Interview: trainer Pilar Chaves on our new Localising Accountability to Affected Populations course

INTRAC’s training offer will continue to grow in early 2026, with our new course on Localising Accountability to Affected Populations. Due to begin in January, the course will equip civil society actors and local organisations with the practical skills and tools needed to embed accountability to affected populations (AAP) in their daily work. Here, Andy Johnson speaks with trainer Pilar Chaves about her experience of accountability and her plans for this exciting new learning opportunity.

PC: Accountability to affected populations is often used as a broad, even widely cited, term that risks losing its practical meaning. For me, to localise accountability means creating real opportunities for civil society and local organisations to strengthen their practices so that decision-making rests as close as possible with the communities themselves.

Through its focus on the key pillars – facilitating meaningful participation, effective information sharing, establishing responsive feedback mechanisms, and ensuring transparency in decision-making – participants on this course will be equipped to embed accountability into their daily work and promote quality on their projets.

I acknowledge that accountability and stakeholder participation are already central to many organisations’ practices. In this course, while we will draw on international standards, my focus is on demystifying these practices – breaking them down into clear, practical steps—and creating space for peer reflection and exchange. I hope to equip participants with tools and develop concrete action plans that simplify accountability processes and adapt them to the specific needs and contexts of their organisations.

PC: My professional experience has shown me that accountability is most effective when it is practical, context-specific, and genuinely involves the targeted public within the programs. Working with diverse organisations, I have seen that while many have formal commitments to accountability, these often remain abstract unless translated into clear practices and tools. This has shaped my approach: I focus on making accountability more accessible, breaking it down into actionable steps, and creating mechanisms that empower local teams.

PC: Localisation positions civil society organisations as key actors in the sector, while international standards, best practices, and donors continue to emphasise the need for clear accountability mechanisms to ensure that affected populations remain at the center of projects and programs.

Organisations are increasingly recognising that affected populations should not only be consulted but actively involved in decision-making and feedback processes. In response, this course is designed to reflect these sectoral shifts, helping organisations translate global standards into practical, context-specific actions that strengthen locally led accountability.

PC: I aim to make this course genuinely interactive and engaging by ensuring meaningful participation in every session. To achieve this, I use a mix of formats – online modules, individual coaching sessions, and live sessions – that encourage reflection, problem-solving, and group work. Participants are invited to engage with testimonials, discuss real-life examples, and take part in practical exercises that connect directly to their own contexts. The course space is designed not only to share good practices but also to foster active reflection, exchange of experiences, and application of learning, making the process dynamic and relevant for everyone.

PC: I often notice that local organisations see accountability as a distant concept, mainly associated with large humanitarian organisations, when in fact it is closely linked to the core principle of do no harm. The individual coaching sessions are valuable because, while group discussions create shared insights, these one-on-one conversations focus on each participant’s specific organisational context and challenges. Participants can expect tailored guidance, practical advice, and support in developing concrete action plans that make accountability processes more relevant and achievable in their daily work. I am eager to support each individual in putting theory into practice and hopefully witness real changes from this training.

PC: I will hope for them to feel that accountability is no longer a distant or abstract concept, but something tangible that they can adapt to their own organisational realities.