Conversations about the localization of humanitarian action tend to inspire everything from optimism to a sense of frustration and resignation – from actors involved at all levels. Humanitarian action at large has been a predominantly international endeavor, where power lies with donors, UN agencies, and large international NGOs.

However, the push for a more localized humanitarian system – one that is ‘as local as possible and as international as necessary’ – has gained momentum in recent years, particularly since the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul. Emerging from this was the Grand Bargain, a unique agreement between some of the largest donors and humanitarian organizations who committed to getting more means into the hands of people in need and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian action.

Recognizing local and national actors’ key role in effective, gender-responsive and inclusive humanitarian action, the Localization Task Team (LTT), co-chaired by UN Women, Jordan National NGOs Forum , and the Jordan INGO Forum (JIF), under the Humanitarian Partners Forum, launched a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Framework, which tracks and measures progress on the localisation agenda in Jordan