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Begin New Search Publishing Institution ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance Author Paul Knox Clarke

1. Annex | ALNAP Lessons Paper: Adapting humanitarian action to climate change

Author:
Véronique de Geoffroy, Paul Knox Clarke, François Grunewald, and Mihir Bhatt
Publication Date:
10-2021
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
Humanitarian agencies need to reflect on the past, learn from the present and actively imagine the near and increasingly threatening future. From excessive consumption to the over-exploitation of natural resources, polluting activities to large-scale deforestation, humans have already dramatically changed the Earth’s climate and environment. As a result, we are experiencing more frequent and more intense weather events, the humanitarian consequences of which are major. Droughts, flooding and tropical storms cause death, disease, destruction and large-scale population displacement. Public health emergencies are already increasing because of these changes. Conflicts and conflict situations may increase, as may the resulting human migration and displacement. Humanitarian actors working on the ground with climate-related disasters are well placed to observe the intensification of climate-related effects and the increasing complexity of extreme weather events in all regions of the world, including regions where such events were previously rare or unknown. This annex accompanies the ALNAP Lessons Paper: Adapting humanitarian action to climate change, which aims to inform the work of humanitarian practitioners in the face of future climate-related disasters.
Topic:
Climate Change, Natural Disasters, Crisis Management, and Humanitarian Organizations
Political Geography:
Global Focus

2. Adapting humanitarian action to the effects of climate change

Author:
ALNAP, Véronique de Geoffroy, Paul Knox Clarke, Mihir Bhatt, François Grunewald, and Jennifer Doherty
Publication Date:
10-2021
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
Humanitarian agencies need to reflect on the past, learn from the present and actively imagine the near and increasingly threatening future. From excessive consumption to the over-exploitation of natural resources, polluting activities to large-scale deforestation, humans have already dramatically changed the Earth’s climate and environment. As a result, we are experiencing more frequent and more intense weather events, the humanitarian consequences of which are major. Droughts, flooding and tropical storms cause death, disease, destruction and large-scale population displacement. Public health emergencies are already increasing because of these changes. Conflicts and conflict situations may increase, as may the resulting human migration and displacement. Humanitarian actors working on the ground with climate-related disasters are well placed to observe the intensification of climate-related effects and the increasing complexity of extreme weather events in all regions of the world, including regions where such events were previously rare or unknown.
Topic:
Climate Change, Humanitarian Aid, Natural Disasters, Conflict, and Public Health
Political Geography:
Global Focus

3. Beyond Assumptions: How humanitarians make operational decisions

Author:
Leah Campbell and Paul Knox Clarke
Publication Date:
11-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
The ability to make good decisions – particularly under urgent and uncertain circumstances – is fundamental to effective humanitarian response. Yet decision-making to this extent has received little academic attention. The ALNAP Study ‘Beyond assumptions’ seeks to address this gap and it is the result of over two years’ work exploring the nature of humanitarian contexts, the different types of decisions that they require, and the most suitable approaches to making these decisions at the country/ field level. This research builds upon ALNAP’s previous work on humanitarian leadership and coordination, where the importance of good decision-making emerged as a key theme. Time and again humanitarian evaluations have also flagged it as an issue, with decision-making receiving regular criticism for being too slow, disconnected from strategy, opaque and unaccountable.
Topic:
Leadership, Decision-Making, Coordination, Humanitarian Response, and Assessment
Political Geography:
Global Focus

4. Operational Humanitarian Decision-making Infosheet

Author:
Leah Campbell and Paul Knox Clarke
Publication Date:
04-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
ALNAP is undertaking a new piece of research to better understand how humanitarians can make effective decisions in situations of urgency and/or uncertainty. Why study humanitarian decision-making? Decision-making is an important, yet often criticised, aspect of effective humanitarian response. Evaluations point to numerous instances where decision-making has been slow, opaque and unaccountable. The importance of good decision-making has also emerged as a significant theme in ALNAP’s previous work on humanitarian leadership and coordination. Despite this, relatively little academic attention has been given to decision-making in humanitarian response.
Topic:
Leadership, Decision-Making, and Humanitarian Response
Political Geography:
United Kingdom and Europe

5. Making Operational Decisions in Humanitarian Response: A Literature Review

Author:
Leah Campbell and Paul Knox Clarke
Publication Date:
04-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
During a crisis, humanitarian leaders must make a range of decisions including whether, when and how to intervene; how to address technical, logistical, political and security constraints; when and how to cease operations; and the list goes on. Many of these decisions are made in urgent circumstances, have life-saving implications, and take place in a context of uncertainty. The importance of effective decision-making in operational humanitarian response has emerged as a theme in ALNAP’s previous work on humanitarian leadership and coordination. However, little academic attention has been given to this subject so far. This literature review considers the context in which humanitarian leaders are asked to make decisions, explores the range of decision-making approaches which exist, and considers how effective these approaches might be in humanitarian environments. The paper draws from existing humanitarian literature and evaluations, and also from the wealth of experience which exists from the world of emergency management decision-making (including fires and public health emergencies). In doing so, it gathers existing knowledge, identifies gaps in understanding and proposes areas for future research. ALNAP is undertaking a new piece of research to better understand how humanitarians can make effective decisions in situations of urgency and/or uncertainty. To find out more about the research and how you can get involved read the Infosheet.
Topic:
Leadership, Crisis Management, Coordination, and Humanitarian Response
Political Geography:
United Kingdom and Global Focus

6. Transforming Change

Author:
Paul Knox Clarke
Publication Date:
09-2017
Content Type:
Case Study
Institution:
ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance
Abstract:
As humanitarians we spend a lot of time debating what needs to change in our sector and why. But do we look enough at how that change happens? Humanitarians, willingly or not, usually find themselves surrounded by change in some shape or form. It can come as an unexpected shift that escapes any plans or structure, or it can happen as a planned programme such as Humanitarian Reform, The Transformative Agenda (TA), and now the Grand Bargain. Yet despite the ubiquity of change, and the time, money and energy that is spent on change initiatives, very little attention has been paid to the processes that make change happen in the humanitarian system. This new ALNAP study looks at how change can be effectively achieved, and captures the ideas and insights around change processes from the panels, presentations and discussions at the 31st ALNAP Annual Meeting in Stockholm this past February.
Topic:
Governance, Leadership, Performance Evaluation, Decision-Making, Organizational Learning, and Organizational Change
Political Geography:
Global Focus

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