Anticipatory action (AA) is increasingly seen as the silver bullet of humanitarian action, in a context of growing complexity and severity of crisis and shrinking funding. The logic behind it is indeed irrefutable: it saves times, prevents costs and delivers better-quality aid. But is it really that new?

Our panel will discuss how local actors have not waited the formalization of AA approaches to identify concrete triggers, prepare for crisis and build field resilience nets. These local systems however often lack formalization, and don't fit in global indicators and mechanisms, which tends to make them invisible. They might however prove to be more cost-efficient, based on concrete experiences of communities, and fit to purpose. While less compatible with standardization and scale-up mechanisms, and therefore less adapted to the humanitarian industry processes and funding channels, this doesn't mean they cannot inform and improve global systems and approaches.

To build these synergies, CartONG and Ground Truth Solutions, as part of an H2H programme funded by BHA, have been recently assessing the promises of anticipatory action together with local actors, and tring to make it more people-centred and accountable.

Based on these experiences and other voices, we will reflect on how global AA mechanisms can better integrate the voice of communities and local responders, to build system that takes the best of the two worlds.