In 2016, the global Food Security Cluster, in collaboration with its partners 18frames, the German Federal Foreign Office and Welthungerhilfe, initiated a video project to raise awareness on coordination and partnership. We conducted interviews with national and international FSC partners in Bangladesh and Mali to better understand their views and needs towards strengthening local partnership and collaboration for improved coordination of humanitarian response. Despite the different contexts in Bangladesh and Mali, partners shared similar experience and stressed similar needs. They all agreed that local actors do better understand the needs and aspirations of the affected community.