Localization as a shift in power 

Localization is often described through technical language: funding flows, partnership agreements, due diligence, reporting requirements, and coordination mechanisms. All of these matter. But at its core, localization is about power. 

Who defines needs? 

Who shapes priorities? 

Who controls resources? 

Who is visible when results are communicated? 

And who is trusted to lead? 

For SDC Ukraine, this work builds on Switzerland’s broader commitment to subsidiarity and locally led cooperation: the belief that decisions should be shaped as closely as possible to the people and communities affected by them. In Ukraine, this principle meets a context where localization is not abstract. It is operational, urgent, and central to the country’s recovery. 

Local leadership is not only about who receives support. It is about whether local actors are heard when needs are defined, whether they can influence how support is delivered, and whether partnerships strengthen their ability to act over time. 

As the mayor of Putivl described SDC’s support to his community, what mattered was not only the equipment received, but the way the process was built around dialogue: “Communication was at every stage.” Needs were discussed, options reviewed, procurement coordinated, and implementation followed through with the community.  

That is the practical side of localization: not a slogan, but a different way of working. 

From reactive response to institutionalized practice 

Since 2022, SDC Ukraine’s localization work has evolved from rapid, emergency-driven support toward more structured and institutionalized practice. 

Early partnerships with Ukrainian NGOs and volunteer networks were followed by the introduction of Fair Partnership Principles and a Duty of Care Minimum Package for Ukrainian partners. These tools address issues such as partner safety, insurance, psychosocial support, volunteer protection, equitable cost coverage, simplified reporting, and shared visibility. Between 2023 and 2024, around 17 percent of SDC humanitarian funding in Ukraine was channeled directly to national NGOs, above SDC’s global baseline.  

Some indicators track what can be counted: the share of direct funding to local and national actors, the presence of duty of care standards, or the availability of communication products in Ukrainian. Others ask more difficult questions: whether local partners experience dialogue as respectful and transparent, whether their priorities influence strategic decisions, whether capacity support reflects their own needs, and whether they are recognized as co-leaders rather than beneficiaries.  

In doing so, the framework moves beyond activity counts. 

A workshop does not necessarily mean influence. 

A partnership agreement does not necessarily mean equity. 

A funding transfer does not necessarily mean autonomy. 

A consultation does not necessarily mean shared decision-making. 

The framework asks a more demanding question: are local actors leading, shaping, deciding, and being recognized? 

Partnership as a system, not a transaction

The process itself reflected this ambition. 

Voluntās’ work moved through four phases: understanding the localization landscape, co-defining the framework, validating it with SDC teams and partners, and preparing the baseline that will measure progress over time. Each phase was designed to connect policy alignment, participatory design, and evidence-based measurement.  

This matters because local partners consistently describe the quality of the relationship as central to meaningful cooperation. For Dobrobat, a Ukrainian civil society organization working on rapid response after attacks, partnership is not only about receiving funds. It is about direct communication, clear responsibilities, shared planning, and being treated as a partner rather than a subcontractor. 

As Mykhailo Bryzhko from Dobrobat explained, “We do not call them donors, we communicate with them as partners.” For him, real partnership depends on two-way relationships, direct contact, and the ability to understand not only local needs, but also the priorities of the international partner.  

This distinction is central to localization. A subcontractor delivers against someone else’s plan. A partner helps shape the plan. shaping, deciding, and being recognized? 

From fixed plans to living systems 

Since 2019, Voluntās has supported Aarhus Vand as a strategic advisor, where the initial engagement was advising the company on the development of the 2025-strategy – running from 2020 to 2025. This strategy marked a turning point. It helped position Aarhus Vand among the most innovative utility companies globally and establishing its purpose as a guiding north star: To create health through clean water – for the people and the planet. It strengthened Aarhus Vand’s local impact for the citizens of Aarhus, while also expanding its national and global engagement through partnerships, knowledge sharing, and technological collaboration.

As the strategy period approached its conclusion, a new question emerged: What could be the next step for a purpose-driven organization in a world that refuses to stand still?

At the same time, Aarhus Vand had in 2024 begun transforming internally. 

The company had moved towards an organizational structure defined by non-hierarchical distributed decision making, collaboration, and a view of the organization as a living organism – evolving through purpose rather than rigid planning.

This shift became foundational for rethinking strategy itself. Socrates, the foundational Greek philosopher, built his philosophy on a core premise: progress begins by questioning what we think we know. Traditional strategy, by contrast, has often been built on the opposite assumption – that the future can be (somewhat) predicted and controlled. Socrates never claimed to have the answers. Instead, he asked questions that exposed assumptions and invited others into the process of thinking. Strategy, in a world that refuses to stand still, demands much the same discipline. For Aarhus Vand, the challenge was not simply to define a direction – but to create a strategy that could continuously be questioned, tested, and renewed.

As Aarhus Vand started to see itself as a living organism rather than a fixed organization, the company was looking for a strategic approach that was an extension of that. Traditionally, corporate strategies have utilized either militaristic language (using words such as battlefield, must win battle, frontline), competitive sports language (game plan, team spirit, playing field) or architectural language (foundation, silos, blueprint).  For Aarhus Vand, none of those seemed to be fitting. 

Instead, nature became the guiding inspiration. Concepts such as seeds, roots, ecosystems, growth, and regeneration were not only used as metaphors, but as a logic for both the development and structure of the strategy itself. Strategy was no longer something static. It became something that grows, adapts, and responds to its environment.

This perspective also shaped the process. Throughout the organization, all employees – from student workers to executives and board members – were invited to share their perspectives, ideas, and ambitions. From this rather Socratic method, key themes emerged – referred to as “seeds.” Each seed represented a potential strategic direction. Selected groups of employees, known as “spire groups,” were then tasked with exploring the future potential of these seeds: What could they grow into, if nurtured? 

The insights formed the foundation for leadership decisions, ensuring that the strategy was not imposed from the top, but grown from within.

By taking inspiration from nature, the strategy moved beyond static planning and embraced a more dynamic logic. Nature offers a way to think about strategy as something that evolves over time, shaped by changing conditions while remaining anchored in a clear purpose.

Inspired by natural cycles, Aarhus Vand thought in rhythms rather than linear timelines – periods of exploration, growth, harvesting of results, and regeneration. This created a rhythm where initiatives are continuously assessed, matured, or replaced, ensuring that the strategy remains relevant in a changing environment.

At the same time, the use of nature as a conceptual framework introduced a shared and intuitive language across the organization. Rather than being perceived as an abstract top-down exercise based on meaningless lingo, strategy became something that employees could actively relate to and contribute to, reinforcing the understanding of Aarhus Vand as a living organism.

What allows us to live a meaningful life is not only what we strive for or who we surround ourselves with – but first and foremost about powering the protection of society.

At Voluntās, we are guided by our purpose of realizing human potential. Much of our work takes place within organizations, leadership, and culture. But in our collaboration with Evallic, the perspective shifts.

Here, the question is more fundamental: what are the conditions that make any of it possible in the first place?

At the same time, working in this space also brings a different responsibility. When technologies are complex, contexts are high-stakes, and decisions carry real consequences, clarity is not optional. Strong, precise communication – and clearly defined brands – become part of the infrastructure that enables trust, understanding, and ultimately action.

Across the globe, that foundation is increasingly shaped by a changing security landscape. It is within this space that Evallic operates.

Evallic is a European defence technology group and the home of leading companies working across land, sea, cyber, bio, and space. Together, they are spearheading scientifical research on risk management and developing software and hardware used by defence forces, authorities, and critical infrastructure operators to protect what matters most: people and societies. By connecting specialized capabilities across domains, Evallic strengthens the resilience of society.

A patrol boat navigating in low visibility along a crowded coastline. An ambulance arriving at an incident where the threat is still unclear. A conflict zone where troops are vulnerable to chemical attacks. A packed football stadium on a Champions League night. An airport where keeping thousands of travellers safe depends on understanding and acting before a situation escalates.

Different settings, but the same requirement: to safeguard and protect human lives.

In everyday life, most of us rely on a smoke detector. It is rarely noticed and almost never considered. Yet it carries a clear expectation: that it works before it is too late. Evallic’s technologies serve a similar role – although in more complex environments and with broader consequences.

In a world that is always changing, uncertainty can never be removed entirely, but it can be made manageable – detecting early signals, supporting understanding, and enabling timely response. Across Evallic, the technologies differ, but they serve a shared role: shortening the distance between what is happening and what can be done about it.

Ultimately, keeping citizens safe and bringing troops home.

As Hampus Nestius, co-founder of Evallic, explains:

“Our role is to bring together leading defence technology companies and provide the platform, scale, and collaborative strength they need to grow. By connecting capabilities across the group, we enable faster innovation and help move technologies from ambition to mission-ready solutions that can be deployed where they are needed most – ultimately helping protect lives.” 

Our collaboration with Evallic began before the group itself existed – with Bruhn NewTech.

For almost a decade, we have worked with Bruhn NewTech, which exists to increase the number of people protected from airborne threats. One human life at a time. Its world-leading software helps authorities and first responders understand how hazardous threats develop and how to act in response to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.

When Bruhn NewTech became part of Evallic, it entered a broader ecosystem – a home of companies connected through shared purpose and complementary capabilities.

At times, this has meant translating complex systems into something more tangible. Showing how a threat develops, how data is interpreted, and how decisions are made under time pressure. Not to simplify the work, but to make it possible to follow.

As Hampus Nestius notes:

“In a field as complex as ours, clarity is essential. Voluntās helps us communicate who we are and what we do in a way that is precise and understandable, so we can stay focused on developing our technologies, supporting our companies, and delivering solutions where they are needed most.” 

Because if something is not understood, it is difficult to trust. And if it is not trusted, it is unlikely to be used when it matters.

From a Voluntās perspective, this is where the connection becomes clear.

If our purpose is to realize human potential, part of that work lies in understanding what makes it possible in the first place. Not only what people strive for – but whether the world around them holds.

Because when protection fails, everything else is put on hold.

In a more uncertain and fragmented world, the ability to act cannot be taken for granted. It depends on whether the right technologies are in place, whether they are trusted, and whether they are connected across borders and institutions.