Cost-effectiveness in humanitarian aid: localisation programming

There is consensus in the humanitarian aid literature that localisation costs less and can have greater impact on areas in need because the staff of local and national actors cost less compared to the staff of international actors and because staff of local and national actors are more aware of local contexts offering tailor-made solutions. However, the literature does not provide robust evidence showing how localisation is cost-effective. The only tangible evidence relates to particular case studies, such as Myanmar and DRC (Groupe URD, 2017) and Philippines and Nepal (Islamic Relief, 2017). In these cases, the cost of national and local responses was significantly lower and the results very positive. The key elements the success was that the staff of the local actors cost less, were easily deployed, and had good knowledge of the cultural context they were operating in.