This report examines examples of anticipatory actions led by local authorities. It assesses the potential strengths of these actions and sets out what decision makers can learn from these examples.
There is currently little strategic cooperation between local authorities and international organisations on forward-looking (‘anticipatory’) action to avert crises. SPARC wants to elevate the voice of local government in international discourse on anticipatory action. If the aid sector recognises how local authorities are forward-thinking and take forward looking action, it could foster stronger alignment and collaboration between international anticipatory efforts and state systems.
This study aims to collect examples of anticipatory actions by local authorities, which are often overlooked by international actors, partly due to different practices and terminology. We set out to assess the potential strengths the examples had due to their permanent presence on the ground, their proximity to local communities, and their understanding of local context and needs. The report looked at what could be learned from the examples, what constraints local authorities had faced and what would make them more effective in responding to shock warnings.