Improving Local Development to Increase the Resilience of Host Communities and Refugees in North Jordan (LED) builds on two programmes aiming to support Decentralisation financed by the European Union and executed by UNDP, DLDSP^[1] , and DAILL^[2].  The “Programme” fills a very large void in local administrations, which is the lack of financial resources to invest in development projects. In recent years there has been a profusion of development plans, and local economic development strategies; however, they are not backed up by the resources to implement them.  The availability of funds will encourage and test new forms of public-private collaboration that include various municipalities and private investors.

The development challenge that the “Improving Local Development to Increase the Resilience of Host Communities and Refugees in North Jordan” Programme (LED) is designed to address the issue of high rates of unemployment and recessive nature of the economy in Jordan. The “Programme” focus is on the creation of economic and employment opportunities and improved public services for host communities and refugees from Irbid and Ajloun governorates. In a post-covid economy, unemployment is a chronic national challenge, but it is more acute in larger cities and highly populated governorates.

The “Programme” will support the governorates of Irbid and Ajloun in effectively identifying and availing investment opportunities to stimulate the local economy. The capital investment projects, and complementary small-scale initiatives will contribute to the private sector in creating jobs, enhancing environmental sustainability, and benefiting all residents in the area.

To alleviate the development challenges faced, the “Programme” will focus on a few important economic sectors that are primary contributors to the economies of Ajloun and Irbid. This is to achieve a greater impact with available resources. The sectors selected according to the developed methodology, must be intensive in the use of labour, must be relevant in more than one governorate including executive councils and local development directorates and must have some degree of development (producers, markets, supply chains, feasibility studies) within the governorate. The programme will seek to improve, complement, and energise the economic sectors that have a competitive advantage in the governorates of Ajloun and Irbid that contribute to the most job creation, economic growth, and entrepreneurship.

The “Programme” proposes a series of activities and is inclusive of host communities and refugees.  The efforts are focused on creating economic opportunities and the joint search for solutions to chronic development challenges. By boosting the growth of economic sectors and supporting either the demand or supply of value chains and clusters, the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) will create jobs and enhance social cohesion, integration, and a sense of belonging among refugees and Jordanians