Do we need a network of Southern NGOs to improve humanitarian aid?

The role of southern NGOs in humanitarian aid is the subject of debate and dissent in international circles. Long viewed as the unseen workhorses of the sector, their efforts are increasingly being recognized as vital for a more effective and responsive global humanitarian system.

Degan Ali, Executive Director of Adeso
Degan Ali, Executive Director of Adeso

“We are only the facilitators for change, the communities are the drivers,” explains Degan Ali, Adeso’s Executive Director. “We are grounded in our work that started almost 25 years ago, in one town, Badhan, Somalia.”

However, efforts to bring southern NGOs center-stage have been muted, despite various past pronouncements and commitments. Capacity strengthening efforts tend to be focused on disasters and one-off interventions, and have a short-term focus. Long-term partnerships between Northern and Southern NGOs can be one way of addressing this, but their track record is uneven.

Adeso, or African Development Solutions, is a humanitarian and development organization that has emerged to change the way people think about and deliver aid in Africa—that is, from within. And if you talk to Degan Ali, over the years she says she has seen a rising demand for a global network of Southern NGOs, to help strengthen and focus capacity building efforts, enable mutual learning, advance advocacy, and deepen the evidence base on Southern engagement.

But what’s the feasibility of this? What would the scope of such a network be? Adeso has released a new report to explore this and I asked Ali to explore this vision and the potential for such a Southern network to broaden humanitarian effectiveness.

Jennifer Lentfer: Degan, would you say this is an idea whose time has come? Why or why not?

Degan Ali: This is most definitely an idea whose time has come – I would even say whose time is now long overdue.

The idea first came out of discussions I had with other Southern NGOs (SNGOs) while attending a meeting of an existing northern network a few years ago. I was surprised to see that most, if not all, of these actors shared my feelings about the current way in which the ‘formal’ humanitarian system is structured. We all felt that current platforms and existing networks failed to provide SNGOs with a enough of a voice to influence the policies and practices of international aid that affect their societies. 

Lentfer: What have humanitarian partnerships (both programming or advocacy partnership) with northern NGOs not delivered for Adeso as a southern NGO?

Ali: In many senses we’ve been privileged at Adeso, because early on in the growth of the organization we partnered with a donor that trusted us with a large grant, which allowed us to improve our systems, and to grow. In an incredibly rare example of true humanitarian partnership, that same donor then introduced us to their donors, and helped us build direct funding relationships with them. As we grew, we were able to directly access money from donors as the ‘prime’, and not as sub-partners, which allowed us to access more funds to develop the organization’s capacity and systems.

At the same time, I’ve also witnessed the pitfalls of humanitarian partnerships, where too often SNGOs like Adeso are contracted out as pure implementers, with very few allowances made for their running costs (or overheads). These organizations can only grow if we allow them to invest in their systems, and help them access the support and skills they need to develop these systems (e.g. financial, human resources, logistics, etc.). This means providing unrestricted funds – and if we have sub-agreements with SNGOs and civil society, we should be looking at passing over the same percentage of unrestricted funds we receive ourselves.

Lentfer: Let’s say I’m the leader of a southern NGO. Tell me why I should join this network. What are the benefits I can expect?

Ali: We’re looking at building a platform that builds on and transcends the current regional focus of SNGO networks, and that will help facilitate South-to-South sharing of ideas and good practices to improve humanitarian and development aid effectiveness. Specifically, the proposed network will offer four key ‘services’ to its members.

First, it will play a representative role in humanitarian advocacy and policy debates, where the views of SNGOs won’t have to be mediated through a northern lens. This representation will be on part with that of northern networks and UN agencies. Specifically, we would be seeking a seat at the IASC, alongside InterAction and ICVA.

Second, the network will offer sustainable, and appropriate, capacity development resources for members. Here, we’re talking about strategic capacity building in terms of human resource, financial management, and logistical systems to deliver on their commitments in a sustainable way, as opposed to topical technical capacity building efforts (for example around water and sanitation).

Thirdly, too often the good work being done by local actors is not heard about beyond closed circles. In the wake of an emergency, the coverage about what has been achieved tends to focus on the work of international NGOs, neglecting to mention that a local partner carried out the bulk of the effort. This network will therefore also commission research and provide a solid evidence-base of the work being carried out by SNGOs, leading to a better public understanding of the important role these organizations play.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the network will manage a pooled funding mechanism that will help members establish a track record of grant management and implementation. This system will allow partners to access funding based on their capacity and slowly graduate to a higher level as they build a strong track record of capably and responsibly managing grant funds. The ultimate aim is for members to graduate from being recipients of the network’s fund to developing a direct relationship with donors.

Adeso staff at work in Gokmachar, South Sudan in 2012.
Adeso staff at work in Gokmachar, South Sudan in 2012.

Lentfer: What would be the potential stumbling blocks for a new network like this? And how could they be overcome?

Ali: One of the biggest potential stumbling blocks for a network like this will be securing sustainable funding, particularly given that financial constraints faced by many SNGOs. We are very conscious that the support for this network will not come solely from member fees. Having said that, it’s also important to recognize that very few existing networks (be they northern or southern) are funded entirely through membership fees. Instead, membership fees tend to represent around 25% (at most) of operating budgets. This network will therefore need to learn from the experience of others, and develop strong relationships with a varied pool of donors who believe in the concept.

Lentfer: If this southern network were to take off, what would you envision as its relationship to the existing international humanitarian response system?

Ali: I envision this network to become a key player in the existing international humanitarian response system, and not an outsider, which makes sense given the important role SNGOs play in such a system. SNGOs are increasingly recognized as having an essential role to play in a more open, flexible humanitarian system that responds better to local context and needs. This recognition that the network needs to be an ‘insider’, and have representation within the existing humanitarian response system that is on par with existing northern networks is one of the reasons why we’ve been working closely with the World Humanitarian Summit process to ensure that the creation of a southern network emerges out of the process’ key recommendations.

Lentfer: Would the network be competing with northern NGOs for the same resources, and how would that affect the relationship? 

Ali: This network should be seen as complementing, as opposed to competing with, existing northern networks. I think there is space for everyone at the table, and a need to recognize that northern NGOs and southern NGOs bring a different set of skills and experiences to the table, both of which are valuable. This network should not be seen as a threat, but rather as an opportunity to explore ways in which genuine partnerships can be created that help advance humanitarian effectiveness.

Lentfer: Despite the ongoing discussions of aid effectiveness, resilience, and local ownership, not enough changes have been seen in the sector overall. How would a southern network approach these issues differently and what could they accomplish that northern NGOs could not?

Ali: We’ve been talking about local ownership for years now, and you’re right that not enough changes have been seen. Unfortunately, the existence of various vested interests has meant that we’ve often only paid lip service to this idea of local ownership, without really trying to flip the system.

The big buzzword these days is resilience – well you can’t build resilience without putting local actors at the forefront, given the need to strengthen local systems in advance of future shocks. I think that one of the things this network will be able to do differently is to do away with the existing divide between humanitarian assistance and long-term resilience building and development. For NGOs working on the ground, this divide is largely arbitrary, as it doesn’t reflect the realities of working holistically with communities on a daily basis.

One Comment

  1. We are about to launch Aid Watch Palestine for many of the same reasons outlined in this article and report. Please keep us posted on developments with the idea of a network. Together, we can bring the aid system under scrutiny: educate ourselves about how it works, produce a more critical discourse, inspire allies within the aid system to change policies, and build accountability structures to ensure that aid actually helps.

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