Prioritise locally–led response (Localisation)

As such, key aspects of localisation include increased funding to local and national organisations, an enhanced participation of affected populations in decision–making, the strengthening of local and national capacity and improved partnerships between international and local actors.

Why is localisation important for the prevention of undernutrition in humanitarian contexts?

Localisation is a critical part of enabling sustainability, with local actors having a long–term presence and understanding of the context, reducing overhead costs and speeding up response times. It increases contextual understanding with better adaptation to local needs and cultural sensitivities, as well as improving accountability and responsiveness to affected populations. Finally, it empowers and builds local capacity and resilience. Localisation can help to ensure that nutrition interventions are more effective, sustainable and sensitive to the specific needs and realities of the affected communities through:

1. Context–specific and endogenous solutions: nutrition interventions are designed to suit the specific needs of a community.
2. Faster and more efficient response taking into consideration cultural sensitivity and the utilisation of local knowledge: local actors, such as community– based organisations, are often the first responders in emergencies. They have a deep understanding of the region, local communities and their coping strategies and can mobilise quickly to assess needs and deliver aid. They understand which groups are most vulnerable to undernutrition and what solutions have worked in the past.
3. Strengthening local capacity, building local supply chains, leading to sustainability and resilience: humanitarian responses that involve local actors help build local capacity, ensuring that communities are better equipped to prevent and address undernutrition in future crises. Examples include training healthcare workers, supporting local agricultural practices or leveraging local supply chains to ensure food availability.
4. Greater accountability and trust and long term impact: Localisation fosters stronger relationships between humanitarian actors and local communities, increasing transparency and accountability and the potential to create lasting change. Local actors can continue to work on nutrition interventions after the initial emergency phase has passed, supporting recovery and development in the long–term.

• Increase the engagement and leadership of local actors, including women–led organisations, in coordination structures and response planning and enhance the representation of local actors in humanitarian groups.
• Emphasise capacity sharing between international and local NGOs, focusing on strategic interventions that build on existing local structures and capacities while promoting principled partnerships that prioritise equality, transparency and long–term commitment.
• Funding plays a crucial role, with efforts directed toward increasing direct resources to local actors and advocating for more substantial support from donors and international organisations.
• Strengthen local actors’ institutional capacities in areas like financial management, governance and project management.
• Communicate clearly about localisation commitments and context–specific approaches to ensure effective implementation.
• Monitoring and accountability mechanisms are vital to track progress and ensure commitments are met.
• Localisation principles should be integrated throughout the humanitarian programme cycle, with attention to gender– responsive approaches and strengthening local.
• Preparedness to reduce reliance on international surge capacity.