Noticias

In April 2026, Save the Children Bolivia received a visit from colleagues from the Global Office:

• Ann Linnarsson, Head of Locally Led Delivery and Partnerships
• Ana Mercedes Morataya, LAC Operations Business Partner
• Teresa Amorim, Social Transformation Advisor, Global Sponsorship Operations

The visit was planned to support the Bolivia Country Office in turning the closure of the Sponsorship Program, scheduled for June 2027, into an opportunity to accelerate its localization process while also ensuring sustainable impact for children. In particular, the mission aimed to:

1. Review the current structure, portfolio and partnerships.
2. Analyze the current ecosystem and identify a new impact model.
3. Explore operating models aligned with the localization strategy.

The mission confirmed that Save the Children Bolivia holds a unique and strategic position within the country’s child rights ecosystem. The organization is widely recognized as a technical, reliable actor committed to children’s rights, with the capacity to influence public policies, strengthen systems and convene national and local actors. The legitimacy built over decades, particularly through the Sponsorship Program and sustained partnerships with local governments, civil society and communities, represents one of the Country Office’s main strategic assets.

In this context, a clear opportunity is emerging for Save the Children Bolivia to evolve from an implementing role toward that of an ecosystem convener, facilitating partnerships, strengthening local capacities, connecting actors and promoting more collaborative and sustainable impact models.

At the same time, structural tensions were identified. Compliance models, operational pressure and certain global incentives continue to favor direct implementation and centralized control models, making a full transition toward localization more difficult. There is a gap between the strategic ambition for localization and the organizational capacities, structures, job profiles and systems currently available to sustain it.

The mission concluded that Save the Children Bolivia has the conditions to become a reference Country Office for localization within the movement. However, this will require deliberate changes in organizational culture, operating structure and financing models, to be addressed through a roadmap that includes: a) awareness-raising and internal capacity development on localization; b) review of processes and administrative simplification; c) strengthening of strategic dialogue with partners; d) definition of a new revenue model; and e) analysis of organizational structures aligned with an impact model based on advocacy, convening and strategic partnerships.