Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University, Green Delta Aims Tower (13th floor) 51-52 Mohakhali C/A Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
[email protected]
Timeline: November 2019 – August 2020
Partner: UNDP Bangladesh
Timeline: November 2019 – August 2020
Context and Objective: Localisation proponents around the globe agree that humanitarian action should be as localised as possible, and as international as necessary. The Grand Bargain drafted at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit recognised the need for humanitarian financing to be efficacious and cost-effective as global fragility increases and aid dollars are stretched. Localisation has been widely recognised as a strategy toward achieving effectiveness, efficiency, transparency and equitable participation due to the unique capacities of local actors to understand and respond to the needs of conflict and disaster-affected populations. These actors’ strengths are often found to complement the technical expertise of international actors who are typically less familiar with the context, culture, and nuances of working with an affected population. Localisation also recognises the inherent value of strengthening the participation of affected people themselves, such as refugee and host community members, in humanitarian decision-making, planning and implementation toward greater self-reliance.
CPJ has been commissioned by UNDP, Bangladesh to formulate a ‘Localisation Roadmap’ for the humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazaar. CPJ was entrusted to facilitate inter-stakeholder discussions as well as incorporating input from other relevant stakeholders in Cox’s Bazaar District (e.g. government, refugee, host community and private sector representatives), and put together a pragmatic localisation strategy. The ‘localisation roadmap’ is to incorporate global localisation principles and adapt them to the particular context of Cox’s Bazar. Finally, the roadmap will set clear targets to be achieved within the specific timelines through a delineated process. This study will support the Localisation Taskforce (LTF) formed under the leadership of IFRC and UNDP and comprised of donors, UN agencies, international NGOs, and Bangladeshi NGOs to take this process in to implementation.
Methodology: This study has followed a research design using desk review, and multi-stakeholder consultations to collect relevant data and information. The purpose of the desk review was to review and adapt relevant global frameworks to strengthen localisation in the Cox’s Bazar context. Between December 2019 and March 2020, CPJ conducted 17 consultation meeting and 16 KIIs to solicit key stakeholders’ opinion, thoughts and insights as well as challenges and opportunities on the issue of localization of humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar.
Progress till date: Based on the global literature on the localisation principle and the findings from the several round of consultations with the relevant stakeholder and one-to-one in depth discussion with key actors in the humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar, a Draft Roadmap has been prepared and shared with UNDP and IFRC, Bangladesh. The Draft Roadmap has been presented at the Strategic Executive Group (SEG) for humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar and LTF Bangladesh for their feedback. The research team is now incorporating the inputs and feedback of SEG and LTF members and the peer reviewers.
Contact Person: Manzoor Hasan, Executive Director; [email protected]
Badiuzzaman, Research Coordinator; [email protected]