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Rationale behind Shared Services

Last year, significant budget cuts by USAID and other major donors have had a profound impact on humanitarian and development actors globally and within the Geneva ecosystem. International NGOs and coordination structures have been forced to scale back operations or relocate, exposing the fragility of our current operating models and underscoring the need to rethink how we work, collectively, to sustain Geneva’s unique role as a hub for principled humanitarian action, development, public health, and climate change.

We share common principles of accountability, transparency, and integrity; apply comparable standards; often report to the same donors; and face similar challenges when operating in volatile contexts. This raises an important question: why not consolidate our systems, processes, supplies, contracts—and align our policies where possible?

Creation of a Shared Services Model

We support the definition of a shared services model covering Finance, HR, IT, Procurement, and Logistics.

We recognise that some organisations are required to operate under policies, processes, and systems defined by their headquarters. However, for organisations based in Geneva, Swiss regulatory obligations – particularly in the areas of HR and finance- may create favourable conditions for operating together. In this context, we may consider developing a shared platform ourselves, or jointly engaging with service providers already supporting corporate and not-for-profit entities. Such an approach could allow us to benefit from economies of scale, specialised expertise (notably in HR and accounting), and ongoing technological advances, particularly in the area of AI, which is expected to significantly affect the efficiency of transactional services.

The CHS Alliance is now embarking upon a shared services consultation process: this will allow us to map out the possibilities of more integrated and shared service models, enabling us to leverage economies of scale, reduce duplication, strengthen operational coherence, and enhance both the effectiveness and sustainability of our Geneva operations.

Before any decisions are taken, it is essential that any future model be driven first and foremost by our collective requirements, pulling together the largest number of entities potentially interested and before engaging and leveraging  multiple service providers.

Deadline and proposed schedule

• Expression of Interest – early February 

Please express your interest by contacting Frederic Claus, Operations Manager at CHS Alliance on fclaus@chsalliance.org by 10 February 2026.

• Consultation Phase – Spring / Summer

We will then enter into a consultation phase speaking to all interested parties, due to finish in Summer 2026.

• Implementation Phase – Autumn

We would ideally like to begin implementing shared services by Autumn 2026 (from September onwards)

Eligibility and More Information

The offer of participating in the Shared Services model is open to all NGOs (not just humanitarian), who are based in, or headquartered in Geneva. It is open to large and small entities – no restrictions are currently being placed on size or income.

A concept note and a high-level mapping of potential shared services are available for your reference.