Decolonisation deferred: How accountability regimes centralised power in INGOs

Abstract

This opinion piece examines the tension between accountability and power in the humanitarian sector. It argues that frameworks such as HAP and CHS Alliance, while important for safeguarding and accountability, have also contributed to the recentralisation of authority within INGOs, reducing the operational autonomy of frontline leaders.  The article highlights how frontline leaders increasingly carry operational and reputational risks, while strategic control remains concentrated at headquarters. It challenges humanitarian organisations to reflect on whether current systems genuinely advance localisation and decolonisation, or unintentionally reproduce unequal power structures. The piece advocates for a more balanced leadership model that combines strong accountability mechanisms with trust, contextual decision-making, and meaningful empowerment of frontline leadership. Ultimately, it encourages humanitarian actors to critically examine organisational culture, power relations, and institutional practices shaping humanitarian leadership today.