Improving initial assessments and participation of crisis-affected people in humanitarian action

Principle 6 of the GHDI encourages donors to « allocate funding in proportion to needs and on the basis of needs assessments’, while principle 7 « requests implementing humanitarian organisations to ensure to the greatest possible extent, adequate involvement of beneficiaries in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian response ».

The Good Humanitarian Donorship Initiative (GHDI) was launched in June 2003 in Stockholm by all the donor members of the OECD. It shows a desire on the part of donors to find a common approach to humanitarian assistance, to improve coherence and make humanitarian action more effective and organised. The 23 principles of Good Humanitarian Donorship provide a common definition of humanitarian aid, based on humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.

Based on the principles of the GHDI, this research looked into ways of improving initial assessments and strengthening the participation of crisis-affected people in humanitarian action.