is an essential pillar of local development; we ensure that their participation and priorities are incorporated into every step of the process.
Our services in this field include:
Research & Analysis
LUGARIT’s experts conduct research on the local economy, especially during conflict. We study local political economies, value chains, and supply chains.
We look at the local economy as an eco-system to understand its dynamics and stability.
We conduct valuation studies for urban projects, especially urban land management projects.
We support micro-economic sectoral research, especially in the housing, SME, and urban services.
We do research on poverty and inequalities in local economies.
Scenario Development
LUGARIT develops participatory visioning tools to help local stakeholders to develop alternatives for local economic development.
We prepare feasibility studies to assess the different policy options and implications and their impact on the local economy in the long run.
We develop risk matrices and help local authorities prepare for economic risks.
We help local authorities to prepare contingency communication plans.
Advice
We help institutions to map their local economic contexts and to set up urban information systems and observatories.
We facilitate the preparation of local economic development plans, city development strategies, and area based development action plans.
We provide sectoral strategic plans and engage all relevant stakeholders to ensure their adoption of the plans.
We help local institutions to set up administrative and financial instruments to implement their development plans.
We help local communities identify their local resources and leverage those resources to maximize the outputs of public and donor investments.
Stakeholder Engagement
LUGARIT facilitates dialogues among local stakeholders to develop common visions and strategic plans. We help actors negotiate their differences and we build evidence-based arguments to support win-win outcomes.
We support the establishment of coordination committees and design outreach programs to local communities.
We help local and national institutions to communicate and harmonize their policies to maximize inputs into local economies.
Capacity Building
Our team offers a variety of training modules to local authorities to improve their capacity in managing local economic development plans and to connect the strategic level planning to daily operations.
We support local NGOs and businesses to develop their own mapping of the local economic conditions and to develop advocacy to advance their interests and those of their constituencies.
We help to develop the communication skills of local authorities to engage with local stakeholders.
Our experts offer training modules to NGOs working on empowering communities and constituencies to mitigate the impacts of urban policy on the most vulnerable in society.
Monitoring & Evaluation
The LUGARIT team works with local authorities to set up local observatories to monitor the progress of local economic development plans and to prepare urban data needed to sustain their drive.
We help clients to build local economic indicators to rationalize discussions among local authorities and local businesses and communities.
We support the design of M&E systems to match donor and funding requirements for local development projects.
We conduct risk analysis and do-no-harm studies in conflict sensitive zones to improve the targeting of resources.
We provide one-time reviews and periodic reviews related to the social impact of local development and investment policies. We especially work on evaluation and assessment of such policies on the lives of women.
Related Works
Date: 11 March 2025
Syria's economic recovery faces significant hurdles, including depleted resources, sanctions, and a dominant informal sector. Rapid liberalization risks inflation, requiring careful economic governance. Balancing reforms with a social safety net is crucial. Transparent monetary policies, an independent central bank, and regulatory integration are essential for stability and sustainable economic growth.
Date: 13 February 2025
We join the Syrian Democratic Alliance’s podcast to discuss the intersection of national identity and economy in Syria, emphasizing economic justice as key to social cohesion and highlighting challenges in reconstruction, governance, and institutional reform. The discussion explored how inclusive economic policies can help rebuild trust and unity.
Livelihoods in Turmoil: The Political Economy of Survival in Syria
Date: 12 February 2025
Publishers: Omran Center for Strategic Studies, LUGARIT
A study examines the economic struggles of Syrian communities, focusing on food security, employment, and assets. It highlights the fragmented economy caused by conflict, corruption, and sanctions, stressing the limits of humanitarian aid. Urgent livelihood support, MSME expansion, property rights solutions, and reintegration of ex-combatants are essential for sustainable recovery.
Date: 23-24 May 2024
We speak at the "Economic Empowerment and Sustainability Conference in Syria" in Istanbul, emphasizing the importance of microfinance in fostering economic resilience and sustainability in Syria, highlighting its role in early recovery and in creating employment and leveraging local resources.
Date: 2 April 2024
An article examines the role of urban centrality in economic accumulation and its impact on urban-rural divides, highlighting how these dynamics contribute to civil unrest and complicate post-conflict recovery. It advocates for decentralized governance and economic inclusivity to bridge these divides and foster sustainable peace and development.
Date: June 2021
Publisher: GCSP – Geneva Center for Security Policy
A research project report on Syria's political economy highlights the ineffectiveness of externally induced political transitions and sanctions, emphasizing the need for local empowerment and fiscal decentralization. It underscores the importance of shifting from top-down aid approaches to sustainable, community-based strategies to reform Syria's entrenched political and economic systems.
Date: March 2019
Publisher: LSE – London School of Economics
Summary of 2 presentations at the LSE conference highlight the complexities of property rights and urban planning laws in post-conflict Syria, emphasizing the challenges in housing and land management, and discussing the political economy of local elections, noting their role in reinforcing the regime's patronage network, rather than promoting fair representation or democracy.
Year: 2010 - 2012
Client: Syria Trust for Development
A project to support the Syria Trust for Development to establish Al-Wataniya Micro-Finance Bank in Syria. This pioneering project aimed to empower economically active individuals by providing access to microfinance services. We help with conceptualizing, strategizing, and ensuring the institution's compliance with central bank regulations.