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Trócaire passionately believes local people should play a leading role in the development processes in their communities. This involves shifting power to our local and national partners in the countries where we work.
Trócaire works with partners all over the world. Pictured is Catherine Alukunio from Trócaire partner Caritas Wamba, in the village of Bahaha in Ituri Province, DRC. Photo: Garry Walsh/Trócaire
Our new Global Hub on Partnership & Localisation, supported by Irish Aid, is leading our Partnership & Localisation Strategy. A big step in this direction has been achieved with our successful application to the Grand Bargain. Michael Solis, our Global Director – Partnership and Localisation, explains.
The successful application by Trócaire to the Grand Bargain is an important milestone and provides us with exciting new opportunities to help advance the localisation of humanitarian action and development.
As a signatory, Trócaire will continue to build on its 50 years of experience working in partnership by delivering on its Global Strategic Plan and corresponding Partnership and Localisation Strategy, both which embrace the principles of localisation and apply them across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
What is the Grand Bargain?
As part of the preparations for the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, a high-level panel explored solutions to close the humanitarian financing gap. One of their recommendations included the need for “a Grand Bargain between the big donors and humanitarian organisations in humanitarian aid”.
The Grand Bargain, launched during the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May 2016, is a unique agreement between some of the largest donors and humanitarian organisations who have committed to get more means into the hands of people in need, and to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the humanitarian action.
The Grand Bargain now includes 65 Signatories (25 states, 11 UN Agencies, 5 inter-governmental organizations and Red Cross/Red Crescent Movements and 24 NGOs).
Evolution of the Grand Bargain
Over the past five years, the Grand Bargain has achieved several successes, including:
In 2021, the Grand Bargain launched a new framework called the Grand Bargain 2.0. This framework lays out how the signatories will aim to achieve the overall strategic objective of better humanitarian outcomes through enhanced efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. The framework has four key outcome pillars that focus on: 1) Flexibility, predictability, transparency and tracking; 2) Equitable and principled partnerships; 3) Accountability and inclusion and 4) Prioritisation and coordination.
For more information, please see the Framework and the annexes for the Grand Bargain 2.0.
Why did Trócaire sign up to the Grand Bargain
Since the establishment of Trócaire’s Global Hub on Partnership & Localisation in Nairobi, through the support of Irish Aid, we now have greater organisational capacity to engage with key global instruments like the Grand Bargain. And, while the Grand Bargain has achieved a great deal to date, it continues to fall behind its target of 25% of global funding flows being channelled directly to local and national actors.
Trócaire’s reasons for signing onto the Grand Bargain are various.
Firstly, as a partnership agency that significantly surpasses the 25% benchmark of direct as possible funding to local actors, Trócaire felt that its way of working aligns with the Grand Bargain’s objectives.
Secondly, Trócaire was interested in joining other signatories in coordination and collective advocacy efforts to advance the goals of the Grand Bargain, particularly the outcome pillars relating to localisation.
Thirdly, Trócaire aims to participate proactively in relevant Grand Bargain workstreams, complementing its participation with other networks, such as the Charter for Change. Through this, Trócaire’s seeks to improve its own practice against each of the Grand Bargain workstreams and its ability to report against them.
Finally, Trócaire hopes to support the increased voice and influence of local and national actors in the National Reference Group process for more meaningful local and national engagement with the Grand Bargain 2.0.
You can learn more about what Localisation is and download our strategy here.
