Going the full distance: STiR’s localisation journey

There is no shortage of conversation about localisation and shifting power in international development.

Yet few organisations have gone the full distance by moving their programmes to become fully independent entities.

As STiR takes that step in Uganda and Indonesia, we’re sharing our journey so far. Localisation can feel complex and messy, but we hope our reflections offer insight for others travelling a similar path.

Why localisation matters

STiR Education exists to build a world where teachers love teaching and children love learning. For more than a decade, we have partnered with governments in India, Uganda and Indonesia to embed the science of intrinsic motivation into education systems.

Intrinsic motivation is built on the principles of autonomy, mastery and purpose. These principles have always underpinned not only our programme but also our approach to people, culture and organisational change. And they are a key reason why we are transitioning our Uganda and Indonesia programmes to become fully independent entities.

Localisation is also an ethical and strategic choice. It shifts power closer to where impact happens and ensures that approaches are locally owned, context-specific and sustainable, at a time when more funding is rightly flowing to locally led organisations.

Our guiding principles

For localisation to be meaningful, we believe it must go the full distance. Many organisations make valuable steps, giving local teams greater decision-making power, reducing expatriate leadership or adding country representatives to boards. But these can remain surface-level changes unless they’re backed by a deeper, fully devolved, shift.

To help us achieve full localisation, we have set the following principles:

Locally led: Country teams must drive the process; the global team plays a supportive role.
Flexibility: Timelines are not fixed. Each country will move at its own pace.
Two-way learning: Localisation is not a handover but a joint journey of growth.
Context-specific: Country contexts are different, and so the transitions will be different and must be based on local context and culture.
Responsible transitions and setting up for success: Independence requires strong governance, resilient finances and sustainable operations.

Our journey so far

This is not a new journey. Since 2018, STiR has been moving from a centralised model to one where country teams shape their own strategies.

Pre-2018: STiR worked to support education systems, but we did this by creating parallel structures alongside government delivery. This helped demonstrate what was possible, but it also raised questions of sustainability.

2018-2020: We shifted to a systems partnership approach. We worked directly with governments, rather than in parallel, embedding programmes and approaches into existing structures to sustain them long term. But most decisions were still taken centrally, with programmes rolled out more or less uniformly across countries. Local leadership teams made few decisions.

2020–2024: The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated change. Different governments’ strategies and priorities shifted. This meant our programme had to become more contextualised, more responsive to government priorities, and local leadership teams gained greater autonomy.

Now: Since 2020, Uganda and Indonesia have developed their own country strategies, and decision-making power has shifted substantially to local leadership. The next step is to establish fully independent organisations with their own governance, fundraising and operational systems.
We are also building on our experience in India. STiR India transitioned to become an independent entity in 2024 and later merged into an existing Indian organisation. That journey provided rich learning, which we are now applying in Uganda and Indonesia.

Learning along the way

Seven lessons stand out from our experiences so far:

As Pauline Wambeti put it in her excellent article on Nuru Kenya’s localisation journey, ‘Localisation is about taking the leadership journey together, not handing over’. This captures our own belief that localisation must be a shared, iterative process.
We have learnt that getting the right governance structures in place is hard. It takes time to build well-developed and clear shared expectations of success. Different parties will have different views, and taking the time to properly navigate this is critical. Independence requires strong boards with the right skills, values and time commitment, especially from the chair.
Clarity and communication matter. Transition plans must be explicit, shared and regularly reviewed. Clear internal and external communication helps everyone understand the process and feel part of it.
Culture over structure. Legal registration and new policies are important, but culture is even more so. Our experiences in India taught us that it’s important to create spaces for reflection and to actively ask for feedback. Team members need to feel safe to ask questions, raise concerns and contribute ideas.
The language and lexicon is important as it sets the tone and the terms of relational engagement. Dr Moses Isooba (who we have learned much from) wrote an article on this which is really worth a read.
Financial sustainability is important and must be realistic. The aim is not ‘complete security’ but ‘good enough’: a diverse funding base, the ability to build reserves and a clear plan for growth.
Speed creates risk. Arbitrary deadlines undermine sustainability. Taking time builds confidence and ownership, and long-term stability is important.

STiR’s evolving global role

As Uganda and Indonesia become independent, STiR is evolving as a global. As Results for Development has observed: ‘The role of INGOs must shift from doers to convenors, connectors, and supporters’.We see our role as:

Scaling impact differently. Rather than setting up new country programmes, we will work alongside local partners and organisations, sharing our expertise from 12+ years of embedding motivation in systems. This approach not only aligns with our values but is also right for the current aid climate, where collaboration matters more than ever.
Continuing support for Uganda and Indonesia. We will remain a partner for as long as needed, whether through advocacy, grant management or mutual capacity strengthening.
Amplifying motivation science. We will continue to share insights globally, through partnerships, advisory work and a learning community focused on motivation in education.

Looking ahead

Localisation is already strengthening our impact. We have seen Uganda scale its programme dramatically. Today, it reaches 90% of secondary school districts and 60% of primary school districts, in partnership with the government.

Across the organisation, we are learning and adapting together. As we move to establish fully independent national entities in Uganda and Indonesia, here are some key questions we are grappling with:

How can we design governance structures that balance independence with continued stewardship and appropriate support? This includes deciding when is the right moment for board handover.
What level and duration of seed funding will best set up the new entities for success, balancing what’s needed for a strong start with what is affordable and sustainable for STiR globally?
How can we protect space for reflection and learning, within teams and between global and country levels, even as the work accelerates?
How do we manage the pace of transition, ensuring momentum without compromising sustainability and quality, while also delivering our implementation work?
What does financial sustainability look like beyond independence? And what steps do we need to take now to ensure it endures long term?
If, longer term, STiR globally continues to support areas such as brand and grant management, what is the right balance of assurance and mutual accountability to uphold shared values while ensuring full independence?

An invitation

We know many others are grappling with localisation. We have benefited from the experience and advice of a number of organisations (HelpAge International, Komo Learning Centres and the Stopping As Success consortium, to mention a few).

If our experience resonates, or if you’re exploring similar transitions, we’d love to connect and learn together.