An Oxfam evaluation of its Emergency Response Fund Agility pilot examines a locally led funding model tested in Bangladesh, Puerto Rico and Uganda between 2021 and 2025, in which flexible, pre-positioned resources managed by local consortia were used to respond to small and underfunded emergencies within 72 hours. The evaluation finds that shifting decision-making closer to local actors enabled faster and more context-sensitive responses, strengthened local leadership and increased participation by women-led, refugee-led and youth organisations. It also highlights the importance of simplified procedures, coverage of indirect costs and flexible, predictable and multiannual funding. At the same time, complex donor compliance requirements remain a major barrier to direct access by local organisations, while further evidence is needed on scalability, comparative cost efficiency and risk management. Oxfam recommends that donors invest in scalable locally managed mechanisms and reform their funding systems to transfer greater decision-making power to local actors. Read the study here.
Source: Oxfam