How can humanitarian funding reach people more efficiently while strengthening locally led action? This study examines 41 projects funded through the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, representing $88.3 million in funding, to compare the costs of delivering aid through UN agencies, international NGOs, and local organizations.
The analysis finds that local intermediaries can deliver programming 9.7% more cost efficiently on average, compared with international delivery models. Local organizations were 12.7% more cost efficient than UN agencies and 9.5% more cost efficient than international NGOs, largely due to lower staff, overhead, and administrative costs.
The study also explores how funding structures can reduce unnecessary layers and get more resources to local actors, while recognizing the important roles international partners can play in areas such as technical support, security, compliance, and capacity strengthening.
The findings point to opportunities for the Sudan Humanitarian Fund and its partners to expand direct and locally led funding, strengthen equitable partnerships, and ensure that cost efficiency is considered alongside quality, effectiveness, and the value that different partners bring to humanitarian response.