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Localisation and How it Drives the Success of Humanitarian Response

By Alice Laugher

CTG operates across 34 conflict-affected regions and 92% of CTG’s staff are hired from within the communities where they work. This is a figure that has continued to grow since CTG was established in Afghanistan in 2006, along with our recognition of the value it brings to these communities. Hiring local actors to deliver humanitarian response programmes is only one of many approaches to “localisation”, a highly debated strategy across the industry. Here CTG’s CEO, Alice Laugher, shares insights on why CTG places such an emphasis on local employment.

When you think of a humanitarian, who do you picture? For some it will be a foreigner, travelling to a distant land to save the day in a time of crisis. While international actors do play a vital role, the reality is that the majority of humanitarian workers are, in fact, local — those who come from, live in and deeply understand the communities they serve.

International actors bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience and help ensure diversity in perspectives which is crucial for effective humanitarian responses. However, globally, 93 per cent of the humanitarian workforce are actually citizens of the countries they work in. From my experience working within aid and development, it’s clear that local actors do, and must continue to play a key role in the delivery of humanitarian assistance and emergency response services.

If you are born and raised in a community, you know and understand its context better than anyone else. By understanding needs and challenges, a CTG consultant works to facilitate access to safe water for communities across Yemen.

What is localisation?

Localisation puts affected communities at the heart of humanitarian responses and development programming. It is rooted in the need to transform existing power imbalances within the aid and development sector and aims to do so by transferring power, agency and resources to those within the nations that require assistance. It involves giving recognition to those already on the ground, and empowering local actors to lead on the delivery of assistance and services. Localisation acknowledges that recipients of aid and emergency response services know and understand their needs, interests and local context better than anyone else, and therefore should set their own priorities and decide how support is delivered.

A contested approach

In theory, localisation is a great idea. However, how it is currently practised and the reality of its benefits have been widely contested. From (mis) perceptions that local actors in conflict-settings are unable to adhere to humanitarian principles, to how localisation reinforces power imbalances and local actors’ dependence on international organisations, many have a lot to say about it. As someone who has worked in the sector for over 20 years, I recognise that there are challenges. Collectively we may need to rethink our approaches, but the underlying goals and objectives it sets out to achieve remain integral to creating a more effective and equitable system. I have seen many successful examples of localisation, particularly in the hiring of local actors, and it’s important that we learn from and build upon these successes, not just the failures.

Leveraging the unique expertise and understanding of local actors

Localisation leverages the expertise of local actors who in many cases have been spearheading aid and development efforts in their communities for generations. Contextual understanding is important for humanitarian assistance in any community, but it is especially important in countries affected by conflict. These communities grapple with many complex challenges from social hierarchies, cultural and religious practices, to other nuances of the political context that influence how successful aid and services should be delivered.

Here is an example from our team based in Libya, where local female staff are critical to the success of one of our client’s programmes: “CTG staff are delivering a community stabilisation programme in Southern Libya. A key part of this involves training local women on a broad range of topics as part of the weekly Women’s Salon, an initiative that aims to provide a nurturing space for women to connect and pursue a holistic journey of self-improvement. Due to the context, all the trainers have to be women and their knowledge of Arabic, specifically with the local dialect, is essential for effective communication. Our female staff’s familiarity with the local culture also means they can build trustful relationships with the participants which ultimately strengthens the impact of the programme.” – CTG Libya Team.

Local actors have a presence in their country, before, during and after any crises: their lived experience has equipped them with first-hand knowledge of how their community functions.

Leveraging this knowledge helps ensure successful outcomes for all types of programming. In emergency situations when time is of the essence, mobilising their existing deep-rooted expertise can save lives.

A CTG Site Assistant provides hands on support for local community members in Nigeria.

Local networks and reach

Where is your social network the strongest? Likely in the country you come from, or where you have lived the longest. Your relationships with family, friends, and colleagues have been built over decades. In a humanitarian context, these connections enable access to information, people and areas in a way that others cannot. The ability to speak the language like a local enables them to understand the nuanced needs of their community, and this coupled with an understanding of their shared experiences lends them greater trust and credibility.

We see this often in the ‘Stories From The Field’ that our project-related staff share with us. The below story for example is from Juliana, a CTG Nutrition Facilitator in Nigeria, who shares how a common language provided a fast track to saving a young child from severe malnutrition.

“An 18-month-old boy was brought into our facility with severe malnutrition by his mother who did not speak any English and had no money to pay for treatment or food. The mother spoke Hausa, a Nigerian language spoken by Hausa people based in Chad, Ghana and Cameroon. Luckily I speak this language too, and I was able to communicate with her. We managed to raise money for food and started treatment for the child. He was up 9kgs, a tremendous improvement, when he was discharged 3 weeks later.” – Juliana Joel Na’Allah, CTG State Facilitator (Nutrition) in Nigeria. Read her story here.

In complex security situations, a local actor’s understanding of the local geography, safe-routes, and secure vs high-risk areas can also enable them to navigate more safely than those without this knowledge. This is key for us in delivering Duty of Care for our staff. When they are delivering essential assistance, this means we can effectively minimise risks to their safety and ensure smooth operations so that those who need assistance can get it when they need it.

Fostering long-term sustainability

Mobilising local personnel as key contributors to humanitarian responses leads to job creation in contexts where economic security can be scarce. For many, these jobs provide the ticket to putting food on the table or sending their children to school. And, they also directly support Sustainable Development Goal 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Localisation is however, not just about jobs; it is also about leadership. To harness the long-term success of localisation, humanitarian responses have to be collaborative and integrate local leaders into decision-making. This collaboration builds local leadership capacity, fosters self-reliance and ensures that humanitarian responses are consistently sustainable in the long run, even when international organsiations have departed.

Take for example Fahim*, a CTG Convoy Leader delivering food aid, who shares why he has been in this role for so many years.

“I have been working for CTG for eight years as a Convoy Leader in Afghanistan. My role is to lead the convoy when we deliver food to provinces around the country. I do this kind of work because I believe it’s my duty, and being from Nangarhar province, I enjoy serving the people in my country. I have been doing this for 28 years.” – Fahim*, CTG Convoy Leader in Afghanistan. Read his story here.

Creating a stronger future for humanitarian action

Empowering local actors by recognising their contributions, creating jobs, and harnessing their decision-making potential will strengthen their ability to respond to emergencies and build stronger more resilient communities. This in turn will ensure they are capable of navigating complex challenges long after external assistance departs. Localisation is not just a nice to have. It is a long-term investment into a more sustainable and equitable future for humanitarian action worldwide.

CTG employs thousands of humanitarian and development staff across 25 fragile and conflict-affected countries.

Read our Day in the Life stories here to learn more about their roles, expertise and unique contributions to their communities.