ALNAP | Front page news

How governments learn

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:27:03 GMT

Posted on 30 April at 16:27.

For the third year running, the Host Government Forum on Humanitarian Response sat at the ALNAP Annual Meeting. This learning note is a synthesis of the broad themes that emerged about how governments learn and improve evaluation.

Download 'How governments learn'

ALNAP supporting improvement through engagement

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:10:49 GMT

Posted on 12 April at 16:10.

In the last last two weeks Paul Knox Clarke has spoken at the Consultative Workshop on Humanitarian Effectiveness, where he gave the opening presentation on ‘What do we mean by humanitarian effectiveness?’. He reflected on some of the discussions in his blog Let’s hear it for the Monolith, which challenges the idea that a more uniform humanitarian system would necessarily be more effective.

He also presented (virtually) the findings of our forthcoming working paper on leadership, Who’s in charge here? at UNHCR leadership training in Bangkok. The presentation led to an extremely positive and animated discussion.

Next week Paul will be joing the UN evaluation community at UNEG to give an overview of the exciting evaluaiton and learning initiatives ALNAP are currently working on.

ALNAP research officer Kim Scriven spoke about how to better understand and encourage innovation at the ICVA Annual Conference in Geneva, where ALNAP Director, John Mitchell, also chaired a session.

John also gave a presentation in Geneva at the Launch of the ICRC Professional Standards for Protection Work, informing participants of ALNAP's new work stream on the Evaluation of Humanitarian Protection.

Webinar: 'Understanding the city better as the key to disaster response and reconstruction - UN Habitat's experiences' - Recording now available

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:55:43 GMT

Posted on 26 March at 17:55.

Understanding the city better as the key to disaster response and reconstruction – UN Habitat’s experiences

Abstract

Recently the humanitarian community has been confronted with increasing urbanisation of humanitarian interventions suggesting a need for adapting humanitarian approaches to urban disasters. To respond to an urban crisis, we need to start by reading and understanding ‘urban’. Different readings lead to different approaches and menu of options. Urban disaster responses cannot be limited to address the immediate effects of destruction. Recent urban disasters and complex emergencies illustrate a need for different set of policies and approaches, as seen in Haiti, Phillipines, Cuba, Kenya and with the current situation in Syria where the humanitarian community is gearing up to face a major challenge of response in cities and towns.

Humanitarian response needs to take into consideration and address underlying causes in order to build a basis for longer term recovery and reconstruction. An understanding of urban systems (their strengths and weaknesses) needs to be considered. The Haiti earthquake response shows that a greater understanding of a city itself, including its functions, housing, urban and market systems, urban stakeholders, settlement patterns, urban planning and land system is key when considering response options. Disasters have formidable and unique transformative effects. Together humanitarian, reconstruction and development actors, building on respective comparative advantages, can transform drawbacks in significant positive changes in the life of urban population.

This webinar was presented by Jean-Christophe Adrian, ex Director UN-Habitat Haiti and currently Director of the Liaison Office for European Institutions at UN-Habitat. Ansa Masaud, Human Settlements Officer, Risk Reduction and Rehabilitation Branch/UN-Habitat, commented on UN-Habitat's inter-agency urban response strategy.

Panellists

Jean-Christophe Adrian, Director of the Liaison Office for European Institutions, UN-Habitat
Paul Knox Clarke, Head of Research and Communications, ALNAP

Listen to webinar recording here

You can listen to the recording of the previous webinar Responding to urban disasters: Learning from previous relief and recovery operations here.

Evidence in humanitarian action: background paper now available

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:55:07 GMT

Posted on 15 February at 14:55.

Ahead of the meeting on Evidence & Knowledge in Humanitarian Action taking place in Washington next month, ALNAP has released the full background paper that explores the issues of data collection and use of evidence in humanitarian aid.

As well as reviewing theories and concepts of evidence, the paper looks at how evidence currently informs decision-making at the operational level.

A three-page discussion framer, which summarises the main questions and themes of the full paper, is also available to download.

Both the full background paper and the discussion framer will feed into the discussions and exchange at the ALNAP meeting.

For those who cannot make the meeting, but are still interested in a comprehensive overview of the subject of evidence and knowledge in humanitarian aid, the background paper and discussion framer are easy-to-read and available to download.

Download full background paper

Download three-page discussion framer

Responding to urban disasters: webinar recording now available

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:00:46 GMT

Posted on 15 February at 15:00.

If you missed our webinar on responding to urban disasters this on Thursday, 7 February, you can still watch a recording of Davind Sanderson's excellent presentation and the question and answer session.

The webinar was aimed at those involved in planning and implementing relief and recovery operations in urban areas, this webinar will focus on what we currently know about responding to earthquakes and floods in urban contexts.

You can also find the latest resouces on responding to urban disasters at the ALNAP/UN-HABITAT Urban Response portal.

Full line-up revealed for Evidence & Knowledge Meeting

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:22:23 GMT

Posted on 25 January at 13:22.

The full line-up for the ALNAP Meeting on Evidence & Knowledge is now live! You can explore the interactive agenda on the meeting page, or download the PDF version.

Time to listen: hearing people on the receiving end of international aid

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:10:04 GMT

Posted on 22 January at 16:10.

This event took place on 15 January 2013. You can click here to view a recording.

Humanitarian actors have long been concerned to ensure that the voices of affected populations are heard, and there has been a recent increase in initiatives designed to increase communication with, and accountability to, the recipients of international humanitarian assistance. Perhaps the most comprehensive attempt to date to understand the opinions and perspectives of disaster-affected populations has been undertaken by ALNAP Member CDA Collaborative Learning Projects.

Between 2005 and 2009, CDA’s Listening Project held thousands of conversations with aid recipients, government and civil society representatives and aid workers in 20 aid receiving countries. The core themes that emerged from these conversations have now been collected in CDA’s new book Time to Listen: Hearing People on the Receiving End of International Aid.
The authors of the book will outline the main issues identified by the 6,000 people with whom they spoke: what works in humanitarian assistance, and what needs to change. The presentation will be followed by an open discussion.

Speaker
Dayna Brown - Director Listening Program, CDA Collaborative Learning Projects
Discussant:

Discussants

Sean Lowrie - Director, the Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies
Wendy Fenton – HPN Coordinator

Chair
John Mitchell - Director, ALNAP

Nine lessons to consider in urban response

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:47:45 GMT

Posted on 17 December at 12:47.

Today, ALNAP is publishing nine important lessons to consider when responding to urban disasters. Focusing mainly on earthquakes and flooding, this latest ALNAP Lessons Paper attempts to capture what is currently known about disaster response in urban contexts taking into account recent urban disasters such Typhoon Ketsana in the Philippines (2009), the Haiti earthquake of 2010 and the Northeast Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

Who is the paper for?
The paper is intended as a field resource to be referred to in pre-deployment training and during emergency response. It will be useful for people in planning and implementing relief and early recovery operations in urban areas. Although the paper is targeted at people working for international agencies, the majority of lessons will also be valuable to civil society organisations and national government agencies.

Download: ALNAP Lessons Paper ‘Responding to Urban Disasters: Learning from previous relief and recovery operations’

French and Spanish versions of this Lessons Paper will be available in early 2013.

Find more resources around urban humanitarian response on the ALNAP/UN-Habitat Urban Humanitarian Response Portal.

ALNAP strategy underway

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 11:31:48 GMT

Posted on 3 December at 11:31.

ALNAP is currently working with an independent consultant to review the last five years and craft a strategic direction for 2013-2018.

ALNAP Director, John Mitchell, recorded this 50-second video to explain why this review is so important.

Visit our strategy page to see all supporting documents.

Humanitarian Innovation Fund: 4th call for large grant applications

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:48:41 GMT

Posted on 15 October at 15:48.

The Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF) have launched their fourth call out for expressions of interest in its large grant facility. Calls for large grants proposals are made twice a year and offer grants from £75,000 to £150,000. The deadline is 18 November 2012.

The HIF is awarding its large grants for:

Development of an innovation by creating practical, actionable plans and guidelines; i.e turning ideas into action, transofrming designs from the drawing board into real-world solutions.
Implementation of an innovation to produce real examples of changed practice, testing the innovation to see how it compares to existing solutions. Often using pilot projects to move beyond proof of concept to establish how an innovation performs in practice - indicating whether it is successful and should be scaled-up.

Go to the HIF funding pages to find out more or apply.

You can also read a blog on the funding process by Nicolas Kröger, Manager of the HIF.