| The Grand Bargain Bimonthly Updates |
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Latest news from the Grand Bargain | February 2023
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Dear Grand Bargain Signatories,
The beginning of this year has been challenging for the humanitarian sector, with unexpected crises adding to existing ones, worsening the situation of people in need.
As EP Jan Egeland pointed out in his letter in early January, the sector's capacity is already stretched out to its limits, which calls for a transformation of how the sector operates and how it is funded. Grand Bargain is the best tool to date for achieving this transformational change in 2023, and beyond.
A lot has been achieved within the Grand Bargain, from collective successes such as the new cash coordination model, the recognition of multi-year funding as a preferred modality and the importance of strengthening equitable partnerships in supporting local humanitarian action; to individual institutional changes, of which there were many, as demonstrated in the self-reports, and in the implementation of caucus outcomes.
As we are less than six months away from the Grand Bargain Annual Meeting 2023 (19 and 20 June, more information here), we need to focus on the implementation of the commitments.
In this first edition of the year of the Grand Bargain Bi-monthly newsletter, we are pleased to present you the latest updates of the Facilitation Group on the future of the Grand Bargain and the Annual Independent Report, the overview of the Signatories that endorsed the caucus outcomes (we are continuously updating the webpage with the new endorsers), and the latest updates on the workstream 2 on localisation.
We are also thrilled to announce that Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) is the 66th Signatory to join the Grand Bargain. Read their statement here.
We wish you pleasant reading,
The Grand Bargain Secretariat
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| Update from the Facilitation Group |
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For the past two months, the Facilitation Group members focused on the proposal of the future of the Grand Bargain, beyond June 2023. The Facilitation Group Sherpas discussed at the end of January, and are refining it before consulting on it with the constituencies.
The self-reporting period is concluded, with 92% of reports submitted. The research team (ODI) is reaching out for individual interviews in March. Please find out more about the research team here.
Beginning of February 2023, Germany took over from ICRC as the Facilitation Group Chair for the next two months. |
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| Latest from the caucuses, workstreams, and other initiatives |
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| Endorsement of the caucus outcomes on cash coordination, quality funding and role of intermediaries |
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Endorsement of the Grand Bargain caucus outcomes
Following the meeting on the implementation of caucus outcomes in November 2022, we asked the Signatories to endorse the caucus outcomes on cash coordination, quality funding and role of intermediaries. So far, 53% of the Signatories endorsed the outcomes of the caucus on quality funding, and 56% on the role of intermediaries. We are updating the list on the website here continuously, and encourage you to endorse the outcomes.
We can only achieve transformative change together - as EP Jan Egeland noted early this year, we need all Signatories to realise their Grand Bargain commitments and follow the lead of the caucus members and implement the caucus recommendations.
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| Workstream 2 (More support and funding tools for local and national responders) - Subgroup on financing |
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Grand Bargain Workstream 2 subgroup on financing - Humanitarian Finance Data Systems: Stocktable & Collective thinking
The subgroup co-chaired by Oxfam and A4EP organised a virtual session with the aim of taking stock of existing humanitarian data tracking systems, increasing knowledge and understanding of various humanitarian data tracking systems across the sector, increasing awareness of those contributing and managing humanitarian data tracking systems about what is missing and what data users want to be able to see tracked.
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| Caucus on funding for localisation |
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Why is the target of 25% of humanitarian funding to local and national actors so important?
In July 2022, Grand Bargain EP Jan Egeland and NEAR Executive Director Hibak Kalfan successfully launched a caucus on funding for localisation, with members from the following organisations: USAID, Denmark, UNHCR, OCHA, IFRC, Save the Children, A4EP and the NW Syria NGO forum.
The caucus members are working together to find an agreement that includes a roadmap, which establishes a new timeline, through milestones, to reach the 25% target of all funding delivered as directly as possible to local/national responders and to ensure ongoing transparency.
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| Why is the target of 25% of humanitarian funding to local and national actors so important? Marwa Eissa, Director of Partnership Development & Management at Takaful al-Sham, explains here. |
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| How to implement the Grand Bargain commitments at country-level? |
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Guidance - How to implement the Grand Bargain commitments at the country-level?
This was developed by the Grand Bargain Secretariat with the aim to translate the results achieved so far into practical examples of implementation and also to strengthen the linkages with the country-level. The Grand Bargain only makes a difference if we ensure it has an impact on the ground– meaning better and more efficient and effective assistance to the people in need. This guidance provides an overview of the Grand Bargain commitments and priorities, its main achievements, and concrete ways to implement them in the daily work at the operational level.
Read the guidance here
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Risk sharing - updates
In December 2022, the Netherlands, the ICRC, and InterAction renewed their commitment as co-leads of the Risk Sharing Initiative. Building on the strong evidence gained in 2022 through the Risk Sharing Platform and the report “Risk Sharing in Practice”, co-leads aim to drive the development of a framework to enhance risk acceptance sector-wide through the Platform.
To this end, together with a consultant, co-leads are convening monthly meetings with Platform participants to generate constructive discussions around risk sharing. Click here to know more about it.
Representatives of Signatories who would like to join the Risk Sharing Platform can reach out to Renet van der Waals, Samar Al-Attar, and Lindsay Hamsik .
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| Latest from the Signatories |
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Charter4Change recommendations on funding for localisation
The Charter4Change (C4C) Coalition convened its 2022 Global Annual Conference on January 24th-26th 2023 with a Session on the Grand Bargain Caucus on Funding for Localisation. Over 80 participants joined the meeting from across the C4C membership; including INGOs and local/national actors (LNAs) and allies from every region around the world.
Based on the discussions, they developed recommendations targeting both members of the Grand Bargain Caucus and the wider range of Grand Bargain Signatories as they take forward efforts on funding for localisation. Click here to read the recommendation
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The Grand Bargain in practice: How do humanitarian organisations ensure affected people are part of the decision-making?
As part of the Grand Bargain’s commitments, participation is the one, which can shift the power to the communities. In humanitarian operations, the Signatories have been implementing their commitments through different approaches: examples from various actors, such as the UNRWA, International Committee of the Red Cross, the World Food Programme, and the Norwegian Refugee Council have been developing community-driven programmes showing evidence that participation is happening. Read the examples in the article here.
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A4EP calls for action on commitments in the earthquake response in Turkiye and Norht West Syria
Reminding the international community on the Grand Bargain commitments to localisation, and the lessons learned from the past.
Click here to read the paper
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