localization labs
Syria Localisation Lab
Overview
The Syria Lab is a Syrian-led space that primarily aimed to protect and advance the progress achieved in localisation within the humanitarian context in the country. Following the political change in the country, the Lab widened its mission to achieve locally led and country-owned development, extending beyond the narrow humanitarian definition. This is achieved by creating linkages between the private, public and social sectors. The Lab seeks to document progress made on the localisation agenda, not merely for archival purposes, but to ensure that it is not rolled back or redefined in isolation from Syrian actors. This entails building a Syrian institutional memory capable of tracking shifts, analysing them, and building upon them. It is an open space for all civil actors willing to engage in collective reflection, away from alignments or geographic and political divisions.
The Lab operates across three interlinked levels:
Advocacy within the current system: Advancing improved partnership conditions and strengthening local leadership within the existing aid architecture (incremental change).
Knowledge production and alternative policy proposals: Developing Syrian perspectives on localisation and shifting from coordination to strategic planning, in alignment with the post-conflict phase.
Testing new models outside the traditional system: Designing and piloting innovative solutions aimed at reducing dependency and building genuine institutional autonomy (transformational change).
Openness to international expertise and comparative learning: Drawing on the experiences of similar labs and alliances in post-conflict contexts.
Kinan Diab
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- April 26, 2022
Local leadership in Northwest Syria fund and implement their own winter relief campaign.
01
Movement Building
Movement Building
The lab focuses on building and amplifying a collective voice for localisation in Syria. This involves expanding outreach, strengthening governance, and creating a unified strategy that represents actors from all regions.
Expand Baseline Data: Building on the 2024 survey, data collection will be expanded to include 100 additional NGOs from other governorates across Syria to capture a more representative picture of the humanitarian landscape.
Conduct Localisation Information Sessions: Host 10 sessions targeting 50 NGOs to build awareness and engagement around localisation principles and the lab’s work. (May – June 2025)
Organise Validation Workshops: A workshop will be held in Damascus with 60 national stakeholders (state, private sector, academia, donors, INGOs) to validate the WoS localisation strategy.
Strategic partnerships: The lab’s governance structure aims to ensure equal representation across all of Syria’s geography. This is achieved via having the Syrian NGO Alliance in its steering committee, along with the Women-Led Organisations Platform. To ensure NEAR’s membership leadership, three seats are reserved for Syrian NEAR member organisations.
02
Building Bridges
Bridges
This workstream is dedicated to positioning local actors as primary decision-makers by building bridges with donors, INGOs, and UN agencies. The focus is on creating safe spaces for dialogue and developing evidence-based advocacy for genuine partnership.
Form Policy Advocacy Working Group: Establish a group to develop a targeted advocacy plan, including a comprehensive analysis of the funding landscape and stakeholder mapping.
Develop Advocacy Products: Produce three key advocacy products, such as policy briefs and papers, to bridge understanding gaps between local actors and international stakeholders.
Create Safe Spaces for Dialogue: Continue facilitating forums, workshops, and bilateral dialogues between local leaders and donors to discuss priorities, challenges, and opportunities for equal partnerships.
03
Solutions
Solutions
The lab aims to co-create, uplift, and amplify local solutions. This involves identifying what already works on the ground, designing sustainable financing mechanisms, and building a national framework for sharing capacity and knowledge.
Map Existing Solutions: Carry out a solutions mapping exercise using surveys and workshops to identify, document, and evaluate existing local solutions and opportunities across different regions.
Design a Tailored Financing Mechanism: Based on a feasibility study of mapped solutions, design an innovative financing mechanism (e.g., pooled funds, micro-grants) that is reliable, sustainable, and tailored to local needs. 2026
Create a National Capacity Sharing Framework: Establish a framework to align capacities across regions, address risks, ensure access to essential tools, and enable surge capacity among NGOs.
Establish a Capacity & Knowledge Sharing Working Group: Form a dedicated group to lead and coordinate capacity strengthening efforts.
Develop a Long-Term Sustainability Strategy: Collaborate with NEAR to create a business development and fundraising strategy to secure the lab’s future beyond the current grant cycle, with a plan to integrate into a sustainable national coordination mechanism. 2026
04
Learning
Learning
To drive systemic change, the lab is committed to generating and promoting learning. This includes facilitating peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, documenting successes, and ensuring feedback mechanisms are in place to guide the lab’s evolution.
Organise Peer-to-Peer Support Sessions: Host workshops and sessions for 45 NGOs to advance learning and knowledge exchange based on identified gaps. (December 2025 – April 2026)
Implement Feedback Mechanisms: Establish formal communication and feedback channels for all lab stakeholders to ensure accountability and responsiveness.
Document and Share Success Stories: Highlight effective localisation practices by documenting success stories and sharing them widely on platforms like the NEAR website, social media, and other humanitarian channels.