16th January 2024
The humanitarian sector is witnessing a significant transformation in the approach to resource mobilisation, pivoting towards the empowerment of local capacities and initiatives.
In this article, guest contributor Alaa Albakour delves into the key insights, barriers and strategies for local resource mobilisation, drawing on experiences from these regions.
The emphasis on community empowerment, ownership, leadership, partnerships, technological innovation, and engagement underlines a new, more inclusive, and effective direction in humanitarian efforts. This shift is crucial in the context of regions like the Middle East and Africa, where local nuances and needs play a pivotal role in shaping effective humanitarian response.
The shift towards localisation in resource mobilisation
Traditionally, humanitarian efforts and resource mobilisation have been predominantly led by INGOs and donors.
However, this approach is increasingly being supplemented by a focus on local resource mobilisation.
This shift is driven by the recognition that local communities possess innate strengths, resources, and capabilities that, when harnessed effectively, can significantly contribute to more resilient and self-sufficient humanitarian responses.
Leveraging local community resources
Local communities are often a wellspring of untapped potential in resource mobilisation. For example, youth volunteers play a vital role in various aspects of humanitarian response, from raising funds and awareness to participating in early recovery activities.
The involvement of local resources, such as human capital, knowledge, and networks, is crucial in initiating and sustaining humanitarian efforts. These youth volunteers play a pivotal role not only in immediate emergency responses but also in leading early recovery efforts and more comprehensive nexus programming.
The involvement of local resources, such as human capital, knowledge, and networks, is crucial in initiating and sustaining humanitarian efforts.
Barriers to effective local resource mobilisation
Resource mobilisation faces several challenges:
Lack of strategy
A common issue among local and national organisations is the absence of a structured, organisation-wide strategy for resource mobilisation.
This often results in inconsistent messaging, internal competition, and fragmented efforts. A comprehensive strategy is key to fostering a sense of ownership, ensuring accountability, and aligning resources with the most pressing needs, ultimately leading to effective program delivery and impact.
Limited training
The training provided to resource mobilisation specialists is often inadequate and lacks structure, hindering the development of effective mobilisation strategies.
Limited coordination and networking
Lack of effective collaboration and communication among various stakeholders, such as local governments, non-profits, civil society organisations (CSOs), community groups, and businesses. This limitation affects the ability to identify, pool, and efficiently utilise available resources within a community or region.
Moreover, poor coordination causes duplication of efforts, missed opportunities for synergy, and inefficient use of resources.
Without strong networks and collaborative strategies, local organisations struggle to mobilise resources effectively, limiting their potential impact on community development and sustainability.
Limited capacity sharing
Capacity sharing involves the exchange of knowledge, skills, resources, and best practices among organisations and communities.
There is a lack of such exchanges, often due to barriers like competition, lack of trust, or simply the absence of mechanisms to facilitate this sharing.
This limitation prevents organisations and communities from learning from each other’s experiences and leveraging each other’s strengths, which is especially important in resource-scarce environments.
This leads to inefficiencies and a reinvention of the wheel, as each entity tries to solve problems independently rather than building on existing knowledge and resources.
Insights and strategies for effective local resources mobilisation
Empowerment through ownership in resource mobilisation
A crucial insight from Middle East and Africa is the empowerment of local communities through the ownership of capacity-building initiatives. This empowerment ensures that resource mobilisation strategies are tailored to the unique contexts and needs of the communities.
When local communities lead their developmental agendas, they generate solutions that are sustainable, culturally attuned, and widely accepted, leading to more resilient outcomes.
Local leadership: a cornerstone of community development
The cultivation of local leadership is a cornerstone of effective community development. By nurturing local actors who understand their community’s dynamics, initiatives gain not only a sense of community ownership but also relevance and sustainability.
Local actors play a critical role in mobilising resources, garnering support, and driving impactful outcomes, ensuring that interventions are not just effective but also resonate with the community’s aspirations and challenges.
Collaboration: strengthening partnerships for broader impact
The creation of partnerships between local entities and international organisations is vital for a balanced and effective resource mobilisation process.
These collaborations bring together a rich tapestry of perspectives, resources, and expertise, fostering a more integrated approach to humanitarian challenges. These partnerships, rooted in mutual respect and a commitment to enhancing local efforts, ensure that international support aligns with and bolsters local initiatives.
Investing in local resource mobilisation: a catalyst for sustainable development
For local and national organisations, recognising that resource mobilisation necessitates initial investment is key. This investment should not be viewed merely as an expenditure but as a strategic catalyst that drives broader resource mobilisation efforts, laying the foundation for sustainable development and enhanced capacity building.
Expanding the horizons of local resource mobilisation
Further enhancing local resource mobilisation requires embracing additional strategies:
Community engagement and learning
Actively engaging community members in understanding the significance and methodologies of resource mobilisation fosters innovative and sustainable approaches.
Tailored workshops, training sessions, joint initiatives, and awareness campaigns can enlighten and motivate community participation, leading to a deeper and more active involvement in these efforts.
Building networks and partnerships
There’s a need for platforms or initiatives that facilitate better communication and collaboration. This might include regular stakeholder meetings, shared databases of resources and needs, joint planning sessions, and collaborative projects.
Building strong relationships and trust among different entities is also crucial for effective coordination.
Capacity sharing
Enhancing capacity sharing requires creating a culture of openness and collaboration, where organisations see the value in learning from and supporting each other. This can be facilitated through networking events, workshops, mentorship programmes, joint training sessions, and collaborative projects.
It also involves recognising and respecting the diverse strengths and contributions of different stakeholders.
Customising approaches to local needs
Resource mobilisation strategies must be adaptable to the specific cultural, economic, and social contexts of each community.
This customisation ensures that the efforts are relevant and effective in addressing the unique challenges and leveraging the specific strengths of each community.
Conclusion: the path ahead in humanitarian efforts
In summary, developing capabilities for local resource mobilisation necessitates a shift from theoretical models to practical, community-centered strategies.
This process involves navigating various challenges, including the lack of a cohesive strategy, inadequate training for specialists, and competition within the NGO sector.
The path forward lies in empowering local communities, cultivating leadership, and nurturing partnerships. Lessons learned from diverse contexts such as the Middle East and Africa region offer valuable insights into effectively mobilising local resources.
These insights underscore the importance of involving local communities and investing in their capacity-building efforts. Such an approach promises not only greater efficiency and sustainability but also ensures that resource mobilisation strategies are closely aligned with the unique strengths and needs of local communities.
About the author
Alaa Albakour is a passionate community mobilisation and capacity-strengthening expert with more than ten years of experience amidst the Syrian crisis and fragile contexts through his work both as a team member and consultant in I/NGOs.
As a certified PMD Pro and PgMD Trainer, he coaches and mentors grassroots civil society organisations in building a response that matches their community needs – both individual organisations or a network of civil society actors. He specialised in mobilising community resources, such as youth volunteers to avoid funding dependency.
He has worked with teams of different backgrounds and has solid intercultural skills. Alaa holds a degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing his PhD. He served on the HPass Steering Committee to contribute to improved learning across the humanitarian sector.
Alaa is speaking at the Humanitarian Xchange 2024 – the inaugural hybrid conference from Save the Children UK and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy taking place on 20 February at the Business Design Centr in London, UK and online.
Will you join in the conversation? Join in person or online – registration is still open and the Humanitarian Xchange is free to attend.
The views expressed in this HLA Community opinion piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Humanitarian Leadership Academy.
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