CBM Global is committed to authentic partnership and ensuring strong representation of people with disabilities and voices from the Global South at all levels within our work. We continued to push forward through the year with our power shift commitments, building on a long history of operating as a partner-based organisation rather than implementing directly. Embracing Partnership is one of our core organisational values. We have defined six CBM Global partnership principles that ground all we do: complementarity of purpose, inclusiveness, responsiveness and flexibility, mutual responsibility and accountability, trust and respect, and joint learning.
Partner feedback survey
In May 2022, we introduced the routine of partner feedback surveys to ensure that we formally hear from our partners and identify where we can improve. We invited all our programme partners across 15 countries to respond to an online survey and this was complemented by focus interviews with 10 randomly selected partners to further explore certain areas which stood out from the survey responses. We plan to conduct a similar feedback exercise every two to three years so that we can track how we improve our ways of working based on partner feedback.
“When we’re with CBM Global there is no institutional ego in our discussions,” CBM Global partner from Indonesia.
Global Disability Summit commitments
In 2020 we undertook a listening exercise with our partner Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs). This was done while we were setting out our commitments towards working in partnership with the disability movement. This was a truly formative experience, enabling us to shape the commitments we made towards meaningful engagement with OPDs at the February 2022 Global Disability Summit.
Localisation Steering Group
In 2022 a Localisation Steering Group was created, made up of a range of OPD representatives to advise us on the direction and pace of changes needed for our structures, systems and ways of working to be truly locally led.
“Localisation in the Pacific would mean – locally-led solution that ‘looks Pacific feels Pacific and smells Pacific’. Led by Pacific people with the support of partners that come along side and work with us,” Laisa Vereti, The Pacific Disability Forum (PDF).
The steering group has been helping us to reflect on the power relationships that underpin our ways of working, and to rebalance towards more equitable partnerships with local actors and organisations, including the disability movement worldwide. In 2023, we are planning to finalise a road map with the steering group, setting the direction and pace of further changes needed to our strategy, structures, systems and ways of working.
“I can envision a CBM Global composed of people who are sensitive and should have the keenness of listening and understanding, with critical thinking to analyze OPDs wishes and need to be strengthened to become effective partners and frontliners in development,” Carmen Reyes Zubiaga, WOWLEAP Inc (Women with Disabilities Leap to Social and Economic Progress), Philippines.
Charter4Change
Furthermore, in late 2022, CBM Global was confirmed as a Charter4Change signatory. Charter4Change is an initiative for organisations to practically implement changes to the way the humanitarian system operates that enable more locally-led responses, with southern-based national actors playing an increased and more prominent role. The Charter4Change commitments are very much aligned with CBM Global’s partnership approach and our drive towards authentic partnership with the disability movement.
“It is very satisfying to observe partner organisations with whom we work here in Kenya, including organisations of persons with disabilities, having an increasingly strong voice in decision making in our partnerships. This is core to realising our vision of an inclusive world in which all people with disabilities enjoy their human rights and achieve their full potential. There is much more still to be done and we look forward to working with and learning from other Charter4Change signatories in our pursuit of becoming more locally-led,” Edwin Osundwa, CBM Global Kenya Country Director.