Partners not participants: reflections on capacity-strengthening projects in Afghanistan
Reflecting on lessons learned from implementing capacity-strengthening projects with NNGOs in Afghanistan, this article argues for a significant shift in how we conceptualise and implement them.
Everyone’s doing stuff but nobody’s accountable – will Grand Bargain 2.0 set us right?
The international humanitarian community is gearing up for a reset of the Grand Bargain. The review is on cue.
Trumanitarian podcast: Humanitarian Sci Fi
In this episode Lars Peter Nissen talks to Nick van Praag of Ground Truth Solutions about whether or not the customer is yet king in humanitarian action.
The case for letting go of humanitarian reform
For all the earnest talk about reforming the humanitarian system, there is little to show for it. This collective inaction problem is entrenched but there is a pathway to change – if we are prepared to adopt a less...
Trumanitarian podcast: The customer is King
In this episode Lars Peter Nissen talks to Nick van Praag of Ground Truth Solutions about whether or not the customer is yet king in humanitarian action.
Polls are not a substitute for dialogue with your constituents: what can we learn from the US elections?
How do we distinguish between two very different forms of public inquiry – election polls and surveys of affected people in humanitarian crises? Can we learn lessons from one to inform the other? How do we safeguard against wild...
10 things we’ve learned about tracking perceptions
Perception surveys are all the rage and no humanitarian crisis is complete without teams of enumerators asking questions about how affected people see things. But if perception surveys are to serve a useful purpose, they should respect 10 essential...
Accountability to affected people is not a solo act
Slow progress on accountability to affected people is a stain on all humanitarian actors. We have always maintained that greater accountability to affected people can help drive more effective and inclusive humanitarian action. But the monkey needs to be...
COVID-19: Listening will mean life or death to millions
As the pandemic takes root in some of the most under-served and vulnerable communities on earth, a response informed by their own perspective is vital if the current crisis is not to become a catastrophe.
Building and busting trust in humanitarian action
Aid cannot succeed without the trust of everyone involved, argues Hugo Slim, head of policy at the International Committee of the Red Cross. But what does trust in humanitarian action really mean, and how can we do a better...
