Project Overview

The Local Development Project (LDP) supports Lebanon’s most vulnerable regions by strengthening the institutional systems and local capacities required to plan, prioritize, and deliver inclusive and sustainable development in crisis contexts affected by crisis and fragility. Building on UNDP’s extensive area-based development experience, the project moves beyond stand-alone interventions by institutionalizing Local Development Platforms, local observatories, and locally owned development plans that guide recovery and service delivery, and long-term resilience - building.

As municipalities and local institutions remain at the frontline of responding to economic collapse, displacement pressures, and recurrent shocks, LDP provides the governance mechanisms, evidence base, and multi stakeholders partnerships needed to strengthen social stability, restore essential services, and promote resilient local economies. Through structured coordination frameworks and nationally anchored protocols, the project reinforces local social contracts, enhances institutional ownership and advances inclusive development outcomes for host communities, displaced populations, youth, women, and other vulnerable groups. 

Project Objective

• Strengthen local authorities’ capacity to lead participatory, conflict-sensitive planning through formalized platforms and coordination mechanisms anchored within Lebanon’s governance framework.
• Support sustainable access to essential services such as water, energy, and waste management, guided by locally formulated development priorities.
• Promote inclusive economic opportunities by supporting MSMEs, cooperatives, and local value chains, with a focus on youth employment and vulnerable groups.
• Reduce tensions and strengthen trust by institutionalizing transparent decision-making spaces that bring together municipalities, communities, and diverse stakeholders.
• Enhance the capacities of key frontline service providers, including Social Development Centers and Civil Defense, to respond to shocks and support early recovery within an integrated local development framework. 
   

Achievements & Key Figures

Although currently in its inception phase, the Local Development Project has prioritized the institutional and structural foundations required to ensure long-term sustainability and national ownership. Key achievements to date include:

• Building on the MSLD experience, the project has initiated the transition toward formalized Local Development Platforms (LDPs), moving from consultative committees to structured governance mechanisms. Preparatory work is underway toward the signing of a formal protocol to anchor the platforms within Lebanon’s governance framework, ensuring institutional sustainability beyond the project lifecycle.
• Area-based socio-economic assessments have been completed across targeted areas to generate an evidence base for Local Development Plans. These assessments integrate conflict sensitivity, gender considerations, and service delivery gaps to inform strategic prioritization.
• Detailed stakeholder mapping exercises were conducted to identify and engage municipalities, Unions of Municipalities, Social Development Centers, private sector actors, cooperatives, civil society organizations, and diaspora networks, thus ensuring inclusive participation and coordinated local ownership.
• Technical groundwork has begun for the establishment of local observatories that will support evidence-based planning, transparent prioritization, and adaptive implementation at the territorial level.
• Initial coordination and capacity assessments have been undertaken with Social Development Centers (SDCs) and the Civil Defense to identify operational gaps and reinforce their role as frontline actors in early recovery, crisis response, and inclusive service delivery.

These foundational milestones position the project to move from planning to structured implementation, ensuring that future investments in services, livelihoods, and economic infrastructure are guided by locally owned plans, institutionalized governance mechanisms, and data-driven decision-making frameworks. 
 

GESI Component (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion)

LDP is strongly committed to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GEN2), ensuring municipal development plans are gender-responsive and inclusive by design, particularly addressing the safety and economic needs of women. The project sets mandatory targets for female participation in labor-intensive public works and provides specialized business development and coaching support for women-led MSMEs. By involving women and marginalized groups in local "Stability Committees," the project ensures that local governance is truly representative and inclusive.