Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

World

Strengthened Partnerships for Principled & Effective Humanitarian Action - Principles of Partnership Workshops

Attachments

Participation and Methodology

Combined, the workshops brought together over 112 participants from 102 international and local/national NGOs (INGOs and L/NNGOs), and NGO Fora, with 68% of the participants coming from L/NNGOs. The workshops also included representatives from donors and UN agencies as guests to contribute to relevant discussions. Each of the workshops ranged from 1.5 to 3 days. The PoP were presented, including their relevance for effective localisation. Safe spaces were facilitated to foster open and honest conversations among the international and national/local NGO participants, allowing them to celebrate successes and identify, particularly from the perspective of L/NNGOs, the areas they still find challenging when collaborating with international partners.

Key Findings and Recommendations

Before examining the findings under each Principle, it is important to highlight that the workshops were warmly received. The PoP were regarded as a valuable tool for both individual and collective advocacy as well as guidance to frame partnership conversations and find solutions.

As per pre- and post-learning assessments, across the workshops, the percentage of respondents who reported understanding the objectives of the PoP and to whom they apply ‘very to extremely well’ rose significantly from 0% to 87%. Although the participants may not have been aware of the PoP as an instrument before the workshops, many felt that the principles themselves were included within their policies and approaches to partnership, some even advocated for their use in collaborations with private sector and government partners.
Most participants felt the PoP were relevant, but that partnerships and intermediary relationships required more collective effort to ensure the PoP were effectively represented. The participants also felt that the workshops succeeded in providing a safe and open space for honest dialogue. There was a strong request to continue providing these spaces, including through the NGO Fora as well as conducting more research and development into the PoP to ensure effective implementation.

Recommendations:

• The PoP should continue to be used as an effective tool to remind all international and national partners of the essential elements that should be included in all partnerships and intermediary relations.

• Donors should resource and encourage both international and local organisations to have clear partnership policies based on the PoP. These policies should be tailored to the context, considering the type of partnerships, cultural factors, and alignment with other organisational policies.