As local as possible, as international as necessary?

The report analyzes the role of Ukrainian grassroots initiatives, NGOs, and local self-governments (hromadas) in humanitarian response, arguing that while local actors are more agile and cost-efficient, they face systemic barriers in funding and decision-making. It identifies a critical lack of systematic evidence on the relative cost-effectiveness of locally-led versus internationally-led responses, though it notes that local NGOs in Ukraine deliver programs 15.5% more cost-efficiently due to lower overheads. The document recommends a shift toward equitable partnerships characterized by mutual financial transparency, shared leadership, and the provision of flexible, multi-year 'quality funding' to ensure the sustainability of local responders operating under high insecurity.

• There is a significant lack of systematic evidence comparing the relative cost-effectiveness of locally-led versus internationally-led humanitarian responses, although limited data on cost-efficiency exists.
• Local and national NGOs in Ukraine are 15.5% more cost-efficient in program delivery than international organizations, primarily because international entities have higher staff and overhead costs.
• Local actors possess comparative advantages over INGOs, including earlier response times, easier community access, longer presence, and deep contextual knowledge.
• The Ukrainian humanitarian landscape is composed of three primary local actor types: grassroots civil society, formal NGOs, and hromadas (local self-governments), each offering distinct capacities for resilience and aid delivery.
• Local responders face severe sustainability risks, including burnout, the psychological toll of trauma, and the 'poaching' of staff by international organizations.
• Decision-making and financial resource allocation are the two areas of localization with the least progress, as power remains concentrated within international organizations.
• A 'risk transfer' pattern exists where international organizations rely on local partners to operate in dangerous areas without providing adequate safety resources or overhead funding.
• Funding innovations such as Due Diligence Passporting, Flexible Small Grants, and pooled funds show potential for improving local access to resources, though INGO distrust of other agencies' assessments limits uptake.
• Capacity development is often incorrectly treated as a one-way training exercise from international to local actors, rather than a reciprocal process of mutual learning.

APA

Ahmed, N., & Horst, C. (2026). As local as possible, as international as necessary? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a5e448b6-8a3a-4313-9db9-8da06b318de2/As local as possible as international as necessary PRIO Paper 2026.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Ahmed, Nabiiha, and Cindy Horst. As local as possible, as international as necessary? Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2026. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a5e448b6-8a3a-4313-9db9-8da06b318de2/As local as possible as international as necessary PRIO Paper 2026.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ahmed |first1=Nabiiha |last2=Horst |first2=Cindy |title=As local as possible, as international as necessary? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2026 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a5e448b6-8a3a-4313-9db9-8da06b318de2/As local as possible as international as necessary PRIO Paper 2026.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ahmed2026local, author = {Ahmed, Nabiiha and Horst, Cindy}, title = {{As local as possible, as international as necessary?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2026}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a5e448b6-8a3a-4313-9db9-8da06b318de2/As local as possible as international as necessary PRIO Paper 2026.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }