Like other global initiatives, the
United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have had mixed results. One reason global efforts fall short is they ignore
decentralization. This
paper examines the challenges of implementing global initiatives, using
Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) as a
case study. FP2020's
goal is enabling 120 million more
women and
girls to use modern
contraceptives by 2020. Thirty-six
developing countries have made FP2020 commitments, but these countries have thousands of governing entities that
will determine the priority
family planning programs receive. Advance
Family Planning (AFP) works with local partners to influence
family planning decisions. We examine AFP's experience in
Indonesia,
Kenya and
Senegal to describe and analyze the incongruity between FP2020's objectives and those of subnational
decision makers and what must happen for local
goals to reflect global
goals.