A Revolution of Practice: Learning from Experience

1. 13 December 2013 Fairfield University A Revolution of Practice: Learning from Experience

2. The quality of international disaster response has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. The mechanisms for change has been a learning cycle in which past emergencies leads to systematic change in the intervals between major events. Investing in systematic improvements in capacity and practice have been essential to saving more lives and meeting needs better in International Humanitarian Response.

3. The Beginnings From the genesis of the concept of humanitarianism, disaster experience has led to new approaches. EVENT In 1859 Henry Dunant observed the Battle of Solferino during the Austro-Sardinian War LESSON Battlefield carnage unmitigated by any norms for survivor care and protection RESPONSE * 1863 establishment of the International Committee of the Red Cross * 1864 First Geneva Conventions

4. The Beginnings EVENT World War I (1914-1918) LESSON War takes a huge toll on children RESPONSE 1919 – Eglantyne Jebb began the international children’s right’s movement and founded Save the Children EVENT World War II (1939-1945) LESSON Civilians suffer the brunt of all modern wars RESPONSE * US private non-profits proliferate (Care, CRS, IRC) * 1946 – UNICEF * 1949 – Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions * 1950 – UN High Commission for Refugees

5. The Disaster Response Cycle Relief & Response Agency Preparedness Lessons Learned Disaster Systemic Changes / Reforms Aid Community Debate

6. A Humanitarian Movement In the last 30 years, a series of major crises have promoted cycles of lessons learned and changes in practice. EVENT Balkan Crisis, Somalia (1990’s) LESSON Lack of coordination among major actors led to unacceptable levels of competition and confusion. RESPONSE 1991 founding of the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs Today – Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) A preschool class in Bosnia - 1990s With lessons learned in protecting children during previous armed conflicts, Save the Children took its expertise to Bosnia during the Balkan wars, providing an outlet for emotions and an oasis of normalcy for troubled young children.

7. Effort to Establish Principles for Humanitarian Response • In April 1994, the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was launched. • The Code of Conduct “…seeks to maintain the high standards of independence, effectiveness and impact to which disaster response NGOs and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement aspires. It is a voluntary code, enforced by the will of organizations accepting it... • Key Principles Include: • Humanitarian Imperative • Impartiality • Independence • Neutrality • Today, the code contains 405 signatories from around the world

8. A Critical Moment EVENT 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, Goma LESSON Levels of service were uneven, unreliable with no common norms RESPONSE * 1997: SPHERE: establishment of standards for health care, food, shelter and water/sanitation * 1997: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action (ALNAP): founded to institutionalize collective learning * 2000: Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE): extension of SPHERE to Education * 2001: The Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP): launched as a certification mechanism for providers, validating the “rights of beneficiaries” and “reasonable expectations” UNHCR Refugee Photos from conflict areas

9. The Learning Cycle Continues • 2004 Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation funding of ECB • (Emergency Capacity Building) Project • 7 major NGOs collaborated to expand the pool of qualified aid workers, helping address key shortages in skills • Four areas of concentration: • Staff Capacity • Accountability and Impact Measurement • Risk Reduction • Information and Technology Requirements

10. The Learning Cycle Continues • 2004 South Asia Tsunami • Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC) • Five Areas of Focus: • The quality of coordination of • humanitarian assistance • The role of needs assessment • The impact of the external response on local and • national capacities • Links between relief and development • Bill Clinton-led NGO Impact Initiative • UN Led Humanitarian Response Review • Emphasis on seeing the community not as the victim, • but as a full participant in the recovery.

11. UN Humanitarian Reform Process • CERF The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) was established by the United Nations to enable more timely and reliable humanitarian assistance to those affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts.  It pre-positions funding to expedite humanitarian action. • GLOBAL CLUSTER APPROACH: The cluster approach was proposed as a way of addressing gaps and strengthening the effectiveness of humanitarian response through building partnerships. There are now 11 designated clusters operating in most large emergencies.

12. Continued Opportunity for Improvement • If we aspire to do better we must use the periods between crises to improve humanitarian preparedness and normative standards • Investing in systematic improvements in capacity and practice are essential to saving more lives and better meeting needs in International Humanitarian Response.

13. How NGOS Can Prepare For The Next Disaster A Report From The Boston Consulting Group • Investing in Advance Planning  • Catalog and prioritize the management challenges that arose during the most recent emergency   • Create a financing mechanism to deploy resources immediately after an emergency has hit – but before funds are actually received • Develop tools, processes, and capabilities that will enable the organization to quickly mobilize to deliver aid. • Mobilize experts in HR, Finance, and Administration • Prepare a coordination plan across organizations • Plan ahead with companies to enlist their assistance in emergency response efforts

14. What Are The Challenges In Managing Large Scale Emergency Response Programs • Meet all reporting deadlines, both programmatic and financial • Staffing  and Short Term Staffing • Niche programs • Logistics and Warehousing • Budget • Scale • Monitoring  and Evaluation • Accountability Mechanisms • Communication with other NGO’s   • Security

15. What Donors Expect • Impact and Documentation of the Impact • Timely reporting, both financial and narrative • Opportunities to hear first hand reports from the field • Accountability • Communications • Policy Discussions and Advocacy