Improving Partnership Can Improve Humanitarian Action

1. Improving Partnership Can Improve Humanitarian Action Summary of Global Humanitarian Platform Discussion: Recommendations, Action Points, and Challenges Amman, Jordan May 19, 2008

2. Conclusions • Discussions underlined the importance of: • Strengthening partnership by defining priorities together • Developing better relationships without losing sight of the ‘external’ environment with civil society, governments, and beneficiaries • Training staff on the Principles of Partnership (PoP) to change organizational behaviour • Understanding organisational strength and weakness to know each other better • Providing leadership, advocating on humanitarian principles and protecting humanitarian space, to add value to humanitarian action

3. Conclusions • Engaging in honest and frank dialogue to resolve potential misunderstandings and to clarify roles and responsibilities • Acknowledging perceptions created by remote programming (international NGOs & staff confined to Amman) • Supporting local capacity as key to the improvement of humanitarian action • Understanding capacity and access, noting in particular the complexity in identifying local and national partners. • Expecting flexibility in funding and speed in disbursing funds based on needs. • UN safety and security systems limiting humanitarian action and exerting pressure on national organisations to intervene putting national staff at security risks, creating double standards.

4. Recommendations • Partnership • Thorough assessment of capacities’ needs • Build the capacity of local NGOs & government structures at all levels. • Expand local partners’ base & build on existing capacity to address complex emergencies • Creative partnership measures are needed to respond • Solicit resources to support extra efforts for coordination • De-politicize Sector Outcome Teams (SOT)

5. Recommendations • Equality/Equity • Involving Partners at all stages including planning, project design & programming • Acting on feedback and criticism • Sharing credit as appropriate • Review DSS rules & handling security of national / international humanitarian workers • Ensuring balanced representation at the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and Sectoral Outcome Team (SOT) • All need to be active and contribute to coordination/ provide meaningful constructive inputs • Views of all partners need to be reflected at the global strategic level

6. Recommendations • Result-oriented approach • Understanding & capitalizing on Strength & added value. UN, RC/C & NGOs • Adapting policies to local needs. no ‘one size fits all’ • Applying procedures to ensure a faster response (funding; emergency etc) • Strengthening partnership between UN agencies • Establishing a Humanitarian Iraq Country Team. • Promoting better understanding of complementarity at a global level

7. Recommendations • Responsibility • Sufficient planning and preparedness • Understanding of assets and capacities • Sustainability and appropriateness of response • Civil society/ beneficiaries involvement in program design • Empowerment of local partners and communities • Expansion of humanitarian space • Joint advocacy with a unified and strategic vision with the UN taking the lead role. • Application of SPHERE standards

8. Recommendations • Complementarity • Involvement of national authorities, local councils & policy makers • International organizations to ensure: • capacity building, • good needs assessments and financial management, • Identification of strength of local partners to be used • Coordination mechanisms in Amman include NGOs operating in Baghdad and provinces • Ensuring that national authorities are involved in policy development and emergency planning • Improving coordination among humanitarian actors on the ground • Ensure voices of local partners are present in strategic / policy discussions

9. Recommendations • Transparency • Should be emphasized in funding criteria, priorities and mechanisms • Creation a Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) for Iraq with equal representation and involvement in strategic discussions • Educating the donor community about GHP and advocating for transparent funding mechanisms based on needs • Ensure UN funding mechanisms are transparent and involve partners in prioritization/ project selection

10. Challenges • Partnership • UN agencies perception of NGOs as “contractors” & NGOs perception of the UN as a “donor” • Security and access restrictions • Building on capacity rather than prescribing what is needed • Equal dialogue with partners on strategic issues • Equality/Equity • Implementation of ‘behavioral change’ at HQ and field level

11. Challenges • Result-oriented approach • Political discourse often encroaches on humanitarian space and humanitarian priorities • Complementarity • International organizations access to local contacts due to security/ political reasons • National/ local partners access to international funding channels