Humanitarian Practice Network

For too long, the aid sector has prioritised international experts over local practitioners and yet local practitioners already have the networks, language skills and cultural understanding for effective response.

In our new article, Rita Abi Akar (public health nutritionist), Etel Godwill Fagbohoun (nutrition and food security specialist) and Alexandra Humphreys (localisation specialist) look at how the Global Nutrition Cluster is changing this by prioritising national expertise. From better coordination to faster trust-building with local partners, the benefits are huge. But it also highlights a major challenge: ensuring that national experts are treated with the same respect and provided the same fair pay as their international counterparts.

It’s time to move beyond the ‘lack of capacity’ myth and start valuing the expertise that already exists on the ground. Shifting power isn’t just about hiring locally, it’s about ensuring equitable pay, fair treatment and challenging the assumption that external expertise carries more weight.

Read the article.

The case for prioritising national expertise in humanitarian work | Humanitarian Practice Network This article explores the value of national expertise in humanitarian work, highlighting its role in improving effectiveness, trust and locally led response.