1. Localise aid
The IFRC’s recent World Disasters Report shows that only 1.6% of international aid goes directly to local organisations. Channeling aid money directly or through national entities to community level seeks to rebalance this. Some local actors are on “struggle street”, just getting the basic resources to survive. We all need to support building their capacity. Robert Tickner, acting under secretary general - partnerships, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva, @RobertTickner, @Federation
2. Pre-approve NGOs for funding
In some cases, having a decentralised system of local authorities allows funds to be channelled more easily to first responders. In cases where capacity is more limited, it may be feasible to fund through NGO networks or alliances, and provide technical or managerial support to increase that funding over time. The Southern NGO Network has proposed that this will be done through a stand-alone pooled fund, managed by southern NGOs. Lesley Bourns, humanitarian affairs officer, UN-OCHA, New York, @ochapolicy
3. Give local actors space to do their work
Most of our partners mention that they want international actors to cede some of their space and step back from expecting to be the leaders on the ground. In many cases, it is less about enabling others and actually about exercising a degree of sensitivity and restraint, until understanding the situation better. Christine Knudsen, director, Sphere Project, Geneva, @SpherePro
4. Ask national humanitarians what they need
It is a huge strain on small community-based organisations to respond to a crisis, such as Ebola, that is expanding their role and bringing in big donor funds. Over and over, our partners ask for support in areas that help them cope with such expansion, and often the support they request is around building their systems and processes to make them better at providing increased public services. Vanessa Ortiz, technical adviser - organisational development, International Rescue Committee, New York, @theIRC
5. Tailor support
Some local actors are great at accountability and community participation at all stages of the response, whereas others struggle. The need to identify these gaps and complement them with expertise is critical – something we have found when working with large networks of volunteers during the Haiyan and Nepal responses. Jennifer Poidatz, vice president - humanitarian response, Catholic Relief Services, Baltimore, @CatholicRelief
6. Talk openly about corruption
We assume that corruption is only a cultural issue but the Norwegian Refugee Council illustrated in a recent report that when people feel disrespected, ignored, and see wasted resources, they feel entitled to commit fraud. In that sense, INGOs and the UN can trigger corruption. David Loquercio, head of policy, advocacy and learning, CHS Alliance, Geneva, @DavidLoquercio, @CHS_Alliance
7. Develop partnerships before a crisis
These things [partnerships] can often be assessed ahead of time in areas at risk of natural disaster, or as part of a national disaster management strategy in any country. Scenario planning and inclusive coordination are some of the ways to enhance that effort. Lesley Bourns
8. Don’t neglect organisational skills
Some of the strengthening support we provide is around technical areas like health, addressing gender based violence, and water and sanitation. Where we lack is in embedding organisational skills like leadership, governance, human resources, and financial management. Often these areas are neglected in project designs and proposals, and if it’s also neglected by the donor, then the foundational skills are not addressed. Vanessa Ortiz
9. Learn from local NGOs
All international actors should walk in the shoes of others. When such actors work in another country, they are a guest and local people want to determine or shape what happens on their land. We in the Red Cross and Red Crescent recognise that our national societies know their communities best, and that we are a more trusted partner by dealing with them. Robert Tickner
10. Break down barriers to inclusive response
In many cases local actors are already at the front of serving vulnerable populations and continue to play this role when a disaster hits. Caritas Jordan, for example, expanded their existing support to refugees to meet the needs of new inflows from Syria, and later Iraq. There are existing coordination forums that should be built on, not pushed aside during a response. Jennifer Poidatz
11. Set long-term targets together
How can the range of relevant actors – national, local, development, and peace-building – contribute to improved results in the lives of affected people, particularly in protracted crises? We need to shift from a mindset of sub-contracting and short-term delivery, to one of thinking about longer-term outcomes, and identify these with the contributions of local humanitarians. Lesley Bourns
12. Ensure a sector-wide approach to change
I don’t see the priority as improving relationships between international and local NGOs, but recognising the various contributors to response. This includes government, donors, local organisations, international organisations, regional bodies, and communities themselves. For international actors, this means restraint in some cases. For governments, it means adapting their approach to identify the most relevant actors and providing them with the resources and support to be most effective. Christine Knudsen
Read the full Q&A here.
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