Washington, DC — FHI 360 is embarking on a strategic transformation of how its work is designed and carried out, to better advance equity and prioritize local leadership and local priorities – so that people around the world have access to the tools, skills and knowledge they need to lead full and healthy lives.
“People everywhere have similar aspirations, but don’t have similar opportunities,” says Dr. Tessie San Martin, FHI 360’s chief executive officer. “Our new strategy represents transformational change that will enable us to mobilize research, resources and relationships with greater speed and efficacy. As a result, communities can respond to crises more efficiently and build foundations for full and healthy futures.”
The new strategy formally places locally led development at the core of FHI 360’s operations as it works to address three pressing global challenges: the erosion of social cohesion and increases in inequality; the growth of global health threats, such as emerging and endemic diseases and the deterioration of mental health; and the proliferation of crises caused by climate change and violent conflict.
“Practicing locally led development at FHI 360 means that we engage meaningfully with local leaders at all stages of our work,” San Martin says. “Our new strategy includes six principles of locally led development, which commit us to institutionalizing the approaches we’ve used for decades. Our principles will inform how we recruit and advance our staff in addition to how we engage with our partners in community organizations, government and the private sector.”
To achieve sustainable impact, FHI 360 is investing in strategic change initiatives that include enhancing programmatic innovation and learning, centering and elevating local solutions and leadership, and advocating for bold and necessary policy changes.
