Starting points for international development activities are many and varied.

In some cases, an initiative starts with local people or community group and later leads to a formal role for the council. Alternatively, this work can arise through council links and evolve to include the local community. In other cases, the spur may come from the business community or school, college or university links.

Whatever the starting point, councils need to ensure that they have right foundations in place to deliver benefits locally and globally.

Delve deeper:

• developing a strategy
• getting buy-in
• setting a budget