A major international development charity is consulting on proposals to reduce its workforce by 45 per cent as it shifts to a partnership model.

Christian Aid said it would continue to work in the 26 countries that its programmes operate in but these would no longer hinge on a physical staff presence.

A spokesperson for the charity told Third Sector that the proposals would reduce staff numbers from 720 to about 400 employees – 347 of which are core roles funded by unrestricted income.

Third Sector understands that the new model affects the whole of Christian Aid, with the proposals significantly reducing the number of roles both in Britain and internationally.

The new model will see an increased investment in the charity’s partner organisations by the introduction of a leaner programme structure. 

The charity said this structure would focus on equitable partnerships with national partner organisations and allow lower fixed costs in enabling functions, most of which are located in Britain.

Under the proposals, Christian Aid would move away from its structure of country offices delivering programmes to a model based on partnerships, which would be supported by five hubs in Bogota, Colombia; Abuja, Nigeria; Nairobi, Kenya; Amman, Jordan; and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

“This is an approach that has already proved to be effective for Christian Aid in a number of contexts, including the Middle East and Ukraine,” the charity said.

Christian Aid said it would continue to work on both emergency response and long-term development, alongside its campaigning efforts.

The charity is consulting staff on the proposals and expects to communicate final decisions in the second half of June, after the consultation has closed.

Role changes would happen from the end of October, after any staff being made redundant have completed their notice period, the charity said.

Patrick Watt, chief executive of Christian Aid, said: “We want to focus our efforts on where we add value, and wherever possible, want to step back from work that can be done more effectively by partner organisations. 

“Two key questions we have asked ourselves in designing this new model are, ‘why us?’ and ‘why not local?’”

Watt said that the changes had been carefully planned over the past 12 months, adding: “While the proposals we are launching today are not driven by cuts to official aid, we believe that recent decisions by donor governments validate our choice to be a majority voluntary-funded organisation, which collaborates intentionally with institutional funders where we share a common agenda.”

Watt said: “It is clear that the role of INGOs is changing as the world around us changes. It needs to transform further if we’re to contribute more effectively to tackling poverty and marginalisation. 

“Christian Aid is committed to that transformation, in a way that builds on our history of working alongside others for equality, dignity and justice.”

According to its latest accounts, Christian Aid’s income fell by more than £7m in the last financial year, dropping from £90.6m in 2022/23 to £83.3m in 2023/24, largely due to a fall in donations from the winding down of its Ukraine emergency appeals.