Introduction

Local actors, including governments, community-based organizations (CBOs), and local NGOs, play a central role in humanitarian response, often providing the first line of support and delivering aid in the most culturally appropriate and contextually relevant ways. Yet, despite their critical role, local actors often face challenges in terms of recognition, capacity, and support from international organizations. This 5-day course aims to build the skills and knowledge necessary for effectively engaging local actors in humanitarian operations, from planning to response and recovery. The course will provide practical insights into partnership models, capacity-building strategies, and tools for creating collaborative, effective humanitarian responses with local actors at the center.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will:

1. Understand the Role of Local Actors: Grasp the critical role that local governments, NGOs, community-based organizations (CBOs), and local networks play in humanitarian response.
2. Develop Collaborative Strategies: Learn how to create strong, sustainable partnerships with local actors, ensuring effective coordination and collaboration in humanitarian response.
3. Strengthen Capacity: Identify strategies to build the capacities of local actors in terms of resources, technical expertise, and organizational development.
4. Ensure Locally-Led Humanitarian Action: Learn how to design interventions that empower local actors to lead response efforts, including decision-making, program design, and resource mobilization.
5. Promote Accountability and Transparency: Understand how to ensure local actors are held accountable and that humanitarian programs remain transparent.
6. Evaluate Partnership Effectiveness: Gain tools for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of partnerships with local actors in delivering humanitarian aid.
7. Integrate Local Knowledge and Expertise: Develop strategies for integrating local knowledge, customs, and perspectives into program design and delivery, ensuring relevance and sustainability.

Who Should Attend?

This course is designed for:

• Humanitarian Response Managers and Coordinators seeking to strengthen their approach to working with local actors.
• Field staff and project officers working directly with communities and local partners in crisis situations.
• Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) specialists looking to assess the effectiveness of local partnerships.
• Capacity building experts and training coordinators focusing on developing local capacities in humanitarian settings.
• Donor relations officers and funding partners interested in supporting locally-led humanitarian initiatives.
• Government officials and local authorities involved in coordinating disaster response and humanitarian programs.
• Community engagement specialists and advocacy officers promoting more inclusive, community-driven approaches to disaster response.

Course Outline

Day 1: The Role of Local Actors in Humanitarian Response

• Morning Session: Understanding the Local Context
  • The importance of local actors in humanitarian response: Governments, CBOs, and local NGOs.
  • The concept of localization in humanitarian action: Moving from international-led to locally-led responses.
  • Benefits of working with local actors: Cultural relevance, faster response times, and cost-effectiveness.
  • Challenges faced by local actors: Lack of funding, limited technical expertise, and operational constraints.
  • Case study: Local leadership in the Syrian refugee crisis – How local NGOs and CBOs filled gaps in relief efforts.
• Afternoon Session: Mapping Local Actors and Capacities
  • Identifying local actors: Mapping key government agencies, NGOs, community networks, and volunteers.
  • Understanding local capacities and resources: Organizational, financial, and human resources.
  • Tools for mapping local actors: Stakeholder analysis and capacity assessments.
  • Group exercise: Mapping local actors in a specific humanitarian crisis scenario.

Day 2: Building Effective Partnerships with Local Actors

• Morning Session: Creating Strong, Sustainable Partnerships
  • Key principles for effective partnership with local actors: Trust, mutual respect, flexibility, and shared goals.
  • Partnership models: Collaborative, co-implementation, and capacity-building partnerships.
  • Building trust and transparency in partnerships: Open communication and accountability mechanisms.
  • Case study: Collaborative partnerships between international organizations and local NGOs in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.
• Afternoon Session: Practical Approaches to Partnership Management
  • Structuring partnerships: Roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes.
  • Understanding local governance structures and ensuring the inclusion of local leaders and community representatives.
  • Best practices in coordination: Integrating local actors into international coordination mechanisms such as cluster systems and coordination platforms.
  • Group discussion: Challenges and opportunities in creating sustainable partnerships with local actors.

Day 3: Capacity Building and Strengthening Local Actors

• Morning Session: Assessing Capacity Needs and Gaps
  • Tools for assessing the capacity needs of local actors: Organizational assessments, skills audits, and resource mapping.
  • Identifying capacity gaps: Financial management, technical expertise, logistics, monitoring and evaluation.
  • The role of international organizations in capacity building: Providing training, resources, and technical support.
  • Case study: Capacity building initiatives for local NGOs in conflict-affected regions of Africa.
• Afternoon Session: Building Long-Term Local Capacity
  • Developing training programs and mentorship for local actors to increase their autonomy.
  • Facilitating resource mobilization: How to help local actors access funding and technical support.
  • Enhancing organizational development: Strengthening governance, operational structures, and financial management.
  • Group activity: Create a capacity-building plan for a local organization engaged in disaster response.

Day 4: Locally-Led Humanitarian Action and Empowering Local Actors

• Morning Session: Shifting from International to Local Leadership
  • Ensuring local ownership of humanitarian programs: How to empower local actors to lead initiatives.
  • Decision-making frameworks: Creating systems where local actors can make key decisions about programming, implementation, and resource distribution.
  • Case study: Local leadership in the response to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
• Afternoon Session: Promoting Inclusivity and Equity
  • Ensuring gender inclusivity: How to engage women, youth, and marginalized groups in leadership roles.
  • Overcoming power imbalances: Working with local actors to address issues of equity and inclusion.
  • Strategies for integrating local knowledge and cultural practices into program design.
  • Group discussion: Challenges and best practices in empowering local actors to take leadership roles in humanitarian response.

Day 5: Monitoring, Evaluating, and Sustaining Partnerships with Local Actors

• Morning Session: Monitoring and Evaluating Partnership Effectiveness
  • Tools for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of partnerships with local actors.
  • Setting up indicators for partnership success: Trust, accountability, mutual benefits, and community impact.
  • Case study: Evaluating local partnerships in post-disaster recovery efforts in Nepal.
• Afternoon Session: Sustaining Partnerships for Long-Term Impact
  • Strategies for ensuring sustainability in partnerships with local actors: Long-term commitment, capacity strengthening, and shared ownership.
  • Exit strategies: Transitioning from international leadership to local self-sufficiency.
  • Group activity: Develop a sustainability plan for a humanitarian partnership with local actors in a post-crisis setting.