Why context-specific and practical approaches in leadership are important in the development sector

The development sector has undergone a professionalisation wave where NGOs and civil society groups are increasingly working to become efficient and professional development practitioners (Humble, 2019).

NGOs and humanitarian agencies have consequently turned their attention to investing in leadership training programmes for their own staff or professional networks. In this light, critical scholars warn that capacity building and training programmes are not apolitical concepts but are rooted in issues of power and coloniality (Jayawickrama, 2018).

Training programmes often rely on the knowledges and perspectives of external experts who tend to have the necessary academic credentials and experience. This, however, risks overlooking the agency of local actors and rendering them disempowered.

Since local leaders are well-placed to respond to the needs and aspirations of their communities, contextualising training programmes in ways that cater to cultural factors and address local challenges are essential.

Leadership programmes that are attuned to the needs and priorities of local communities are necessary to ensure that projects are context-specific and place-based. Additionally, ensuring the topics are practical, engaging, and provide opportunities for participation are also important. After all, leadership should not only be exercised by people in positions of authority, but should potentially come from anywhere and from anyone (Nyarko et al., 2024).

Leadership should not only be exercised by people in positions of authority but should come from anywhere and anyone.

A number of strategies could be employed to ensure the context-specificity and practicality of leadership programmes in development.

• First, community members and partners should be given the platform and opportunity to voice their opinions. This not only addresses epistemic inequities but helps foster a plurality of knowledges and perspectives Mirabella et al., 2024).
• Second, community members should be actively engaged in the planning and development of programmes so that specificities of context are better understood (Tronto, 2010).
• Third is the deployment of experiential-based learning which includes a cycle of experiences, reflective observations, and active experimentation (Kolb, 2015). The use of simulations (which the Master of Leadership for Development Programme offers) can help provide participants with hands-on experience mimicking real-life contexts.

These approaches can help ensure leadership for development is firmly grounded in local realities and contains practical applications.

About the Programme: Master of Leadership for Development

The Master of Leadership for Development is an online, part-time master’s course jointly delivered by The University of Manchester and the University of Melbourne. This programme brings together the expertise of two prestigious institutions, offering students a global outlook on development issues. Its flexible online format enables learners to study from any location, making it perfect for professionals aiming to enhance their leadership skills while remaining employed. Graduates will gain valuable insights from a diverse network and acquire the practical leadership skills needed to drive sustainable change and make meaningful contributions to the development sector.

Join us in September 2025 to lead future change and create a lasting impact in the development sector. Learn more on our course page.

References:

• Humble, D. (2019). Recasting professionalisation: Understanding self-legitimating professionalisation as a precursor to neoliberal professionalisation. Geoforum, 106, 135-143. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2019.07.023
• Jayawickrama, J. (2018). “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”: Outsiders Learning from Insiders in a Humanitarian Context Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies, 5, 1 – 20
• Kolb, D. (2015). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Pearson Education.
• Mirabella, R. M., Carpenter, H., & Shafau, I. (2024). Chapter 5: Decolonizing nonprofit, NGOs and development higher education: valuing indigenous knowledge in the Majority World Handbook of Critical Perspectives on Nonprofit Organizing and Voluntary Action. In (pp. 86-102). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800371811.00012
• Nyarko, G., Marnicio, A., & Bollettino, V. (2024). Understanding leadership challenges faced by humanitarian aid workers: insights from the experiences of NNPHL training participants. Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 9(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41018-024-00158-5
• Tronto, J. C. (2010). Creating Caring Institutions: Politics, Plurality, and Purpose. Ethics and social welfare, 4(2), 158-171. https://doi.org/10.1080/17496535.2010.484259