Towards a Locally-led Peacebuilding (LLPB) self-assessment tool
To move the ‘localisation’ agenda into concrete action with and beyond their partners a small steering group (SG) of funding institutions (PeaceNexus Foundation, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Humanity United and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs) initiated a process to develop a tool to self-assess and advance the quality of locally-led practice.
The tool is adapted to the peacebuilding sector, with a strong emphasis on conflict sensitivity and context-driven role allocation in settings that are increasingly restricted. It also puts locally-led principles into practice by ensuring that changes in practice are informed by input from partners and reflected in partnership agreements.
The tool aims to:
- assist INGOs, networks or other re-granters to take stock of their own performance and be a guide to self-assessment and internal change in line with locally-led principles;
- inform conversations with local and international actors, to advance equitable partnership practices.
A first version of the tool was developed with other funders, intermediaries and local partners in a workshop in The Hague in April 2025 and has been tested by participants of the workshop since then.
All partners used portions of the tool that were most relevant to them, adapting and integrating into their processes in different ways: the questions were used in surveys for staff and partners and in facilitated discussions. Conversation about purpose, language and safety were held, but there were nevertheless challenges in enabling honest critical feedback from partners.
Testing is still on-going and the group re-convened in September to review experience and results. International Alert, Search for Common Ground, Peace Direct, WANEP, Resolve Network , GPPAC, and others found that the tool created structured space for difficult conversations, encouraged teams to reflect on partnership practices and identify specific internal processes or gaps to be addressed.
In these review meetings, it was also agreed to share the framework and questions used as-is, with a clear caveat that it is a working version. The invitation is therefore to take what is useful, adapt it, simplify it and integrate it in existing organisational processes.
The intention of the Steering Group is to share it via peer-learning spaces and donor roundtables, to contribute to existing conversations, including those around implementing the new Practical Guidelines for Supporting Locally Led Development | OECD and the Call-to-Action that followed its publication.
Please contact carole.frampton@peacenexus.org if you have any questions or plan to use the tool. Our hope is that this initiative will help change both partnering and funding modalities, as well as encourage more donors to select intermediaries that walk the talk of locally-led peacebuilding.
Downloadable links: