Learning and innovating to improve crisis response (phase 1, 2016-2019)

February 2016 - August 2019

The "Learning and innovating to improve crisis response" project aims to support collective learning in the face of major changes in crisis contexts. It provides practitioners with knowledge and tools to help them improve their practices.

Funded by

The French Development Agency, the Fondation de France, the Principality of Monaco

This cross-sectoral and multisectoral project includes several activities: knowledge and tool production, training and capacity building, knowledge dissemination and experience sharing. It is divided into three main themes: analysing crisis and post-crisis contexts, taking into account the environment and improving the quality of aid.

Crisis and post-crisis contexts

This component of the project focuses on practitioners’ operational methods, their understanding of crises and their approaches to aid. The aim is to combine know-how and lessons learned from emergency and development practices.

This has resulted in several publications and studies:

Solidarity & migratory flows
The localization of aid following Hurricane Matthew in Haïti
Humanitarian Aid on the move No. 19: Special issue: localisation of aid
The Security-Development Nexus – What do we understand by it? How do we put it into practice?

Exchange workshops brought together aid actors on the themes of localization, the security-development nexus and partnerships between humanitarian and private actors.

Environment

This component aims to improve the integration of environmental considerations into humanitarian programmes and to help organisations implement environmentally-friendly programmes.

Exchanges and debates are regularly organised via the Humanitarian Environment Network. Factsheets are produced at the end of these meetings (use of solar energy in the humanitarian response, ecological cookers, etc.).

A study on the environmental impact of forced migration included case studies in Lebanon and Cameroon. Another study focused on how environmental issues are taken into consideration at Humanity & Inclusion as a way of analyzing the concrete measures being taken within an NGO.

Quality of humanitarian action

This part of the project involves accompanying aid organisations in adopting the ideas and commitments that are needed to improve the quality and accountability of aid.

As such, the Quality COMPASS has been updated to include developments in the sector such as the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS). Training sessions are also regularly organised dealing with quality and accountability management issues, methods and tools.

A study has been conducted in order to review existing theory and practice regarding accountability and to analyse current trends in relation to what is too often a catch all term.

An online e-learning platform has being developed to provide new distance learning modules on these three themes.

The project include activities such as conducting studies, organising and facilitating discussion platforms, updating and developing tools and methods to evaluate and improve humanitarian action, and running training courses to increase and share knowledge.

During the project, which is co-funded by the French Development Agency, the Fondation de France and the Principality of Monaco, we are working on various topics with a variety of different groups (members of the Humanitarian Environment Network, the members of Coordination SUD’s Humanitarian Commission, the quality focal points of partner organisations, etc.). A steering committee will ensure that the project team and our partners remain true to the objectives of the project to improve aid practices in the general interest.