International agencies have committed to channel more funding and decision-making to local and national actors, yet many partnerships still treat community organisations as subcontractors that deliver activities and absorb risk. Real ownership requires changes on both sides of the relationship. Over five days, programme, partnership and grants staff work through the Grand Bargain localisation commitments, the Charter for Change and the Core Humanitarian Standard, then translate them into practice: joint organisational capacity assessments, partner-led capacity strengthening plans, fair indirect cost recovery and proportionate due diligence.
Later sessions address risk sharing, mentoring and accompaniment models, shared monitoring and learning, and transition plans that hand over leadership of programmes, budgets and donor relationships. Case discussions draw on humanitarian response, health, livelihoods and governance programmes across Africa. Partnership managers, country directors, grants managers, capacity development advisers, compliance officers and leaders of local NGOs and community-based organisations will find it directly relevant. Participants leave able to negotiate more equitable partnership terms and to design capacity support that local organisations own. Classroom, online and in-house options are available, each leading to a CPD-accredited certificate.
Localisation has moved from a policy aspiration to a test of credibility for international NGOs, UN agencies and donors. Local organisations are often first to respond in a crisis and remain long after international teams leave, but they frequently receive short-term project funding, little overhead and capacity building designed around the compliance needs of the funder rather than their own priorities. Fostering genuine ownership means rethinking how partners are selected, assessed, funded, supported and eventually handed full responsibility.
The Fostering Ownership: Localization and Capacity Building of Local Partners Training Course follows the partnership lifecycle. It opens with the principles behind the localisation agenda and the power dynamics that shape partnerships. Participants then examine partner selection and due diligence, participatory capacity assessment, capacity strengthening approaches that go beyond workshops, and equitable financial arrangements including core funding and overheads. The closing days cover shared risk management, joint monitoring and the design of exit and transition strategies.
The course is discussion-led and highly applied. Participants bring examples of their own partnerships, test assessment tools on case organisations and leave with a partnership improvement plan they can take back to colleagues and partners.
Participants will leave able to:
Participants take away practical tools, including:
Sessions are participatory and rooted in partnership experience across the sector. Methods include:
Day 1: The Localisation Agenda and Power in Partnerships
Day 2: Partner Selection, Due Diligence and Agreements
Day 3: Capacity Assessment and Strengthening
Day 4: Equitable Funding and Shared Risk
Day 5: Joint Learning, Transition and Sustainability
The course suits people who build, fund or lead partnerships between international and local organisations:
Participants earn a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy on attending all five days and submitting their completed partnership improvement plan.
Upcoming cohorts
CPD-Accredited
Official invoice & confirmation letter provided
Team discount for 3+ seats
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Everything you need to know about this course before you register.
By the end of the Fostering Ownership: Localization and Capacity Building of Local Partners programme, you'll be able to explain the commitments of the grand bargain, the charter for change and related localisation frameworks, analyse power, funding and decision-making imbalances in existing partnerships, conduct a joint organisational capacity assessment with a local partner, and design capacity strengthening plans that partners lead and own. The full breakdown of topics is covered session by session in the Course Outline tab above.
The course suits people who build, fund or lead partnerships between international and local organisations: Partnership and localisation advisers in international NGOs, Country directors and heads of programmes, Grants and award managers, Capacity development and organisational development specialists, Compliance, finance and risk officers who assess partners, Executive directors and managers of local NGOs and community-based organisations, Donor and UN agency staff managing implementing partners, and Humanitarian coordinators and cluster or working group leads.
Fostering Ownership: Localization and Capacity Building of Local Partners Training Course typically runs as 5 Days. It's available as in-person classroom, live virtual, and in-house corporate training — every course can also be delivered on-site for your team on dates that suit you.
Fostering Ownership: Localization and Capacity Building of Local Partners Training Course is scheduled in-classroom in Nairobi, Kenya, Mombasa, Kenya, Naivasha, Kenya, and Kisumu, Kenya, and 14 other locations, plus a live interactive virtual classroom you can join from anywhere. Check the schedule panel above for exact upcoming dates and fees in each location.
The next live virtual cohort of Fostering Ownership: Localization and Capacity Building of Local Partners starts October 12, 2026, with new classroom cohorts also running on a rolling basis. Pick a date and location in the schedule panel above, then click "Register for the Course" — it takes a few minutes and your seat is confirmed once payment or a signed purchase order is received.
Yes — delegates who meet the attendance requirement receive a Certificate of Completion for Fostering Ownership: Localization and Capacity Building of Local Partners Training Course from Vision Reach Global Consultancy, issued in the name you register with, so double-check the spelling at checkout.
Fostering Ownership: Localization and Capacity Building of Local Partners Training Course is pitched at intermediate professionals. If you're unsure whether it's the right fit for your current role or background, message our training advisors before you register and they'll help you confirm.
Fees for Fostering Ownership: Localization and Capacity Building of Local Partners Training Course vary by delivery location and format and are shown in real time in the schedule panel above once you pick a date. Register 3 or more delegates on the same course together and a 5% team discount is applied automatically — larger cohorts can request a custom corporate quote.
Yes — Fostering Ownership: Localization and Capacity Building of Local Partners Training Course can be delivered on-site at your offices (or virtually for distributed teams), with case studies and examples tailored to your industry and the specific challenges your team is working through. Switch to the "In-House" tab in the schedule panel above to request a proposal.
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