Académique Documents
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opportunities:
the case for strengthening national and
local partnership-based humanitarian responses
Acknowledgments
Executive summary 4
Introduction 6
Executive summary
Partnerships with national and local actors A number of the INGO organisations have
have long been identified as a source of used partnerships partly or exclusively
problems in international humanitarian aid. as the means by which they respond to new
Major evaluations of numerous high profile and emerging humanitarian crises. Some of
humanitarian crises most notably that of the partnerships looked at for this research
the Indian Ocean tsunami have identified date back several decades. However, the
insufficient investment in, and commitment approach taken to partnerships in the
to, such partnerships as the biggest majority of humanitarian responses tends
hinderance to effective performance. The to be reactive, driven by emergency, and
reality is that efforts to work with national shaped by ad-hoc interactions that take
and local actors do not play a central role in place at the point of crisis. The sector is not
the majority of international humanitarian yet systematic about partnerships: how they
work. This amounts to a longstanding are thought about, designed, implemented
systemic issue for the sector as a whole, or assessed.
which has persisted despite the efforts
made by individual agencies to invest time Despite this, and the well-known
and effort in this area. constraints faced in many response
settings, the research found a significant
This study is the first output of a research number of benefits that stem from working
project commissioned by five UK-based through such collaborative mechanisms.
international humanitarian
non-governmental organisations (INGOs) Such partnerships were identified as
ActionAid, Cafod, Christian Aid, Oxfam helping to:
GB and Tearfund. The main purpose of the enhance the relevance and
project was to look at the current and future appropriateness of humanitarian
potential of partnerships with national responses. National and local actors
non-governmental organisations (NNGOs) understanding of context and internal
in humanitarian response, based on dynamics allow them to shape
lessons from across the commissioning programmes accordingly.
agencies in four major emergency settings. enhance the effectiveness of assistance,
The project is part of an ongoing effort to by ensuring accountability to
build the future of humanitarian assistance, disaster-affected populations.
which has already seen publications in smooth the transition between the
2011 from Christian Aid and Oxfam GB. different elements of the disaster cycle.
The research process involved interviews Unlike the international system where
with INGO and NNGO staff, workshops and tasks such as resilience, response
meetings with INGO representatives, and a and recovery might be undertaken by
review of relevant documentation. different teams and organisations, local
Missed opportunities Executive summary 5
NGOs (LNGO) and NNGOs typically work in central part of humanitarian policy and
all of these spaces. This enables them to practice. These relate to the incentives
enhance connectedness and ensure that in organisations, the capacity and
responses take place in ways that respect willingness of INGOs and NNGOs to work
longer-term perspectives. in partnerships, and broader system-wide
issues around funding, visibility and norms.
On other issues, however, the picture That said, there does seem to be scope
is more mixed: for greater efforts in working through
Partnerships take time and resources partnerships with local and national
to set up and manage, and require actors. Given the anticipated rise in the
a complex engagement which is not number and complexity or emergencies,
amenable to simplistic measurements of it is becoming clear that the formal
efficiency and value for money. international system cannot be expected
The majority of partners are relatively to respond in all settings, all the time.
localised, and have small-scale Strengthening partnership approaches
operations, meaning that issues of should be seen as key to fulfilling the
coverage were not straightforward humanitarian imperative, both now and in
except in those few cases where the the uncertain future.
national partner happened to be a large-
scale NNGO. The study concludes that there are
four areas where the commissioning
Both the pros and cons need to be put in organisations might consider further
context. There is a general lack of financing investment. These are:
for partnerships and capacity both before Investing in change
and after major crises, despite the efforts Setting the agenda
of some partnership-based agencies to Building knowledge and shared
address this. Many of the benefits that have understanding
been realised to date have been achieved Strengthening practices.
with minimal investments, and little in the
way of official donor support outside of There are a number of process implications
emergency contexts. This clearly suggests for humanitarian agencies working in
that, across the board, the potential partnerships. These will be explored more
benefits of partnerships in response have fully in a second report.
not been maximised.
The diversity of the Recent studies point out the current it is evident across much of the
and potential benefits of partnership international humanitarian aid
humanitarian community
with southern actors.3 However, little system.
is an asset if we build has been translated into the formal
on our comparative humanitarian policies that shape the This may be because partnership-
advantages and system. One recent exception at the working demands transformative
global level is the Department for changes in the way things are done
complement each others
International Development (DFID) which pose threats to the status quo
contributions. Local 2011 Humanitarian Emergency of the sector, in terms of resource
capacity is one of the main Response Review (HERR) led by distribution, power and control. It is
assets to enhance and on Lord Paddy Ashdown into the UK interesting to note that many of the
which to build. Whenever governments humanitarian aid most successful change efforts in the
efforts, which espoused the principle sector have been characterised by
possible, humanitarian of southern capacity building incremental changes: tinkering with
organisations should for humanitarian preparedness, the existing system, and a focus on
strive to make it an response and recovery. The report business, more-or-less, as usual. To
integral part in emergency clearly presented the view that take a prominent example, much has
working through southern partners been made of the potential of mobile
response.
helps to improve response, coverage technology to transform humanitarian
and build resilience. However, in aid, especially in the context of
Principles of Partnership,
Global Humanitarian Platform 20071 many instances, global humanitarian empowering disaster-affected
policies make little or no explicit communities. However, the majority
mention of southern partnerships. of investment in this area has sought
There has been a great deal of Typically the term is used to refer to to improve international agencies
debate, and rhetoric, in recent years relationships between members of use of such technologies within their
on issues of southern capacity and the international community, rather organisation, to improve efficiencies
the development of north-south than between those members and rather than to fundamentally
humanitarian partnerships. Much national and local actors. transform the relationships with
of this stemmed from the massive disaster-affected people.
response to the 2004 Indian Ocean This is an interesting gap given
Tsunami, and the Tsunami Evaluation the apparent desire for change in This paper builds on existing research
Coalitions Synthesis report (July 2006) the sector in general. There are, and collates the practical experience
which called for a fundamental for example, increasing efforts in of partnership in humanitarian
reorientation in practice a change innovation, leadership and resilience, crises gleaned from over 65 face-to-
in the organisational culture of with commensurate increases in the face and telephone interviews with
humanitarian aid providers that funding available for such work. INGO practitioners from five major
agencies cede power to the affected agencies: ActionAid, Cafod, Christian
population and that agencies meet The role of local partners in providing Aid, Cafod, Oxfam GB and Tearfund
this problem by promoting distributed aid in humanitarian crises is a major and staff from partner organisations.
ownership, with the community and systemic issue for the sector. It does The research focused on these
different levels of [national] government not affect all humanitarian agencies agencies engagement with national
owning different levels of the equally; some are organised with and local NGO partners in four
response...2 the aim of maximising the potential significant emergency settings. These
of local and national actors, but were the crisis in Kivu, Democratic
Missed opportunities Introduction 7
Republic of the Congo (DRC); the The rest of the report is structured
Haiti earthquake; the Horn of Africa in three parts: the focus and
food crisis in Kenya, and the Pakistan methodology of the research
floods of 2010. process; the findings (under the
broad categories of Relevance/
The overwhelming conclusion from Appropriateness, Effectiveness,
this work is that the international Efficiency, Coverage, Connectedness);
humanitarian community is and a Strengths, Weaknesses,
missing significant opportunities to Opportunities, Threats (SWOT)
strengthen its performance. This is summary analysis of what
especially the case given the current partnerships might bring in the
interest in resilience as a means of future. The report concludes with
militating against crises. The paper key points about the relevance of this
presents the case for greater policy- work in the humanitarian sector and
level and operational engagement presents recommendations to be
with issues of southern capacities and taken forward.
partnerships for humanitarian work,
focusing on disaster response. It also
presents some of the challenges of
such engagement and how these
might be overcome.
1
The Global Humanitarian Platform (GHP) is a forum of humanitarian organisations that aims to support collaboration between actors to increase
the effectiveness of humanitarian aid. For more information, see https://icvanetwork.org/pop.html
2
www.alnap.org/ourwork/tec/synthesis.aspx
3
Building the future of humanitarian aid: local capacity and partnerships in emergency assistance, 2012, Christian Aid; Crises in a New World Order.
Challenging the humanitarian project, 2012, Oxfam; NGOs and Humanitarian Reform Project Phases 1 and 2, 2008-present, ICVA.
Focus and methodology
Material was collected across all five efforts in different settings. This a qualitative summary assessment
areas of the hypotheses, however framework is increasingly used in of the findings from the team. It is set
this report focuses primarily on the evaluations and major studies of against the teams assessment of how
impacts of partnerships, drawing on humanitarian aid effectiveness, the sector is performing in this area
the other areas where relevant. (The most notably in the Active Learning overall, which is based on analysis
findings from the other areas will be Network for Accountability and of the landmark 2012 ALNAP SOHS
the focus of a subsequent report.) Performance4 (ALNAP) State of the report.
Humanitarian System (SOHS) reports.
Findings are organised according This process was shared with
to the Organisation for Economic The core of the report provides a the ALNAP secretariat, and was
Co-operation and Development synthesis of lessons from across endorsed as a sensible approach.
(OECD) and Development Assistance these five areas. Each sub-section Indeed, ALNAP is planning to
Committee (DAC) criteria for concludes with an assessment of undertake a similar scoring in the
evaluating humanitarian assistance, the potential of partnerships to next SOHS report. The summary
and relate to how partnerships in the address each area of performance. scores themselves are based on the
different settings contribute to the These are based on combining the independent analysis and conclusions
relevance/appropriateness, research teams assessments of the of the research team.
effectiveness, efficiency, coverage partnership work in each emergency
and connectedness of response response setting. This is intended as
Relevance/Appropriateness Coverage
How well humanitarian activities The extent to which assistance
are tailored to local needs. reaches all major population
groups affected by the crisis.
Effectiveness
How well an activity has achieved Connectedness
its purpose, or can be expected The extent to which short-term
to do so on the basis of existing emergency response steps take
outputs. longer-term and interconnected
problems into account.
Efficiency
A measure of the outputs,
qualitative and quantitative,
achieved as a result of inputs. Source: ALNAP
4
ALNAP is a unique, sector-wide network that supports the humanitarian sector to improve humanitarian performance through learning, peer-to-
peer sharing and research.
Findings
This chapter sets out the research Assessing the research findings These issues were reiterated by
findings for the contribution of in this way allows a comparison the organisations participating in
the partnerships looked at in the between the overall performance the research. For example, there
study to improve humanitarian aid of the sector and the potential of was widespread acknowledgement
effectiveness. It analyses these partnerships to improve how the that, in many settings, international
findings using five of the OECD-DAC sector currently performs. This is operational staff members are
criteria for assessing humanitarian presented, in visual form, in the unfamiliar with the specific country
aid: Relevance/Appropriateness, diagram at the end of the chapter. context and culture:
Effectiveness, Efficiency, Coverage
and Connectedness (see page 9). 1. Do partnerships Many INGOs are based in [capital
cities] and send people to do work
enhance the relevance and
Each sub-section starts with [where crises hit]. They dont know
an assessment of the current
appropriateness of aid? the language, the culture, and
performance of the humanitarian cannot easily become acceptable
Relevance and appropriateness are
sector as a whole for each of the to the people because of the lack of
central to aid effectiveness. Research
criteria. This is is provided in blue understanding. As a result, they end
findings and beneficiary surveys
text. Performance is rated as strong, up targeting the wrong community
frequently find that aid is not always
good, moderate, poor or weak
relevant to the needs and aspirations
where strong is the highest rating Many interviewees emphasised
of affected populations. The reasons
and weak is the lowest. These scores that partnerships can enhance the
given include:
are based on the research teams relevance and appropriateness
independent analysis and assessment of a response by addressing the
weak understanding of
of the key findings and summaries in persistent shortcomings mentioned
local contexts
the ALNAP SOHS report 2012, which above. In the best examples looked at,
inability to engage with the
uses the same OECD-DAC criteria to the information and knowledge held
changing nature of need
analyse system-wide humanitarian by local partners is successfully used
poor information gathering
performance. The main text of each to improve the design and delivery
techniques
sub-section describes how, if at all, of aid responses. This can help both
inflexibility of response.
partnerships were found to have with the process for example,
contributed to a given criteria of designing effective and culturally
Analysis of the ALNAP SOHS
performance. appropriate needs assessments
suggests that overall sector
and the outputs of aid for example,
performance in this area is
The potential of a partnership- food assistance efforts that respond
moderate. This is based on the fact
based approach to improve aid to specific contexts. Numerous
that although the sector has seen
performance is then included at the examples were given across the five
modest improvements in relevance/
end of each sub-section also in study organisations of how local and
appropriateness there was a
blue text using the same rating national partners were able to find
persistent weakness in consultation
system as above. their own solution to the problems we
[of communities].
collectively faced (see box opposite).
Missed opportunities Findings 11
One INGO operational managers governments, for example, some their commitment to humanitarian
eyes were opened by their experience national NGOs may be perceived to principles. For this reason, this area
in Pakistan: Id always worked with be more aligned with global powers was scored as strong.
direct delivery [NGOs], and so the first than with affected communities.
partner-led response I worked on was National NGOs may also be 2. Do partnerships enhance
a remarkable change. It was so clear aligned with military powers in a the effectiveness of aid?
what the value was the partners particular context. INGOs frequently
helped us have better analyses of the express discomfort about how well The most common questions posed in
context on the ground... national partners are able to fulfil the literature on effectiveness of aid
the humanitarian principles of are:
In addition to relevance in the context independence and neutrality. And
of specific aid programmes, there beneficiaries in a crisis, especially whether aid is responsive,
was also a widely-made point about conflict, will inevitably make their own prepared, fast and flexible
the political and societal relevance judgements as to whose side a local whether it is well coordinated
of partnership-based responses. or international NGO represents. whether it includes mechanisms
The humanitarian sectorwill need to to learn from experience
be sensitive to the consequences of Key messages whether human resources are
shifting attitudes towards, or negative 1. Conventional aid delivery adequate.
perceptions of, international aid approaches are often criticised
delivery. These may include: for their lack of relevance and Analysis of the ALNAP SOHS
appropriateness, and the evidence suggests that overall sector
national governments choosing to shows that well-designed performance in this area is
reduce international involvement in partnerships can militate against moderate. Objectives are seen as
aid operations on their territory these issues. largely met, but there are serious
concerns about the lack of issues around leadership and
independence of INGOs as agents of 2. Partnerships can do this by timeliness which were seen as
donor governments or their military ensuring programme design that is lacking in the sector overall. The
objectives. contextually appropriate, culturally report notes that Each major
sensitive, responsive to needs, emergency during the reporting
In many cases, working with local and based on communities own period had a mixed review in terms of
partnerships is emerging as a more understanding. effectiveness.
acceptable face of humanitarian
action. This is especially so in settings Potential of partnerships to enhance
A common view from across the
where access is limited (for example, performance
case studies was that partnerships
in Myanmar following Cyclone Across the agencies in the four
can, and do, help to strengthen
Nargis) or where the security context emergency settings, relevance/
responsiveness and speed, especially
is too challenging for an extensive appropriateness was the criterion
in relation to preparedness and in the
international presence (for example, most strongly identified by
immediate aftermath of a crisis.
Somalia). respondents as a beneficial outcome
No matter how large and well-
of partnerships in response efforts.
resourced an INGO, it cannot be
Of course, the local equals This was also the area where there
everywhere all the time. Issues of
accceptable principle does not were fewest ambiguities, apart
timeliness were highlighted by almost
hold true in all settings. From the from the obvious one that potential
all participants.
perspective of affected country partners do need to be screened for
Missed opportunities Findings 13
Monika Vrsanska/CAFOD
partnerships box, opposite, gives
some examples of all of these.
However, accountability standards are
not always beneficial for the partners
in question. In DRC, for example, some
church partners felt that externally
imposed accountability processes
impinged upon their existing traditional
authority systems. In other contexts,
governments also expressed a degree
of hesitancy about INGO accountability
frameworks. More common than
either of these responses was the
feeling from partner organisations
themselves, that new results
frameworks were being imposed
on them by INGOs without adequate
support or investment.
With CAFOD support, the Association of Womens Awareness and Rural Development is As well as potentially enhancing
helping train women affected by the 2010 Pakistan floods to make a living again through quality, partnerships can directly lead
rearing goats. The project also promotes education, healthcare and womens rights. to new practices and policies and can
open up the space for new kinds of
In the most effective cases, this both meaningful and respectful to operational approaches.
is not just left to chance. Many affected communities.
partnerships were explicitly built on That said, it was widely felt by
the notion of strengthening the use Three broad mechanisms were respondents that partners in general
of common standards and tools such apparent across the partner tend to tick fewer technical quality
as the Humanitarian Accountability responses: boxes in responses than international
Partnership (HAP) Standard5 and Enhanced beneficiary consultation. direct delivery. To some extent this is
Sphere.6 It was found that some A ppropriate assistance prompted, because partnerships are limited by
partners are actually more fully in particular, by a better resource constraints; existing levels
engaged in such standards and tools understanding at community level of skills cannot simply be increased
than the funding partners. These of individual and collective rights or upgraded overnight. It was also
frameworks, used effectively, can and how to attain them. observed that the preferred approach
lead to better dialogue between Challenges to traditional power of INGOs is to strengthen capacity
funding and implementing partners structures, including those of through dialogue and demonstration
on shared humanitarian goals and partners themselves. not instruction, which is a plus point,
how to achieve them in ways that are but also takes time.
5
The HAP Standard is a practical and measurable tool that represents a broad consensus of what matters most in humanitarian action.
6
The Sphere Project has established one of the most widely-known and internationally recognised sets of common principles and universal
minimum standards in life-saving areas of humanitarian response.
Missed opportunities Findings 15
7
Clusters are the UN-led coordination mechanism for groups of humanitarian organisations working in specific sectors (eg. WASH, food, shelter) to
coordinate their activities when responding to an emergency.
16 Missed opportunities Findings
Against all of this, the cost of There was also widespread Some of these are illustrated in the
operations and of goods will typically appreciation that value has softer, Different interpretations of value
be the same for INGOs and LNGOs. more qualitative aspects that a bean for money through partners box,
Moreover, partnerships can incur counting approach does not capture: overleaf.
costs and constraints that are far In the context of local partnership,
from trivial. These costs have been value for money takes on a less Key messages
identified by some agencies as factors explicitly economic measure. 1. Efficiency should not be reduced
to be taken into account (see The to a simplistic assessment of how
costs of partnerships box, above). In general, agencies have employed cheap a response can be, but should
a series of proxies and estimates be based on an understanding of the
Respondents felt that efficiency for efficiency in the context of relative strengths and weaknesses of
should not be reduced to a simplistic partnerships. Among other things, partnership work in different settings.
assessment of cheapness, but should these include:
be based on an understanding of the Retained learning and the degree 2. Cost savings of partnerships can be
relative strengths and weaknesses of of employee/community member considerable, in terms of staff costs,
partnership work. Many were aware retention. but most other aspects of financing a
of the data challenges of calculating Replication of successful humanitarian response are at parity
the efficiency of response for approaches due to retained with international efforts.
example, crises tend to send input community knowledge.
prices spiralling at the early stages, Time and lives saved in starting at 3. Costs of partnerships that need
which can limit comparability even a higher point on the learning curve. to be considered in any efficiency
within the same response. The long-term investment in assessment include setting up,
national and local capacity to maintaining and ongoing capacity
respond. support.
18 Missed opportunities Findings
system. On the humanitarian side, the decision-making process among organisations operate in settings
the interactions with national and these organisations. The basic where such partnerships are not
local organisations across the four message is that regardless of the possible, or where they might be
emergencies were largely described business model employed, INGOs limited. These situations might, for
as sub-contractual. This was need to find ways to work around the example, involve working not with
justified internally in accordance coverage issues faced when working local partners but with established
with the humanitarian imperative, with partner organisations. INGO national offices. It may mean
namely that Oxfam GB had a duty to establishing a small direct delivery
respond as best it could, and that Feedback from the partner-based unit or having an eye on the long-
humanitarian crises almost by organisations on this issue clearly term, and seeking to build up
definition are situations where local highlighted the fact that there is partners to the point where they can
capacities are overwhelmed, and a coverage-related difference indeed deliver at scale.
Oxfam GB needed to respond directly. between what they are able to mount
through typical partnerships and Partner perspectives contrasted
On the surface of it, this seems to the operational capacities and scale on this issue, with a tendency
be a very different approach to the of larger direct delivery INGOs; to be rather scathing about the
other organisations, which work and that they often need to develop coverage problem and the way it
exclusively in partnership. However, strategies to deal with this difference. is framed by INGOs. From their
on the issue of coverage a similar Such strategies are illustrated in perspective, this tension between the
set of parameters appear to inform how the four partnership-based imperative to deliver at scale and the
A woman in eastern Congo returns home with her family and animals after fleeing fighting between Congolese military and rebels.
20 Missed opportunities Findings
One area in which there is Potential of partnerships to The analysis of the ALNAP SOHS
potential to address this issue is enhance performance suggests that the overall sector
in partnerships with large-scale Coverage was perhaps the area most performance in this area is
NNGOs such as BRAC in Bangladesh. challenging for the partnerships moderate. There have been some
In some settings, these NNGOs looked at in the study. Issues of scale improvements in how humanitarian
have considerably greater capacity of delivery cannot be addressed response activities link to longer-
and coverage than most INGOs. simply by pumping funds into national term objectives, but these have
However, such organisations were and local organisations, as all of largely come about thanks to the
noticeable by their absence from the the participating agencies have at efforts of host country governments
discussions of coverage, and indeed different times learnt to their cost. and institutions rather than the
in the research as a whole. Similarly, Based on the work of the agencies international system itself.
few if any informants raised the in the four settings, this is the most
potential of government ancillaries or challenging area for partnerships, The strength of partnership-working
government bodies to help address and currently contributes least to in humanitarian response should be
scale and coverage issues. overall performance. However, that decisions taken in the short-term
it is worth noting that, with a few are viewed through a long-term lens
Key messages exceptions, none of the partnerships and take into account the impact that
1. Coverage is a major limiting looked at involved larger NNGOs action has on the community.
factor for partnerships, as seen by and, where this was the case, the
partnership-focused agencies and agencies in question could deliver at By working with local partners who
direct delivery organisations alike. comparable levels to international already have presence on the ground,
agencies. For this reason, the there is also the scope to link better
2. Partners themselves suggest that potential of partnerships was rated to pre-disaster efforts in development
the issue is less about delivering as moderate. and resilience. All organisations
effective programmes at scale, and and partners consulted espouse
more about spending. this principle, but with nuances and
5. Do partnerships caveats.
3. There is a need for the improve connectedness?
humanitarian sector to engage On linking response to recovery
more closely with large NNGOs and and development, the message
The extent to which short-term
governmental ancillaries and bodies was clear: They [local partners]
emergency response steps take
on issues of scale and coverage. are there for longer, they can go in,
longer-term and interconnected
they can smooth the response. As
problems into account.
one implementing partner put it:
Missed opportunities Findings 21
Summary of the potential The diagram shows clearly that the This illustrative diagram should not
potential for the partnership approach be taken to mean that by investing
of partnerships against
is strongest in three specific in partnerships these problems
performance of the system areas: relevance/appropriateness, will be simply or easily resolved.
effectiveness and connectedness. Nor, equally, should it be taken to
Based on the research findings
mean that partnerships couldnt
summarised in this report, it is
It is in these areas, across the contribute positively to coverage or
useful to compare the potential of
20 contexts looked at in this research, efficiency. Rather, the comparison is
partnerships with the indicative
that partnerships were making the to show that there are clearly areas
assessments of sector-wide
most consistent and unambiguous where the sector as a whole is not
performance given in the research
contribution to humanitarian performing as might be wished, and
teams independent analysis of
performance. In the other two areas, where partnership efforts on the
the ALNAP 2012 SOHS report.
the picture was rather more nuanced basis of evidence from five agencies
The diagram below sets out this
and involved both potential and also in four major emergency responses
illustrative comparison and indicates
some considerable challenges. have potential to help enhance
that partnerships have the potential to
performance.
address some of the key issues facing
the sector.
Relevance/Appropriateness
Connectedness Effectiveness
Coverage Efficiency
System performance
Potential contribution of partnerships
Can partnerships realise their potential?
8
Where preparedness funding is sourced through NGOs own (unrestricted) resources, it is limited by the demands placed upon their reserves by
the regular management and other recurring costs of the organisation not covered by institutional grants. While institutional grants are rarely made
directly available for national partners to develop their operational capacity, funding for capacity building of these same partners to influence policy on
humanitarian response and recovery at national level and above is even leaner.
9
A network which promotes principles and practice which enhance the coherence and effectiveness of donor action.
Conclusions and recommendations
This report concludes that a Partnerships are still conditioned and The report authors concur with this
step-change in the sectors efforts in shaped by the existing humanitarian vision. No one doubts the challenges
southern capacities and partnerships system; so many are largely of realising this vision. Progress will
is needed as a means to address reactive, poorly funded and weakly inevitably be at different speeds in
longstanding issues in humanitarian documented, with often uncertain different regions. But, as this report
performance. impact. But a significant number has demonstrated, the need for such
do help to achieve humanitarian transformative change is beyond
At the present time, partnerships objectives in ways that are more question. The poor and vulnerable of
between international humanitarian relevant, appropriate, effective, the world deserve nothing less from
actors and national and local actors efficient and connected. those who set out to help them.
do not achieve their full potential to
enhance humanitarian performance. Even if the humanitarian sector was There are four broad areas of
This is for a variety of reasons, as set to largely retain the shape and form it recommendations for the next 12
out in this report. Continuing to miss has today, there is scope for national to 24 months that will help advance
this opportunity in the face of growing and local partnerships to contribute the partnerships agenda.
vulnerability and risk is a potential more to aid performance.
tragedy among the other inevitable
tragedies that will occur. But the real transformative vision
for southern partnerships lies
The evidence collated here shows a further into the future, when such
number of areas where national and efforts are part of the day-to-day
local partnerships can significantly realities of humanitarian aid. The
contribute to humanitarian vision expressed by many of those
performance. These are areas interviewed was for a humanitarian
where the sector as a whole has sector which is a more democratic,
been underperforming because of balanced and accountable endeavour,
systemic problems in the way that where capacities are fully considered
international responses are conceived as well as needs, and where the
and delivered. emphasis is less on assistance and
more on cooperation.
Missed opportunities Conclusions and recommendations 27
Investing in change
1. Enhanced investments in national and local 2. Substantial and sustained funding should be given to
partnerships should be a priority for humanitarian donors, a multi-donor fund for disaster management capacity
including, wherever possible, through their contributions building. Examples of a structure for this include the
to current and emerging crises. Africa Capacity Building Foundation.
Strengthening practices
7. Humanitarian aid agencies and their local and national 8. Partnerships need to move from a series of bilateral
partners must strengthen the application and use of to networked efforts, with more information exchange and
capacity assessments in humanitarian responses, coordination on partner response. Greater coordination
building on the progress already made in the area of between INGOs, donors and local and national networks
needs assessments. These should ideally be done prior to should be prioritised to support this.
emergency events, and seek to build shared capacity maps
of known crisis hotspots.
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