Despite continued calls for locally led action in the humanitarian sector, the power of the humanitarian research agenda remains largely in the hands of well-resourced Western institutions, who fund and define the research priorities. Local actors– if involved at all – are often assigned pre-defined research tasks with little room to lead or guide the research question, approach or methodology. This misses the value-add that locally led research can bring being often more aligned to affected people’s needs and using innovative methods and approaches embedded in the cultures and norms of local populations. At a time of sector-wide reduced funding, it is even more important than ever to understand the role and value of locally led research to accurately prioritise and understand humanitarian need s in crises.

A shift in power will require more funding in the handsof localactors and greater decision-making power in terms of what and how things are researched. However, the question remains, will this be possible:

• At a time when donors and INGOs are facing increased regulation and scrutiny of how money is spent and
• Given that the sector’s prevailing research norms are shaped by frameworks originating in well-resourced Western institutions - including assumptions about what counts as evidence, which methods are “rigorous,” and how research questions should be framed.

Join this event,organisedby the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, to hear more about what change is needed, the current challenges and barriers hindering progress, and what can be done to drive change towards a locally led research agenda.

To unpack these questions, we have a panel of experts/practitioners from Open Space Works Ukraine (a women’s-led local research organisation based in Ukraine), KAOS (a local LGBTQI+ association that conducts research in Turkey and Syria), the Humanitarian Leadership Academy (a department in SCUK who aim to accelerate locally-led humanitarian action) and ELRHA (a global organisation that funds transformative research studies in the sector).

Speakers:

Tamara Low - Humanitarian Leadership Academy (a department in Save the Children UK with the mission to accelerate locally led action)

Maryana Zaviyska - Open Space Works Ukraine (a women’s-led local research organisation based in Ukraine)

Umut Güner - KAOS (a local LGBTQI+ association that conducts research and advocacy in Turkey and Syria)

Kai Hopkins- ELHRA (a global organisation that funds transformative research studies in the sector).