Localisation and Accountability
to Affected Populations

True to the localisation agenda, the Fund invests in local NGOs, as it recognises that local actors have existing capacities and are best placed to understand the context and the sensitiveness among the diverse rights holders in the communities. This allows them to efficiently address different issues related to PSEA, using native languages of the communities and with the strong understanding of the different cultural and social norms.

As such the Fund is also an investment in further strengthening the commitment of local and national NGOs to PSEA and their concrete investment in this regard. Moreover, the various tools produced are then shared with other local and national NGOs, amplifying thereby the capacity strengthening role of the project.

The Fund also prioritises supporting local NGOs that can demonstrate clear accountability to affected populations (AAP), reinforce the active participation of rights holders in the design and delivery of projects and that leverage local expertise. As demonstrated by the example of FULULU above, there is evidence that community engagement throughout the project contributes to increased trust in humanitarian actors and strengthens the impact of the project.

The Fund represents a rare sectoral investment that advances locally led PSEA efforts while being strategically aligned with international standards and commitments. The Fund is delivering on UNHCR and ICVA Grand Bargain, Global Compact on Refugees commitments and Inter-Agency Standing Committee localisation good practice guidance.

The Fund is committed to localisation in accordance with the Grand Bargain,
the IASC Vision and Strategy: Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (PSEAH) 2022−2026, the IASC Guidance on Strengthening Participation, Representation and Leadership of Local and National Actors in IASC Humanitarian Coordination Mechanisms, ICVA’s 2030 Strategy and the Global Compact on Refugees. It is additionally aligned with UNHCR’s Strategy and Action Plan on Tackling Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment, as well as with its work on meaningful engagement and partnership with organisations led by forcibly displaced and stateless people. Its work on meaningful engagement and partnership with organisations led by forcibly displaced and stateless people.

The Fund is highly regarded as a PSEA partner and provider of technical assistance. The last three years have seen between 1,000 to 1,500 applications per year with 49 projects funded since 2020. Over 1.2 million rights holders are reported to have benefited from the Fund according to recipient organisations and the total financial disbursement to local organisations has been almost USD 1 million.

It is the only PSEA-specific Fund fully committed to supporting local NGOs to deliver outreach and communication activities and materials. The Fund is seen as catalytic - with many organisations able to leverage funding to build capacity, apply for additional donor support and continue to work in the areas of gender-based violence (GBV) and PSEA. This is seen in 83% of survey respondents confirming that they would apply for funding or technical assistance again.

Working with ICVA was instrumental as it fostered innovation in SEA. The organisation will continue to leverage achievements from SEA project in collaboration with ICVA in its work raising awareness of the community on SEA.

Jean Pierre Sibomana, YWCA, Rwanda

For CCJM, it was very important to be the first organisation in Colombia to receive resources from the Fund, since it brought us many short-term achievements including updating our own PEAS protocol and helping other organisations do the same.

Doris Gómez Osorio, Communications Manager,
Corporación Colectiva Justicia Mujer, Colombia

Engaging with rights holders and leveraging local expertise throughout the project cycle results in higher levels of locally contextualised and engaging PSEA outreach campaigns that can lead to meaningful change in communities.

The Fund selects local NGOs that can demonstrate the active participation of community members in the design and delivery of projects. This is also in line with UNHCR’s Operational Guidance on Accountability to Affected Populations. Local NGOs are often best placed and well-attuned to the needs, capacities and preferences of rights holders. They are also well placed to lead and facilitate the sensitive conversations needed to change behaviour and culture, addressing root cause issues that perpetuate SEA and GBV. Ensuring these global standards are locally grounded in the language, messaging and communication modalities that can be accessed, understood, and safely discussed, is a priority of the Fund.

Based on reports by Fund recipients, there is indication of a clear correlation between community engagement in the project process and the degree of trust in humanitarian actors and PSEA systems. 68% of Fund-wide survey respondents stated that rights holders were heavily involved in the design and delivery of the projects. A sample group of rights holders in Ecuador indicated that 77% of them were involved in the revision of materials, and 100% felt they trusted the recipient organisation and that they felt they could report their concerns.

Of the vast majority of projects that reported improved community awareness and increases in SEA reporting, nearly all reported to have discussed the messages and materials directly with communities. In fact, all of the case studies highlighted in the report indicated close engagement with community members (including leaders) in the development of materials and the undertaking of awareness raising.

First, a participatory diagnosis was carried out with the population in which communication needs were identified.

Carlos Dieguez, Coordinator Communications Department, Fundación Lunita Lunera, Ecuador

The case of SAWA Organisation

SAWA Organisation is a Palestinian non-profit organisation that aims to eliminate violence against women and children in all its forms and at all levels, through support services and community awareness-raising. In 2022, SAWA sought to address the absence of survivor-centred, culturally appropriate PSEA communications materials in Palestine, recognising that no organisation had previously interpreted and adapted international standards for local use in their context. The Fund supported SAWA to develop comics and communication materials for communities, targeting different age groups, as well as for themselves, partners and international actors operating in Palestine.

SAWA worked alongside art students from two local universities. Students were heavily involved in the planning, design and messaging. The students also undertook trainings and sensitisation themselves.

SAWA produced 20 sets of comics - 10 for young people and 10 for adults - covering topics from sexual violence to SEA. These materials are still being used by SAWA and other organisations today.

SAWA demonstrates what is possible when organisations are supported to develop context-specific materials that can be used by a wide range of actors. The project also strongly highlights the benefits of using different expertise from the community throughout the project cycle in order to tailor materials to the real needs and preferences of the overall community. SAWA leveraged their networks and local knowledge to improve SEA awareness not only among those involved in the project, but also for other partners who will continue to use the products well into the future.

Through the project we learned that (…) engaging university students and involving them in (PSEA) projects is a helpful experience. We also learned that visual material really is an encouraging and accessible medium to use when trying to encourage participants to discuss their experiences, and ought to be used in every opportunity.

Ohaila Shomar, Chairwoman, SAWA Organisation, Palestine

The Fund supports the strengthening of organisational capacity on PSEA, which provides local organisations with meaningful pathways to play an even greater leadership role in PSEA in their communities and offers them opportunities to build future partnerships.

The Fund supports local organisations that can demonstrate existing capacity to deliver on PSEA projects but might lack the means to do so. These organisations have existing networks, delivery capacity and a strong understanding of power dynamics within their communities. Despite these organisations already demonstrating leadership within their communities, 78% of survey respondents stated that implementing the project helped strengthening their organisation’s capacity on PSEA significantly. The Fund recipients reported that thanks to the Fund’s support, they were able to develop, among other things, internal PSEA guidelines and policies, manuals and trainings for staff, volunteers, service providers and partners and develop service mapping and referral pathways.

Project helped strengthen organisational capacity on PSEA

The organisation is now equipped with a clear understanding of SEA incidents and reporting mechanisms and we have built a strong network [with] all the actors working in the Rohingya context including PSEA Network Cox’s Bazar.

Albert Mollah, Co-Founder and Executive Director,
Access Bangladesh Foundation, Bangladesh

It has been an opportunity for YWCA to revisit its Protection and Safeguarding policy and make sure [it] is exhaustive in terms of SEA reporting and investigation components at organisational level.

Jean Berchmans Harindintwari, Technical Advisor, YWCA, Rwanda

Many key informants and survey respondents reported that as a result of receiving funding and technical support through the Fund, their organisation was in a better position to apply for future funding or to participate in national-level PSEA networks. Some Fund recipients were invited by PSEA networks to present their projects and even train other network members. In addition, some deliverables stemming from the funded projects were adopted by other humanitarian actors. The below case study of Corporación Colectiva Justicia Mujer (CCJM) shows that supporting the strengthening of organisational capacity on PSEA contributes to the enhancement of local leadership in PSEA and the building of future partnerships.

[As a result of the project] our organisation has been invited to participate in the meetings and also to share communication tools with the other members of the SEA prevention working group.

Nelly Mbangu, Coordinator,
Sauti Ya Mama Mukongomani (SMM),
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Femme Congolaise pour le Développement (FECONDE)

The case of Corporación Colectiva Justicia Mujer (CCJM)

Acknowledgment

ICVA would like to thank UNHCR for its partnership and UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) for supporting the PSEA Fund and the research project. ICVA would also like to thank Murrayborn Group for leading on the research project. Furthermore, ICVA would like to express thanks to the members of the Steering Group for their contribution to the Fund and support given to the Fund recipients. Over the last three years, members of the Steering Group included: CARE International, Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities (CDAC) Network, Girls not Brides, ICVA, IOM, Oxfam, Translators without Borders, UNHCR, UNICEF and World Vision International. Finally, ICVA would also like to acknowledge and thank the Fund recipients and the communities they engaged with.