ILLA — Institute for Locally Led Action is an independent initiative dedicated to turning localisation commitments into practice across humanitarian, peace and development action.

The international aid system has made important commitments to localisation, locally led action, equitable partnerships and greater accountability to affected communities. Frameworks such as the Grand Bargain, the Charter for Change, the Core Humanitarian Standard and the NEAR Localisation Performance Measurement Framework have helped define what needs to change.

Yet, in practice, too often local and national organisations remain treated as implementers rather than decision-makers. Funding, visibility, risk management, strategic leadership and access to decision-making spaces continue to be concentrated in international structures.

ILLA was created to help close this gap.

We support organisations, donors and practitioners to move from policy language to measurable institutional and programmatic change. Our work focuses on practical implementation: how partnerships are designed, how resources flow, how risks are shared, how local organisations are strengthened, and how leadership is recognised and transferred in practice.

ILLA is based in Norway, using Norway’s strong humanitarian and development tradition as a platform for international dialogue, learning and reform. At the same time, our perspective is grounded in the lived experience, technical expertise and leadership of practitioners from crisis-affected and Global South contexts.

We believe localisation is not simply about working with local partners. It is about changing how power, resources and decisions move within the humanitarian, peace and development system.

Our mission is to help make locally led action practical, measurable and credible.