The humanitarian sector is at a crossroads. Funding is shrinking, even as humanitarian needs continue to grow. Donors want more accountability and better value for money. Local actors seek fairer partnerships and stronger leadership roles in the system.
Now, more than ever, better partnerships are not just desirable—they are essential. In a time of limited resources and rising demands, how we collaborate is just as important as what we accomplish.
But what does a good partnership really look like in practice?
Over the last two years, ICVA has brought together 102 organisations, including donors, local, national and international NGOs and UN agencies at regional level to discuss the quality of humanitarian partnerships. Together, we explored the Principles of Partnership (PoP). This framework was launched in 2007 to help improve respect, transparency, and collaboration in the humanitarian sector.
Here are five key priorities that emerged from these conversations:
1: Equality requires more than good intentions
While most humanitarian actors talk about equality, local organisations are often excluded from key decision-making processes. Funding structures can reinforce this imbalance, limiting L/NNGOs’ ability to shape responses.
What’s Working:
- Direct donor engagement with L/NNGOs is helping to rebalance power.
- Fully costed budgets that cover administrative and indirect costs are strengthening local organisations’ ability to lead.
What Needs to Change:
- INGOs and donors must share decision-making power, ensuring local voices are heard from the start.
- Strengthen the role of NGO Fora as platforms for collective advocacy.
“‘Partnerships should start on a basis of trust that all sides are competent and capable of doing the work,”
NGO Participant in South Asia workshop
2: Transparency builds trust—but requires safe spaces
Transparency isn’t just about sharing reports. It’s about open communication and mutual accountability. Also, it’s important to be safe to share honest feedback freely, without worrying about losing funding.
What’s Working:
- Confidential feedback mechanisms are encouraging honest dialogue.
- Clear communication of partnership expectations helps build trust.
What Needs to Change:
- Institutionalise mutual accountability mechanisms to ensure all partners are heard.
- Develop culturally sensitive communication strategies to foster inclusive dialogue.
3: Results depend on collaboration, not just compliance
Donors want evidence of results, particularly in a time of funding cuts. But genuine impact requires strong partnerships, not just mechanical compliance.
What’s Working:
- Joint project design and decision-making improve outcomes.
- Progress on harmonising due diligence processes is reducing duplication.
What Needs to Change:
- Due diligence must be proportional to funding and recognise existing assessments.
- Shift from short-term contracts to long-term partnerships that encourage stability and strategic growth.
4: Responsibility means sharing risk, not transferring it
Responsibility should be shared among partners. But often, local actors face the most risks with the least support. This includes financial risk, safeguarding responsibilities, and accountability to affected populations.
Local and national NGOs are closest to the communities and take the biggest risks, but when something goes wrong, they are also often the first to be blamed.
What’s Working:
- Joint development of risk mitigation plans fosters trust.
- Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse is being prioritised in partnership agreements.
What Needs to Change:
- Promote collective risk-sharing frameworks.
- Ensure accountability to affected populations is at the heart of every partnership.
5: Complementarity should enable local leadership, not overshadow it
Complementarity, that is, working “as local as possible, as international as necessary” should support local leadership. Yet, many local and national actors feel capacity building is often designed to meet donor requirements, not their own organisational goals.
“Capacity strengthening should be about helping us achieve our mission, not just about making us compliant with donor rules,” said one L/NNGO leader from MENA.
What’s Working:
- Co-designed capacity development plans tailored to organisational needs.
- Standardised organisational assessments are helping identify and address gaps.
What Needs to Change:
- Capacity strengthening must be demand-driven, not donor-driven.
- International partners should support local organisations in accessing direct funding and networking opportunities.
Moving forward: quality partnerships matter more than ever
In an era of aid cuts and rising humanitarian needs, the Principles of Partnership offer a roadmap for building trust-based, effective collaborations that are both equitable and results-oriented. These workshops highlighted that strong partnerships can help us do more with less, but only if we commit to putting these principles into practice.
With shrinking budgets, we can’t afford partnerships that don’t work. If we don’t get partnerships right, the people who suffer most are the communities we’re supposed to serve.
Now is the time to turn principles of partnership into practice—and build partnerships that are stronger, fairer, and more impactful, even in the face of unprecedented challenges.
