Building trust with communities over time

Why does community trust matter?

Without trust, people may not speak to you, use your services, believe your information or welcome your staff safely. The Red Cross and Red Crescent guide to community engagement states this plainly: when people do not trust an organisation, its ability to help becomes harder and even impossible.

For local NGOs, trust is often your greatest asset. Local actors usually live in the communities they serve and stay after emergencies. That presence is an advantage, but it also means your reputation is tested every day. Our article on what localization means for local organisations explains why this proximity matters to donors.

What builds trust?

The Core Humanitarian Standard, a quality and accountability standard, and the IFRC guide point to the same behaviours. In practice:

The IFRC guide notes that people affected by crisis are usually first responders and have knowledge and skills that make aid more relevant and sustainable. Designing programmes in partnership with communities supports ownership and self-reliance.

How can you build trust step by step?

Use this routine in every community.

1. Introduce yourself properly. Meet community leaders and a mix of groups, including women, youth, older people and people with disabilities. Explain your organisation, funder, timeline and limits.
2. Learn the structures. Ask how decisions are made, who speaks for whom and who is often left out. Respect them, and do not reinforce unfair exclusion.
3. Agree selection rules in public. Explain how people are chosen for support, and share the criteria in simple language. See fair targeting: setting criteria communities accept.
4. Open at least two feedback channels. Offer both a face-to-face route and a private route such as a hotline or box. See how to set up a complaints and feedback mechanism.
5. Respond within a set time. Even "we heard you, and we will answer by Friday" shows respect.
6. Close the loop. At each visit, tell people what you heard, what you changed and what you could not change and why.
7. Stay in touch. Between projects, hold light contact visits where it is safe. A community that is forgotten after a project ends learns not to trust the next one.

How do you handle promises?

Over-promising is the fastest way to lose trust. Before any meeting, agree your team's message about what is firm, what is planned and what depends on funding or access. Use plain words: "We plan to... if funding arrives." Write it down so every team member says the same thing.

If a promise cannot be kept, say so early and in person. Explain the reason, offer what you can, and show how you will report back.

What about insecure or hard-to-reach areas?

Access limits, security risks and low connectivity are real in many parts of Myanmar. Trust can still be built:

• Work through trusted community volunteers or local committees.
• Keep an agreed communication rhythm, for example a weekly call at a fixed time.
• Share short summaries in Burmese or local languages, by voice note or print.
• Avoid collecting names and exact locations unless needed. Protect all data.
• Do not take political sides; describe your role as humanitarian or development work.

Read also remote monitoring when staff cannot reach project sites.

How do you know whether trust is growing?

Track simple signs:

• Are more people using the feedback channels, including with sensitive issues?
• Do community members attend meetings and speak openly?
• Do people share accurate information about their needs?
• Are staff welcomed and safe?
• Do complaints get resolved within the promised time?

Ask the community what "trust" means to them and what would make them trust you more. Use their answers to set your next goals.

What mistakes damage trust?

• Visiting only when you need data.
• Speaking only to leaders and never to the wider community.
• Collecting feedback and never replying.
• Staff who behave disrespectfully, or ignore the code of conduct.
• Changing plans without telling people.

How EMPO can help

EMPO is a reliable training and consultancy provider and one of Myanmar's leading names in practical NGO training, with 1,200+ people trained and 15 partner organisations. Our Yangon-based team teaches accountability to affected populations, community development and conflict sensitivity in English and Burmese, online and in person across Myanmar. See our services or contact us.

Sources

• A Red Cross Red Crescent guide to community engagement and accountability — IFRC, 2021
• Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability — CHS Alliance, Groupe URD and Sphere, 2024