Paper details

Paper authors	Josie FLINT
In panel on	Action or Impact: How should we monitor progress in the World Humanitarian Summit?
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

Localisation will only continue to have momentum if we can show it is improving the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian aid. The ability to demonstrate if, and how, localisation has translated into tangible change to the humanitarian system is vital. To date the humanitarian sector has started to track what actors are doing and where (evidence of activity). Evidence of the impact of the shift to a more localised approach, however, is scant. It is unclear what the approach should be – what should be measured and how. Some initiatives provide rich data on specific dimensions of localised humanitarian action. However, these stand as largely isolated pieces of work unlinked to other dimensions of localisation. These fail to provide a holistic picture of what localised humanitarian can and should be expected to achieve across areas inclusive of funding, partnerships, capacity, participation, coordination, visibility and policy influence.

The Intention to Impact research project is intended to address this measurement gap. This paper is the first step in that research program. It reviews the available resources on localisation and examines a range of existing measurement areas and indicators to propose an approach that is manageable and representative. The review considers both qualitative and quantitative approaches proposed by existing commitments and initiatives. Multiple organisations globally are undertaking independent research
on localisation; this research project draws on and complements these approaches. This paper is intended to contribute to the ongoing conversation, provoke thought and build on existing work on measuring the impact of localisation.

Back