Humanitarian Response Index 2008: Donor Accountability in Humanitarian Action

by Mar Borobia, Silvia Hidalgo, L. Altinger

Overview

The purpose of this annual report is to develop an index of good humanitarian donorship that will measure donors' effectiveness against their commitment to the Principles and Good Practise of Humanitarian Donorship. The index is intended to help the international donor community to better understand its strengths and weaknesses in order to improve the efficiency and quality of its donor activities and initiatives. The index is also expected to raise awareness about the increasingly important role of humanitarian action and associated good practices beyond its current core constituencies. We believe that this report offers significant potential to improve the quality of humanitarian aid, benefiting those most affected by both man-made and natural disasters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780230221963
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	12/15/2008
Edition description:	2009
Pages:	295
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE RESEARCH ASSOCIATES (DARA) is an independent non-profit organization committed to improving the quality of development aid and humanitarian action through evaluation. DARA's mission includes optimising the impact of the efforts against poverty and promoting the beneficiaries' participation and empowerment, through the presentation of alternatives that combine the interests of all partners involved in the processes in which DARA intervenes. Silvia Hidalgo is the Director of DARA.

Table of Contents

Foreword; Kofi Annan Acknowledgements; S. Hidalgo Executive Summary Part I – The Humanitarian Response Index 2008 Donor Accountability in Humanitarian Action; S. Hidalgo& P. Tamminga Part II – Perspectives on the HRI and Needs Assessments The United States as Humanitarian Actor; L. Minear Tale of Two Indices: The Commitment to Development Index as a Model for the Humanitarian Response Index; D. Roodman Humanitarian Funding and Needs Assessment; J. Cosgrave New Approaches to Needs Assessment: Comprehensive and Rolling Diagnosis; F. Grünewald The Giving-Receiving Relationship: Inherently Unequal?; M. B. Anderson Tackling Ignorance and Neglect: Advocacy for a Broader Humanitarian Response In the Central African Republic; T. Lanzer Part III – Crisis Report Introduction Afghanistan: A Security-Driven Agenda; M. Marañón& L. Fernández Bangladesh: Prepared for New Disasters?; P. Tamminga The Central African Republic: Adversity in a Silent Crisis; S. Hidalgo Chad: Internal Power Struggles and Regional Humanitarian Crisis; R. Solé-Arqués Colombia: The Displaced and the Forgotten; F. Espada Democratic Republic of the Congo; The Giant with Feet of Clay; G. Gasser Nicaragua: Living in the Eye of the Storm; S. Hidalgo The Occupied Palestinian Territories: A Political Crisis with Humanitarian Consequences; R. Solé-Arqués Earthquake in Peru; R. Polastro Sri Lanka; A Forgotten Complex Emergency – Back to War Again; R. Polastro Sudan: A Tragedy of Epic Proportions; J. Herrera Part IV – Donor Profiles Introduction Donor Profiles Australia Austria Belgium Canada Denmark European Commission Finland France Germany Greece Ireland Italy Japan Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Norway Portugal Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom United States List of Acronyms Appendix: Questionnaire on Good Practice in Humanitarian Donorship Glossary About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

'The HRI is an enormously innovative new tool for preparing for a world of greater humanitarian shock and urgent response needs. The deep thinking and invaluable data pulled together in this report will be read avidly throughout the world. We need to put Humanitarian Response on a greatly up scaled basis - with needed and timely finance, technical expertise, national and local readiness, and solid management. The wellbeing and even survival of millions are at stake. The HRI will bring us much closer to the goals, and I will do my part to help spread it messages around the world.' - Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, the Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, and the global bestselling author of The End of Poverty

'The Humanitarian Response Index helps guarantee that every dollar of humanitarian assistance is used to provide the right kind of aid, to the right people, at the right time. The millions of people affected by crises and emergencies deserve as much' Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General

'DARA performs a valuable service in publishing this index. It provides both a framework of accountability and a spur to improved performance. Donors of both development and humanitarian aid are concerned to ensure that aid has the highest possible impact. They have invested substantial effort in defining good performance and in benchmarking against each other. The special value of the HRI index is that it combines quantitative and qualitative information to provide a single overall assessment of donor quality.' - Simon Maxwell CBE, Director of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI)

'From the perspective of the One World Trust and our work on the accountability of global organisations, DARA's Humanitarian Response Index is a valuable initiative that challenges bilateral donors to do better and look for best practice. Such evaluations are indispensable for peer to peer learning and to ensure that vulnerable people in need benefit from international solidarity and get the support they deserve.' - Michael Hammer, Executive Director, One World Trust

'I believe that the Humanitarian Response Index is a vital tool in increasing the overall accountability of humanitarian donorship. It provides feedback which is essential for donors to transform the promises of the Good Humanitarian Donorship Initiative into reality. It is part of the overall process that should bring us closer to the humanitarian ideal of assistance in proportion to need.' - John Cosgrave, Independent Consultant on Humanitarian Issues

'Accountability is too important to be left to donors, whether individually or severally. The HRI's assessment is broadly confirmed by our own independent studies.' - Larry Minear, of Tufts University, USA

From the Publisher