Global Solidarity, Local Leadership, and Transformation of the International Aid System

Why? The Grand Bargain, drawing on the report of the High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing, argues for ‘localisation’ because it will be more costs-effective. Unfortunately, who gets what share of the money has become a major consideration, and source of resistance to effective localisation. Looking back at the regional consultations prior to the World Humanitarian Summit, and listening to the conversations since, there are other views on why national ownership, local leadership, localisation and decolonising aid are an urgent policy and practice priority. The following diagram shows six cumulative reasons. See GMI Insight 20 on this for more explanation of each.

What does this mean in terms of system change? GMI’s ‘four quadrants’ diagrams show how this may require transformative change at different levels. The top quandrants concern the collective action level: How do we make our collective, global, or ‘system-wide’ capacity better prepared to respond to a crisis in ways that maximise the participation of affected populations and reinforces rather than replaces local and national capacities? What strategic decisions for a particular crisis response will create enabling conditions for this? The bottom quadrants concern individual organisations, particularly international ones. What does localisation mean for our individual (and collective) operational practices What will make our own organisation better prepared to do this?

Why would supporting local capacities, to the point that they themselves can handle most crisis responses by themselves, not be a valued strategic objective? Governments, like the ones in Nepal and Indonesia, are also beginning to restrict the number of international relief agencies coming in and taking over. So, do we want to keep aid-recipient countries dependent? Are we trying to sustain and expand our relief business – or work ourselves out of a job? Read the full article - Understanding The Localisation Debate

Listening to hundreds of local CSOs since 2017, GMI has identify seven areas where local actors often find the relationship with international relief actors frustrating – and where they want to see change. International agencies have roles to play, but local actors want equitable partnerships, with mutual accountability and -where needed- much more effective strengthening of their institutional, not just their project management capabilities - after which international agencies should step back, so they can step up and step in. The following framework, here in its 2023 version, has been tested with various local CSOs and is used as is or with small modifications by e.g. the Start Network, the Dutch Relief Alliance, the Pacific Islands NGO network, Humanitarian Advisory Group, other INGOs, and UNICEF.

The ‘seven dimensions’ framework and the quadrant are further explained in this GMI paper. Hear how some national and local CSOs interpret it from their perspective in this video.

GMI INSIGHTS ON SOLIDARITY AND ‘LOCALLY-LED’

GMI Insight 24: Donors and Intermediaries. Critical self-awareness and a conversation guide (June 2024) - Arabic version here
GMI Insight 23: Intermediary Organisations under the Spotlight: Why? (June 2024) - Arabic version here
GMI Insight 22: Nexus, Localisation, Resilience Programming. Are they connected and what does it mean in practice? (Feb. 2024)
GMI Insight 21: Project Success yet Strategic Failure? International aid agencies and national ownership and leadership by government institutions. (May 2023)
GMI Insight 20: Six cumulative reasons to support and reinforce national and local actors. (March 2023)
GMI Insight 19: Is Investing in Institutionalised Capabilities of National and Local Actors a Diversion of Much Needed Humanitarian Funds for People in Need? (June 2021)
GMI Insight 18: Donors and Equitable Partnership with National and Local Actors. Main report here. Executive summary here. (April 2021)
GMI Insight 17: From Eco-System to Self. Systems change in the international relief industry. Part 3: Mindsets, attitudes, behaviours. The third brief in a series of three, providing a comprehensive perspective (November 2020)
GMI Insight 16: From Eco-System to Self. Systems change in the international relief industry. Part 2: Operationalising localisation. The second brief in a series of three, providing a comprehensive perspective
GMI Insight 15: From Eco-System to Self. Systems change in the international relief industry. Part 1: Why, why now and for what purpose? The first brief in a series of three, providing a comprehensive perspective
GMI Insight 14: A Task Force to Advance Localisation & Partnership. Design tips. (July 2020) Key questions to consider in the design and functional management of such task force, with core references to ensure an appropriate understanding of ‘localisation’.
GMI Insight 13: Contextual Factors that Influence Localisation or Internationalisation. (May 2020)
GMI Insight 12: Why Localisation? Why now? Is it about the economics of the political economy of the international humanitarian sector. Can the international humanitarian sector financially and politically continue as before, in a changing world? (February 2020)
GMI Insight 11: Localisation. Holistic perspectives urgently needed (April 2020)
GMI Insight 10: Dimensions of Localisation (April 2023 version) Seven key dimensions that local actors highlight in their interaction with international agencies, and important cross-cutting issues.
GMI Insight 9: Understanding the Localisation Debate. An introduction to a confusing conversation (2017)
GMI Insight 8: The Finance and Economics of Localisation. Does the 25% target guarantee us that crisis response will be more cost-effective because it is led by strong local/national actors (June 2019)
GMI Insight 7: No Shared Risk No Partnership? The risk for international agencies of partnering with local ones, and for local ones of becoming too dependent on international partners (February 2020)
GMI Insight 6: Localisation in Practice. Emerging indicators and practical recommendations. How the seven dimensions framework can be used for an assessment of the relationship and for a negotiation or an agreement on how to improve its quality. (July 2018; for the Start Network)
GMI Insight 5: Prepared for Partnership. Trust and distrust in international cooperation. Different attitudes to local actors in the relief sector and the peacebuilding field. (February 2019)
GMI Insight 4: Bring ‘Humanity’ and ‘Dignity’ back into the Relief Industry. Does all our professionalisation, technology and interest in data distract us from connecting with the human and social being that a crisis-affected person wants to be? (February 2019)
GMI Insight 3: Localisation and Globalisation. The conversation gets serious. Localisation as driver of globalisation!? (April 2019)
GMI Insight 2: Localisation in Conflict Situations. Not holier than thou!? Nuancing the assertion of generally superior impartiality of international agencies. (January 2017)
GMI Insight 1: Localisation and NGOs. Different interpretations, different outcomes. We have identified eight different interpretations, which lead to different views of ‘what success looks like’. Be clear what your understanding is. (June 2020 updated version)

GMI INSIGHTS ON ‘CAPACITY-DEVELOPMENT’

GMI Insight 2: Capacity-development in International Cooperation. Time to get serious. Do you have the capacity-to-develop capacities? (May 2017)
GMI Insight 1: Most Training Does not Develop Organisational Capacity: What we need to do differently. Questioning the effectiveness of the favourite capacity-development approach. (August 2016)

GMI RESEARCH - BASELINE- EVALUATIONS - RESOURCES

GMI: Evaluation of the Start Network and Start Fund Localisation Pilot. Full report in English, in French, in Spanish. Summary in English. November 2022
GMI & COAST Trust: Six Reasons to Support and Reinforce National and Local Actors. March 2023
GMI drafted: Is the Core Humanitarian Standard Fit-for-the-Future? 2022
GMI drafted: A Core Humanitarian Standard Certification System Fit-for-the-Future. 2022
GMI and RAFT Myanmar: Localisation in Myanmar. Supporting and reinforcing Myanmar actors today and tomorrow. 2022 (full report here; summary here)
GMI evaluation: Localisation in Practice. Three examples from the Dutch Relief Alliance. 2021
GMI cofacilitated: Moving Forward. Localisation of humanitarian action in the Philippines. 2021 (summary)
GMI cofacilitated: The Philippines Multi-Stakeholder Localisation Dialogue Process 2021 (full report)
GMI research: The State of Localisation. A synthesis report of eight country studies. 2021
GMI research: The State of Localisation in Somalia. 2021
GMI research: The State of Localisation in Ethiopia. 2021
GMI research: The State of Localisation in Pakistan. 2021
GMI research: The State of Localisation in Bangladesh. 2021
GMI research: The State of Localisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 2021
GMI research: The State of Localisation in Colombia. 2021
GMI research: The State of Localisation in Indonesia. 2021
GMI research: The State of Localisation in Myanmar. 2021
GMI research: Localising the Gender Agendas. (March 2021) Critical reflections on the impact of a Western, feminist, agenda on women’s movements in aid-recipient countries. With ARRD Arabic version
Building on GMI’s 2020 Assessment 2023: Jordan. Localisation Baseline Report. JIF, JONAF, UN Women, RedR Australia
GMI contributed: MEAL Framework for Localisation of Humanitarian action in Jordan (English) (May 2021)
GMI research: The State of Localisation in Jordan 2020. (English) A multi-layered systems perspective
GMI research: The State of Localisation in Jordan 2020 (Arabic)
GMI resource: Localisation: A bibliography. A list of thematic and geographical reports on localisation and some relevant video clips (April 2020)
GMI evaluation: The Gender-Based Localisation Task Team of the GBV Area of Responsibility. Evaluation of its relevance and effectiveness (December 2020 - unpublished)
no GMI contribution 2022: Existing national NGO coordination mechanisms Hungary, Poland, Romania, Moldova. UNHCR/ICVA
no GMI contribution 2022: Measuring humanitarian localisation in Yemen. TYF et al English / Arabic
No GMI contribution: Operational Framework - Localisation in Nigeria (2020)
No GMI contribution: Somalia Localisation Framework (Nov. 2019)
GMI research: Localisation in Practice. Emerging indicators and practical recommendations. How the seven dimensions framework can be used for an assessment of the relationship and for a negotiation or an agreement on how to improve its quality. (July 2018; for the Start Network)
GMI research: Debating The Grand Bargain In Bangladesh. Did the international response to the Rohingya refugee crisis set back localisation in Bangladesh? (March 2018)
GMI research: Going the Extra Mile. Localisation review - Bangladesh (spring 2017, for the Start Network)
GMI baseline Evaluation: The Start Fund, Start Network and Localisation: Current situation and future directions (April 2017, for Start Network)
GMI in evaluation team: Impact Of The Tsunami Response On Local And National Capacities. The first ever evaluation into this type of impact (July 2006, commissioned by the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition) 

Localisation Invites Us as International Assistance Actors to Reflect on Our Purpose: a conversation in Jordan

Watch a short video clip here

CURRENT INTER-AGENCY GUIDANCE

Principles of Partnership 2007 English / French / Arabic / Spanish / Bahasa Indonesian
Doing Development Differently 2015
Grand Bargain 2016
IASC 2020 Guidance on Localisation and the COVID-19 Response
ICVA 2020 Reinforce, reinforce, reinforce. Localisation in the COVID 19 global humanitarian response
Localisation Workstream 2020: Guidance Note on Humanitarian Financing for Local Actors
IASC 2022: Guidance on the Provision of Overheads to Local and National Partners. English / French / Arabic / Spanish
Localisation Workstream 2020: Guidance Note on Partnership Practices for Localisation
Open Forum for CSO Development Effectiveness 2010: Istanbul CSO Development Effectiveness Principles
Donor Statement on Supporting Locally Led Development 2022
Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation 2011 English / French / Arabic / Spanish
Charter4Change (C4C) 2015/2019: English / French / Spanish / Arabic
Localisation Workstream 2020: Guidance Note on the Participation of Local Actors in Humanitarian Coordination Groups
IASC 2021: Strengthening Participation, Representation and Leadership of Local and National Actors in Humanitarian Coordination Mechanisms
Localisation Workstream 2020: Guidance Note on Capacity Strengthening for Localisation
Localisation Workstream 2020: Guidance Note on Arrangements Between Donors and Intermediaries
OECD DAC 2021: Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance
Global Commission on Adaptation 2021: Principles for Locally Led Adaptation Action
Grand Bargain Caucus on Intermediaries 2022: The Role of Intermediaries in Supporting Locally Led Humanitarian Action
LPI, DHF & GPACC 2022: Principles for Quality Financing for Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention
Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation 2022: Geneva Summit Declaration / Donor Statement on Supporting Locally-led Development
OCHA 2022: Country Based Pooled Funds. Global guidance. English / Arabic
Grand Bargain Secretariat 2023: How to Implement the Grand Bargain Commitments at the Country Level. Guidance
ECHO 2023: Guidance Note. Promoting Equitable Partnerships with Local Responders in Humanitarian Settings
OECD DAC 2023: Recommendation on the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus
Grand Bargain Beyond 2023: The framework. And the visualisation of the set up
IASC 2023 Risk Sharing Framework & its Documentation Template

VIEWS AND DEMANDS OF NATIONAL-LOCAL CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS

2013: Indian NGOs on INGOs registering as ‘national NGOs’
2020: Open Letter to INGOs looking to ‘Localise’ their Operations (English, French, Spanish)
2022: Positioning Paper on Localisation and Intermediary Role by Myanmar Civil Society
2022: Open Letter of African CSOs to African Union Commission
2022: Open Letter from Ukraine NGOs to International Aid Agencies
2023: Joint Statement on Locally led Humanitarian Action in Ukraine
2023: Communique from the National Conference on Localisation, in Ukraine
2023: Open Letter from Polish NGOs to International Aid Agencies
2023: Open Letter and Brief from Lebanese grassroots organisation on their experience of partnering with (I)NGOs
2023: Haitian CSO OPODNE and USAID’s localisation commitment - unsuccessful attempts (so far)
2023: NNGO Voices. Leader perspectives on locally-led development. Humentum
2024: Investing in Women-Led Organisations. Living up to commitments. A4EP

GMI - LISTENING TO AND CONNECTING INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL/NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

GMI is in constant conversation and regular collaboration with international aid agencies in different countries. We engage with e.g.members of the Start Network and the Dutch Relief Alliance, German NGOs, the Swiss Solidarity Foundation and its partners, as well as the signatories of the CHARTER 4 CHANGE. We have run learning events on localisation for Bioforce and the Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques in France, the VENRO platform in Germany and KUNO amd ReflACTION in the Netherlands. For several years, we co-facilitate the annual gathering of Charter4Change members and endorsers, and contribute to its annual report.

GMI is also in constant conversation and regular collaboration with local and national civil society organisations in different continents and countries. We have e.g. designed and been the lead facilitator for regional workshops on ‘Gender-based violence and localisation’ in Asia and Africa, and further connect with endorsers of the Charter 4 Change, and members of the Alliance for Empowered Partnership.

We follow the work on localisation by our colleagues at the Overseas Development Institute, and the Humanitarian Advisory Group and its partners and collaborators in Asia-Pacific. We think about the future of humanitarian action and international humanitarian actors, through our association with the Interagency Analysis and Research Network (IARAN) and others, helping us foresight possible futures.