When Kristian Larsen retires this March, he closes a chapter that spans more than four decades with Digni. Few people have followed the organization’s journey as closely as he has.
Larsen has been connected to Digni since its very beginning in 1983, when the organization was first established. Over the years, he has seen both the organization and the wider development sector evolve dramatically.
His journey started in Bolivia in 1983, where he worked with the Norwegian Mission Alliance until 1998. Those years gave him a close understanding of Digni’s work from the partner side.
After returning to Norway, Larsen served 6 years on Digni’s board before eventually joining the organization as a staff member in 2006.
From Coordination to Professionalization
During Larsen’s time with Digni, the development sector has changed significantly.
Interestingly, he says there is still some debate about how Digni originally came into being.
“Some say the initiative came from the member organizations, while others believe it was Norad,” Larsen explains.
The organization was originally called Bistandsnemnda and changed its name to Digni in 2013. In the early years, its role was mainly as a liaison between the mission organizations and the state for the administration of public funding for development aid projects.
Back then, project applications were approved directly by Norad. Today, Digni plays a much stronger professional and advisory role, supporting member organizations within the framework set by Norad.
“Earlier, the system was much more administrative,” Larsen says. “Today there is far more emphasis on professional competence and learning across the organization.”
He also highlights how the diaconal principle of “see, assess and act” has become more central in the global diaconal development work.
“You should not act before you have taken the time to understand and assess the situation,” he says.
Local Ownership Has Always Mattered
While today’s development work involves extensive reporting systems, Larsen points out that the principle of locally led development is not new.
“Local ownership has always been important,” he says.
In earlier years, however, reporting was less detailed and less systematized than today. Much of the work was managed locally.
Member organizations and their local partners carried much of the responsibility on the ground. At the same time, donor requirements were fewer.
Over time, however, new guidelines and stricter accountability requirements from Norad have gradually changed how development cooperation is organized.
The Strength of the Digni Community
For Larsen, one of Digni’s greatest strengths has been the sense of community among its member organizations.
The network has created a shared platform for learning and collaboration, allowing organizations to exchange knowledge and experiences across sectors and countries.
Digni’s members also represent a strong tradition of global diaconal work. In recent years, faith-based organizations have increasingly been recognized as important actors in poverty reduction.
He believes the shift is partly due to the sector’s growing emphasis on professional standards and expertise.
The Human Side of Development
Despite the increasing focus on systems and reporting, Larsen believes something essential can sometimes be overlooked.
“We have become better at systems and reporting,” he says. “But sometimes we forget the human factor.
He recalls a visit to Bolivia about three years ago that left a lasting impression.
There he met with all the municipal leaders in a remote community, close to 50% of them were women. They told him they remembered the Norwegian Mission Alliance’s work from when they were children.
Female staff members had served as role models, showing that women could pursue education and leadership.
Inspired by those examples, they themselves went on to study and later take on leadership roles in their communities.
“That was not the original goal of the project,” Larsen says. “But it may have been one of the most important impacts.”
He believes role models and personal relationships often shape long-term change more than project indicators can capture.
“These human factors are extremely important,” he says. “But they are often overlooked.”
A More Uncertain Future
Looking ahead, Larsen believes the development sector faces a more uncertain future than before.
For many years, global development indicators seemed to be moving steadily in the right direction. Today, the picture looks more complicated.
“There is more uncertainty, and many important issues are no longer prioritized in the same way,” he says.
Development aid itself is also under increasing pressure.
At the same time, Larsen believes the need for development cooperation remains as strong as ever.
“The idea that one day we would no longer need organizations like Digni unfortunately seems less realistic today than it once did,” he says.
For him, the most important task going forward is clear:
“We must become even better at showing that development aid works — and that it delivers real results.”
See a short film about Kristain here: