Evaluation of Australian Red Cross Humanitarian Partnership 2015-19

The goal of the 2015–2019 DFAT–Australian Red Cross (ARC) Humanitarian Partnership is to save lives, alleviate suffering and enhance human dignity. Though global in nature, the Partnership maintains a priority focus on the Indo-Pacific region. Countries engaged in the current agreement are Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Working through local National Societies or the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), partnership investments provide material and other humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable during and after crises. 

The evaluation found that the Partnership provides strong visibility of the Australian Aid programme domestically, and the window into the broader Red Cross Red Crescent Movement positions DFAT and ARC to:

- contribute to localised disaster risk management through support to National Red Cross Societies and their local government partners and, through them, to promote community-based disaster preparedness and first response capabilities;
- engage together in high-level dialogues on regional and global policy issues, so as to influence the uptake of good practice and to contribute to shaping the humanitarian reform agenda;
- promote innovation through pilot projects that can be amplified elsewhere; and
- provide a unique perspective and expertise on vulnerability and protection issues, including a gendered approach to inclusive disaster risk management.