Global Humanitarian, Peacebuilding, Interfaith & Conflict-Sensitive Governance – Power Group © Humanitarian Non-Commercial Governance Guide

In these contexts, Governance Five™ © is used as a repeatable non-operational decision-to-delivery flow. It focuses on questions such as:

• How principles such as dignity, neutrality, impartiality, “do-no-harm” and public value are expressed in governance terms.
• How participation and voice are organised among communities, faith leaders, civil society, institutions and affected people.
• How evidence, listening, lived experience, risk and conflict-sensitivity analysis are aggregated before commitments.
• How public claims about peacebuilding, reconciliation, safety or inclusion are grounded in governance evidence rather than aspiration.

The Governance Five™ Flow is:

• Govern – Clarify non-operational principles, objectives and boundaries (dignity, safety, neutrality, non-discrimination, inclusion, public value).
• Engage – Identify who must be heard before major non-operational decisions – communities, elders, faith leaders, youth, women, local authorities, NGOs, diaspora, affected groups – and record how they are engaged.
• Aggregate – Bring together listening, context analysis, conflict-sensitivity insights, risks, trauma awareness and operational realities into a clear non-operational basis for decisions.
• Deliver – Align governance instruments, initiatives, dialogue structures, partnerships and communications with what was agreed in the Govern / Engage / Aggregate stages.
• Evolve – Use reflection, evaluation, feedback, complaints, incidents and local wisdom to adjust governance settings and document what changed and why.

This flow can be applied to networks, coalitions, local peace tables, interfaith platforms, humanitarian coordination spaces or global campaigns. Operational mandates, religious authority and legal frameworks remain independent.

Governance Five™ © is concerned with how non-operational decisions are structured, documented and traced – particularly when they affect:

• Peacebuilding & reconciliation pathways – how guiding principles, roles and expectations are set and recorded.
• Interfaith & intercultural dialogue – how diverse communities participate safely and respectfully in shared governance spaces.
• Conflict-sensitive program choices – how “do-no-harm” thinking is reflected at governance level, beyond project tools.
• Humanitarian cooperation & local leadership – how local actors and affected populations are engaged in decision structures.
• Public narratives about peace, safety and dignity – how claims are tied to evidence and transparent reasoning.

In these settings, the Governance Five™ Flow – Govern → Engage → Aggregate → Deliver → Evolve™ © – provides a single authored, method-origin non-operational governance structure that can be licensed and applied without altering mandates, doctrine or operating principles.

Peacebuilding and reconciliation initiatives often involve fragile trust and long histories. Governance Five™ can support non-operational governance over:

• how principles for dialogue (respect, confidentiality, safety, non-violence) are agreed and recorded,
• how representation, voice and inclusion are organised in dialogue spaces,
• how risk, trauma and power imbalances inform governance choices,
• how outcomes, limitations and next steps are communicated without creating false expectations.

It does not conduct negotiations or mediation. It provides a non-operational governance method for how such processes are framed, supported and reflected on.

Interfaith and intercultural initiatives must respect theological and cultural independence. Governance Five™ helps organisations:

• clarify the non-doctrinal purpose and boundaries of engagement spaces,
• structure participation so that minority and marginalised voices are not overshadowed,
• aggregate feedback, concerns and learning into governance forums,
• align public messaging about “unity”, “harmony” or “solidarity” with what governance can genuinely support.

It does not interpret or change faith teachings. It structures the non-operational governance for how different faith and cultural communities work together.

Humanitarian operations are governed by their own principles and standards. Governance Five™ can help non-operational governance by:

• clarifying roles, expectations and decision boundaries between local actors, international agencies and donors,
• structuring participation of affected populations in strategic choices,
• aggregating non-confidential learning, risks and contextual insights into governance processes,
• grounding public claims about “leaving no one behind”, “localisation” or “community-led” in documented governance practice.

It does not control field operations or override humanitarian coordination mechanisms. It offers a method-origin non-operational governance structure around them.

Many organisations already use conflict-sensitivity and “do-no-harm” tools. Governance Five™ complements these by helping:

• ensure that insights from these tools are carried into governance-level decisions,
• document how risks and unintended consequences were weighed at governance level,
• connect local warnings and lived experience to non-operational decision records,
• show how learning from harm or near misses feeds into the Evolve stage.

It does not replace existing conflict-sensitivity frameworks; it helps make the non-operational governance around them visible and auditable.

Work with displaced communities, refugees and migrants is highly sensitive. Governance Five™ helps organisations:

• govern how voices of displaced people are included in non-operational decisions,
• structure engagement with host communities, authorities and service providers,
• aggregate feedback and risks to prevent stigmatising narratives,
• align public stories about “welcome”, “protection” or “integration” with traceable governance choices.

It does not determine asylum policy, legal status or entitlements. It structures non-operational governance for how participation and narratives are managed.

Donors, foundations and international partners can apply Governance Five™ to non-operational governance of:

• how priorities, conditions and expectations are set and documented,
• how local ownership, equity and power dynamics are considered at governance level,
• how feedback and concerns from local partners inform non-operational decisions,
• how public claims about “local leadership”, “partnership” or “impact” are grounded in evidence.

It does not replace due diligence, legal agreements or safeguarding rules; it provides a transparent, method-origin structure for how governance decisions about funding and influence are made.

Safeguarding, protection casework and complaints handling require specialist, independent processes. Governance Five™ © / Power Group © Humanitarian:

• cannot receive, manage or investigate safeguarding concerns, abuse reports or protection cases,
• cannot act as a whistleblowing, survivor-support, legal or investigative body,
• does not replace internal or external safeguarding, ombudsman or legal mechanisms,
• may, where appropriate, help organisations reflect on how safeguarding and complaints pathways are governed at non-operational level (for example in the Govern and Evolve stages).

Individuals and communities must always use official safeguarding, protection, complaints and legal channels provided by their own organisations, institutions, regulators, faith communities or authorities. Governance Five™ is limited to non-operational governance structure and cannot intervene in specific cases.

Power Group © Humanitarian is the non-commercial extension of Governance Five™ © / Power Group Purchasing™ ©, applying the same authored governance method to peacebuilding, reconciliation, humanitarian and interfaith contexts.

• Non-commercial scope – Outcomes are measured in trust, safety, dignity and relationship-building, not transaction or profit.
• Licence still required – A free or value-aligned licence may apply, but a formal licence record is required to preserve governance, ethics and authorship boundaries.
• No political mandate – The Framework does not support or oppose parties, factions, armed actors or geopolitical positions. It focuses on governance structure, not politics.
• Upgrade when value shifts – If work under the humanitarian extension becomes part of funded programs, commercial services or institutional strategies with measurable value, the licence may need to move to the appropriate value-based tier.

Organisations considering the Power Group © Humanitarian extension should review their own legal, governance, safeguarding and funding frameworks, and obtain independent advice on how any licence interacts with existing obligations.

About its role

• “We use Governance Five™ © as a non-operational governance framework to organise how decisions, participation and documentation are structured around our existing humanitarian, legal, faith and institutional obligations.”
• “Power Group © Humanitarian helps us show the path from mandate to engagement, aggregation, delivery and learning for peacebuilding, reconciliation and community-safety initiatives.”
• “It is a licensed governance system, not political, legal, theological or security advice. It complements, but does not replace, our own principles, doctrines, standards and professional frameworks.”

About potential non-operational benefits

• “Using Governance Five™ may improve visibility and traceability across complex peacebuilding and humanitarian initiatives involving multiple actors.”
• “It can reduce ambiguity about who is involved, when and under what understandings in non-operational decisions that affect safety, dignity and trust.”
• “It helps align engagement, evidence and implementation so that non-operational decisions are easier to explain to communities, partners, donors and oversight bodies.”

About boundaries

• “Governance Five™ / Power Group © Humanitarian does not provide humanitarian, legal, security, safeguarding, clinical, theological or diplomatic advice and does not alter mandates, doctrines or obligations.”
• “Decisions of communities, faith leaders, humanitarian agencies, courts, regulators and oversight bodies remain the responsibility of the appropriate authorities.”

These examples are informational only and should be reviewed by your own governance, legal, safeguarding, humanitarian, faith and communications advisors before use.