Local Autonomy vs. Across the Board Consitency

[dag0620]

In the thread: Keep FIRST in Michigan (FiM) from killing FIRST Lego League part of the discussion has been on whether FiM should have age limts that are not aligned with those set by HQ. That part of the discussion at it's core is about how much autonomy local FIRST leadership entities (Districts, Operational Partners, etc.) should have over their programs.

I thought it would be a good idea to spin off a thread to discuss this. So in your opinion, what level of autonomy should regions have to customize the programs for their needs vs. having standards and consistency across the board?

Obviously there is no right answer, and autonomy vs. consistency are not mutually exclusive. However with the district system becoming more prevalent, I see this becoming a more important conversation to have, and I am curious to see CD member's opinions this.