THE LIMITS OF LOCALIZATION

Listening. Learning. Reimagining.

READ THE REPORT:

 THE LIMITS OF LOCALIZATION:
WHAT LOCAL ACTORS SAY 10 YEARS LATER: 2016-2026

ENGLISH
FRENCH
ARABIC
SPANISH

Additional findings and material

  • This brief examines who produces, interprets, owns, and receives credit for humanitarian data and knowledge, drawing on the global survey, regional focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs). Because the survey did not ask a standalone data ownership question, the brief draws on related survey findings on contextual knowledge, branding, and decision making with perspectives shared in regional FGDs and KIIs. 

    VIEW FULL BRIEF

  • This brief synthesizes evidence from the global survey, regional focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs) on local actors' participation, influence, and leadership in humanitarian coordination and other shared decision-making spaces. It focuses on the gap between being present and having real authority over priorities, resources, and strategy. 

    READ FULL BRIEF

  • This brief synthesizes evidence from the Crescendo global survey, regional focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs) on how local and national actors are trying to build financial resilience and mobilize resources beyond shortterm international project funding. The survey did not ask a single standalone question on local resource mobilization, but the issue appears across income, expected funding sources, strategic priorities, funding quality, and open-ended responses. 

    READ FULL BRIEF

  • This brief synthesizes evidence from the Crescendo global survey, regional focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs) on how security, legal, safeguarding, financial, compliance, and reputational risks are distributed between local actors and international partners. The brief complements the main report and highlights practical changes that donors, UN agencies, and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) can make now. 

    READ FULL BRIEF

  • Participants share insights into:

    • Funding quality, direct funding, and institutional support ,

    • Partnership equity, power, and decision-making 

    • Coordination, representation, and local leadership 

    • Risk sharing, trust, and how international actors show up 

    • Capacity strengthening and institutional development 

    • Local knowledge, data, attribution, and recognition 

    • Positive practice, autonomy, and locally led alternatives 

    VIEW FULL DOCUMENT

  • The survey was one of four sources of evidence, alongside regional virtual focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and a desk review. The research team retained many core questions from the 2016 study, updated selected response options, and added questions to reflect issues that have become more prominent for local organizations, including funding levels and quality, overhead costs, language accessibility, compliance burdens, risk sharing, and decision-making power. The survey covers organizational profile, focus, and income, followed by questions on funding, partnerships, and capacity strengthening. Multiple-choice questions were required, while open-ended questions were optional. The survey was translated into Arabic, French, Spanish, and Ukrainian, and a Bahasa Indonesian translation was also made available to a network whose members requested it. It remained open from mid-December 2025 to March 2026 and received 540 completed responses from organizations registered in 73 countries. 

    VIEW SURVEY INSTRUMENT

MEET THE AUTHORS

BACKGROUND


Ten years after Let Your Voice Be Heard helped shape global conversations on localization, Crescendo International returned to a critical question:

How are local and national organizations experiencing funding, partnerships, and capacity today?

Local Actor Voices on Funding, Partnerships & Capacity is a global research initiative engaging leaders of local organizations across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, and Eastern Europe. This study engaged leaders of local organizations across more than 65 countries.Why This Matters

The global aid system is undergoing significant change. Funding is tightening, expectations around localization are evolving, and local actors continue to lead frontline responses to crises.

Why This Matters

The global aid system is undergoing significant change. Funding is tightening, expectations around localization are evolving, and local actors continue to lead frontline responses to crises.

Yet key questions remained:

  • Are funding mechanisms truly accessible to local organizations?

  • Are partnerships becoming more equitable in practice?

  • What kinds of capacity investments are actually useful?

  • How are financial shocks affecting sustainability?

Our Approach

This study combines multiple sources of evidence:

Global Survey
Engaging hundreds of leaders of local and national organizations worldwide

Regional Convenings
Facilitated discussions across five regions to explore shared challenges and emerging trends

Key Informant Interviews
Deep dives with experienced practitioners and leaders

Action-Oriented Analysis
Designed to inform real funding and partnership decisions

What Makes This Different

  • Global reach across five regions

  • Led in collaboration with regional experts

  • Focused specifically on local and national organizations

  • Combines quantitative data with rich qualitative insights

  • Designed to influence real-world funding decisions

Learn HOW CRESCENDO INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTS LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS