The participation of local and national actors in humanitarian coordination structures
Engaging local and national actors (L/NAs) is critical to the success of humanitarian action. L/NAs are often the first responders and at the heart of humanitarian response. They provide an invaluable understanding of local challenges and potential solutions, and they can mobilize local networks and offer greater access to affected populations. They contribute to both empower local communities as rights holders and to a more effective, efficient and sustainable humanitarian response with enhanced connections and accountability to the community which is being served. The participation and leadership of L/NAs in humanitarian response mechanisms, reflecting affected people in all their diversities, is key to ensuring a response is adapted to the local context.
Progress was tracked through the annual mapping of IASC coordination structures covering 30 locations during 2022, with over 2,360 coordination structures mapped at national and subnational levels. There has been an increasing level of participation across many humanitarian coordination structures, but more remains to be done in terms of facilitating L/NAs’ leadership of these structures.
Percentage of clusters, sectors, areas of responsibility with local/national actors in leadership roles globally
Percentage of total members who are local/national actors globally
L/NAs participated in the full range of humanitarian coordination mechanisms at both the national and the operational levels. They served as members of Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs), co-chaired Clusters, participated in Strategic Advisory Groups, thematic working groups and contributed to advancing operational response on inter-cluster coordination groups (ICCGs). LNA’s were present in 83 per cent of HCTs in 2022. They also increased their share of seats on HCTs, accounting for 10 per cent of all HCT membership (up from 9 per cent the previous year). In 2022, the number of L/NAs among members of HCTs increased in Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Mali, Myanmar, the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Somalia and Syria-Gaziantep.
L/NAs participated in 56 per cent of Inter-Cluster Coordination Groups (ICCGs) – a notable increase from 33 per cent in 2021. Globally, L/NAs constituted 5 per cent of total ICCG membership in 2022 (up from 3 per cent in 2021). Across national-level clusters, sectors and areas of responsibility (AoRs), L/NAs’ membership increased slightly to approximately 51 per cent of the total numbers of cluster/sector/AoR members globally – an 3 per cent increase compared to 2021. LNAs were present on 95 per cent of Strategic Advisory Groups (SAG), making up over 35 per cent of SAG membership.
The value of local women-led organizations in humanitarian coordination
Clusters, sectors and AoRs benefit when there is broad and diverse leadership by L/NAs as they can bring a unique perspective, reach and experience. Local women-led and women-rights organizations (WLOs/WROs) are crucial actors in humanitarian responses across contexts. Women civil society organizations have deeply rooted trust in affected communities and ensure that humanitarian assistance equitably reaches people in need.
Trócaire and the GBV AoR, have partnered with WLOs to support their leadership of GBV coordination mechanisms. For example, in Somalia’s Gedo region, (ADA) has been key in enhancing coordination among GBV actors particularly in remote and hard-to-reach locations, and it has helped enhance survivor-centred service provision.
In South Sudan’s Warrap State, Women for Change (WFC) has taken a proactive role in steering the GBV sub-cluster, focusing on robust community outreach and advocacy. WFC led key initiatives including radio talk shows and mobilizing local actors to participate in events such as the International Day of the Girl Child and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Both ADA and WFC co-chair local-level GBV coordination structures under the cluster system. By prioritizing local insights and adopting context-specific strategies, these organizations have contributed to a more participatory, inclusive and effective response to GBV in their respective regions, signifying the impactful shift toward local leadership in crisis contexts.
Local WLOs are increasing their engagement and participation in humanitarian decision-making within HCTs. The Women’s Advisory Groups to the HCTs in Afghanistan (established in 2021) and the cross-border Syria operation (established in 2022) have both provided guidance to HCTS.
Normative developments in 2023
Humanitarian donors and members of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) recognize the vital role played by local and national actors in humanitarian response. In October 2022, the IASC endorsed Guidance on the provision of overheads to local and national partners, to overcome challenges in the provision of funding to cover overheads i.e. expenditures outside of normal programming, which are necessary for organizations to deliver on their mandate and ensure their sustainability. In March 2023, the Grand Bargain caucus on funding for localization – a unique agreement between some of the largest donors and humanitarian organizations – put forward key recommendations relating to the funding of L/NAs. Signatories agreed (i) on how to measure funding going to L/NAs; (ii) to report all funding to L/NAs through publicly available platforms (notably, the Financial Tracking Service) and; (iii) to develop individual roadmaps for when and how they will meet target of channeling 25 per cent of total humanitarian funding to L/NAs.
A collective monitoring and accountability framework was also published by the Grand Bargain caucus in May 2023, which will enhance the ability to compare data on funding and identify the channels and amounts of funding reaching L/NAs from all donors. In a positive development, donors such as the EU and USAID have recently developed donor localization strategies and internal guidance.
Strengthening the voice and leadership of local actors in humanitarian settings
The Women's Voice and Leadership in Humanitarian Settings initiative aims to strengthen the voices and leadership of women-led organizations (WLOs) in humanitarian planning and decision making through capacity sharing, learning and supporting grant-making. The initiative is currently led by WLOs in Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nepal, with CARE’s support. A baseline study developed for this initiative identified shortfalls in utilizing the capacities and knowledge of WLOs at the onset and throughout crises. To address this, the initiative selected 60 WLOs for capacity strengthening and technical support. This resulted in WLOs actively participating in cluster systems and emergency responses.
In a similar vein to the Women's Voice and Leadership in Humanitarian Settings initiative, in Nepal, CARE has promoted a locally led, gender-responsive emergency preparedness and humanitarian response by forging equitable partnerships with local organizations since 2021. Nepal is vulnerable to large- scale disasters such as earthquakes and it also faces small to midsize disasters due to climate change, perpetuating poverty cycles for vulnerable groups, especially women.
In its pilot phase, CARE Nepal’s Humanitarian Partnership Platform is convening and engaging local civil society humanitarian actors with diverse expertise and legacies. This initiative provides a comprehensive, coordinated, accelerated, inclusive response to localize disaster risk management policies and mechanisms, to avoid fragmented community responses. The Humanitarian Partnership Platform sprang into action on 3 November 2023, after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Jajarkot and Rukum Districts of Karnali Province in Nepal, causing widespread damage. Through the Platform, and in coordination with local authorities, partners assessed the needs of those affected to provide immediate relief. CARE Nepal dispatched a first round of support relief supplies including blankets, shelter kits, dignity kits, and kitchen utensils, which would benefit 250 households.
Empowering local actors through pooled funds
The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the Country-Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) continue to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches the most affected by humanitarian crises. These funds provide coherent and timely responses, support to in-field coordination and they reinforce the leadership of Humanitarian Coordinators (HCs). By mid-October 2023, the Funds had allocated a total of US$1.5 billion to assist people most in need.
Localization, in line with humanitarian response and coordination systems, remains a key priority for the Pooled Funds, emphasizing support for frontline responders and women-led organizations. The CBPF Global Guidelines, revised in 2022 and re-launched in 2023, reaffirm the importance of advancing localization as a main aim of the CBPFs. The Guidelines ensure a coherent and harmonized approach to the governance and operations of the CBPFs, they outline provisions on the quantity and quality of funding to be disbursed to L/NAs as well as for the engagement of local entities in governance and supporting the capacity development and visibility of L/NAs who are recipients of the funds.
Bentiu IDP Site, South Sudan
Nyekuol Kun Jok, 40, outside her restaurant. She was displaced due to floods and lives in an IDP site. With support from UNHCR through CERF she started a restaurant where she earns a daily profit of 10,000 SSP. She is able to meet her basic needs and also to employ 3 people.
OCHAOver the past two years, CBPFs have significantly increased support for local and national partners. By October 2023, 43 per cent of all funding from the CBPFs had been channeled to local and national partners, a continued increase from previous years, and surpassing the 25 per cent global benchmark set at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit.
Although CERF can only directly fund UN agencies/organizations, the Fund plays an important role in enabling localization. CERF allocation strategies are jointly developed by UN agencies and NGOs, and CERF funding is implemented through partnerships between UN agencies/organizations and NGOs. During the 2022 and 2023 allocations of the CERF Underfunded Emergencies (UFE) window, the Emergency Response Coordinator encouraged UN country teams to strengthen engagement with national and local partners on the design and implementation of CERF funding. Resident Coordinators/Humanitarian Coordinators were also encouraged to set ambitious targets for CERF UFE funding to be sub-granted to national and local organizations. As a result, recent UFE rounds have seen about a quarter of funding being sub-granted to national and local partners instead of the overall average of around 15 per cent.
In 2021, CERF issued an $25 million multi-country, multi-year block grant to UN Women and UNFPA to strengthen GBV prevention, mitigation and response in humanitarian action. The block grant concluded in 2023. The GBV-focused allocation specifically focused on the empowerment of local WLOs/WROs, who were to receive a minimum of 30 per cent of all funds as implementing partners. This target was exceeded in the implementation. The grant was also unique in that it built in a learning envelope to support capacity development of fund recipients. The Pooled Funds continue to actively work on increasing the funding to local WLOs, and to ensure their representation on the Humanitarian Funds’ advisory boards. In 2023, countries with at least one WLO represented in their respective advisory board included Afghanistan, CAR, DRC, Lebanon, Myanmar, OPT, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Ukraine, Venezuela, Yemen.
ToGETHER programme – localization in practice
While participation of L/NAs in formal IASC coordination structures is important to ensure linkages with international actors, it is just as important to have peer-led spaces for collaboration with and between L/NAs, to ensure they learn from each other especially as these networks will be present in a country long after international actors depart. The ToGETHER program, running in numerous countries, creates opportunities to promote local humanitarian actors and advocate for their leadership role in community response. In Bangladesh, the Association for Alternative Development (AFAD), a women-led NGO, supports vulnerable communities, focusing on women and youth. The ToGETHER program has enabled AFAD to participate in coordination mechanisms and improve resources for small-scale humanitarian response, providing cash assistance, shelter, non-food items, protection and food security. AFAD, in turn, also supports the inclusion of local actors in UN and INGO coordination structures.
Through the program, local actors are also becoming ambassadors of localization in their countries. In Colombia, humanitarian partners have established a collaborative workspace, culminating in the first ever Congress of Localized Humanitarian Action in Colombia in 2022, which also recently saw its second expanded edition for Latin America and the Caribbean. Today, the program partners participate in various coordination mechanisms at national level, carrying out discussion with donors, the national government and INGOs. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, ToGETHER partners collaborated with regional NGO leaders to create a single coordinating body for local and national NGOs, the National Council of Humanitarian and Development Forums in the DRC (CONAFOHD). In Indonesia, ToGETHER helped to initiate the localization forum LokaNusa, which conducts monthly discussions on a range of localization and Grand Bargain-related topics. Within five months of its establishment, over 50 civil society organizations joined LokaNusa. The forum has established strong partnerships with the National Disaster Management Agency, OCHA and the Disaster Risk Reduction Forum, promoting information sharing and local actor participation in humanitarian coordination.
References
- According to IASC guidance, this category includes the following entities where represented: national and local authorities, national NGOs and consortiums, national Red Cross/Crescent Societies, and national private sector.
- The mapping covers 29 humanitarian operations, but one has two locations (Syria)
- Presence or participation in a coordination mechanism denotes attendance at meetings, partaking in assessments, workshops, etc. Membership denotes being a formal constituent of a group and being involved in decisions about governance, providing directions for assessments and plans, etc.
- ICCG membership largely reflects cluster leadership – if in a given country there are no local actors leading clusters, sectors or areas of responsibility (AoRs), then likely there will be no national NGO members within the ICCG unless the ICCG decides to allocate a specific seat to local or national NGOs.
- Participatory Action Research was conducted to accompany this process resulting in the Women-led Organizations: Leadership in GBV Coordination Resource Package, Trócaire: 2023.
- For more information on their activities, see Active in Development (https://adasom.org) and Women for Change (https://www.wfcsud.org)