Implications of Time on Donor Behavior and Processes in Relation to Localization

Abstract

The growing rhetorical commitment to localizing international aid sits in contrast to the lack of change in the amount of funding going to locally based organizations. The increased focus on localization spotlights the inherent challenges within the international aid system and donor organizations' inability to adapt their practices to make genuine change. A critical barrier to substantial change is related to the concept of time. Donors' conceptualization of time significantly impacts organizational incentives and individuals' preferences. This article examines how donors' understanding of time manifests through concepts of productivity and efficiency, deadlines and their implications on decision‐making, and donor fatigue. A focus on donor practice is supported by the concept of timescapes, or the institutional conceptualizations of time that define practice and create different power dynamics. Through the analysis, the article describes how donor timescapes create organizational and individual behaviors that work against the localization agenda. The article concludes by offering suggestions for mitigating these organizational behavior dynamics so that donor incentives and practices are better aligned with their localization commitments.