This report examines the relationship between local agency and humanitarian effectiveness across ten projects in Nigeria and Ukraine. Drawing on surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews, The Share Trust finds that local actors consistently held the least decision-making power in funding and project design, and the most in delivery and learning — reflecting structural constraints that persist across both contexts.
In Ukraine, projects led by local organizations as prime partners were rated more highly on most effectiveness criteria; in Nigeria the picture was more mixed, with funding quality proving more important than whether funding is direct to a local organization or channelled via an INGO.
The report identifies five key enablers of locally led action and calls for more systematic measurement of local decision-making and agency, equitable funding conditions, and deliberate partnership design. Locally led action is ultimately a question of who decides, not merely who delivers.