From Duplication to Reliance: Learning from Emerging Due Diligence Passporting Initiatives

Local and national actors have long highlighted the burden created by repeated and overlapping due diligence processes, yet organisations continue to assess many of the same risks independently, absorbing time and resources that could otherwise support programme delivery and organisational development. This paper examines emerging approaches to shared due diligence and “passporting” across the humanitarian sector, drawing on 14 initiatives spanning information-sharing platforms, alliance-based models, harmonised tools, organisational approaches and third-party certification. It finds that effective passporting is less about creating identical due diligence tools and more about enabling organisations to rely, in whole or in part, on credible assessments already undertaken by others. Trust in the quality of evidence, clarity on accountability and risk ownership, data protection and partner consent, internal policy alignment and donor acceptance are as important as technical harmonisation. While evidence on uptake and impact remains limited, emerging practice shows potential to reduce duplication and shift effort away from repetitive compliance towards more proportionate, tailored and trust-based partnerships. The paper identifies practical lessons for organisations seeking to operationalise shared due diligence while maintaining appropriate risk management and strengthening the agency of local and national actors.