diff --git a/dumux/implicit/staggered/localjacobian.hh b/dumux/implicit/staggered/localjacobian.hh
index b5c5b761cc8a1f781b2b32c1f35aa6f8104d8875..31c2b42c60096defcaa308d0cc72187fa8565601 100644
--- a/dumux/implicit/staggered/localjacobian.hh
+++ b/dumux/implicit/staggered/localjacobian.hh
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ public:
     const AssemblyMap& assemblyMap() const
     { return assemblyMap_; }
 
-private:
+protected:
     void evalPartialDerivatives_(const Element& element,
                                  const FVElementGeometry& fvGeometry,
                                  const ElementVolumeVariables& prevElemVolVars,