Welcoming the HERR Report - Action Against Hunger Statement on working together towards a step change in the way DFID responds

May 2011 - Action Against Hunger | ACF International welcomes the HERR report and the commitment of the Secretary of State to lead the Department for International Development (DFID) through such a comprehensive review process, which has been chaired in such a competent and inspirational manner by Lord Ashdown. ACF regards the HERR report as a much needed, global humanitarian and development effort. We believe that by adopting key recommendations made in this report, DFID will be in an unrivalled position to maintain and improve its effective responses to the most challenging humanitarian crises, integrate further the humanitarian and development agendas, and instigate transformational changes which are required in the humanitarian system.

ACF would like to emphasise the importance of the following issues in DFID’s future policy and operational developments. We would encourage the Secretary of State to endorse the statements below in his official statement and to align the future of DFID with ACF’s recommendations.

Anticipation & Resilience. DFID should promote considerable change – and enable such change amongst its peer donor agencies – of humanitarian funding mechanisms. As the HERR report highlights, there should be ‘a more integrated relationship between DFID’s core development work and the way DFID responds to meet rapid onset emergencies’.

ACF would welcome funding and programming which anticipates and addresses the predictable deterioration of humanitarian needs. For example, the majority of the world’s poorest are exposed to seasonal cycles of hunger and acute malnutrition. At present, humanitarian funding is only allocated to emergency situations, typically when the rates of severe acute malnutrition are well above emergency thresholds. Multi-year funding connected to humanitarian emergency response funding, with a strong emphasis on seasonality programming and human capacity, should be allocated to civil society organisations - which are already present in beneficiary countries, are adaptable and quick to act – and local governments. For repeated food and nutritional crises, the reinforcement of national health systems to effectively address prevention, treatment and management of acute nutritional needs will be key to build resilience for longer term development ensuring sustained preventive and timely responses.

Leadership. ACF welcomes the recommendations provided on leadership. Leadership needs to be thoroughly supported and made accountable in the UN system. We would also recommend that new investments in UN leadership bear in mind the diversity of partners involved in the prevention and response to crises. Stronger emphasis should be afforded to the strengthening of the leadership of NGOs and the Red Cross Movement, which are currently underused. Lastly, for leadership to be effective and inspiring in the 21st Century, it should not only respond humanitarian crises, but also anticipate them.

Innovation is crucial both in programmes and research for effective humanitarian action. ACF particularly welcomes the application of innovative approaches and research which can increase the scale and the impact of programmes in changing environments. ACF has also identified the need for consolidated early warning systems which make use of innovative technologies, as well as the documentation and promotion of innovative approaches that work.

Accountability. ACF welcomes the importance of accountability towards programme beneficiaries and the need for organisations to be accountable to the communities they support. Accountability is also about impact - not only efficiency and transparency. All humanitarian organisations, including the UN agencies, need to be subject to similar scrutiny and standards. Finally, accountability should ensure that funding decisions are driven by the actual (and predicted) acute needs, and ensure that communities suffering in ‘forgotten crises’ benefit adequately from funding decisions.

Partnership. Multilateralism in DFID’s approach will be essential in a new humanitarian response system. Along with the support it provides to the UN system, the value of NGOs (international and national) should be further recognised in increasing humanitarian response. Donors’ budgets therefore need to reflect this. DFID should increase its funding and capacity support to NGOs with demonstrated capacities to deliver responses efficiently and effectively. NGOs and the Red Cross are the preferred recipients of British public donations; Government budget allocations should therefore reflect what taxpayers expect. NGOs also have a bigger role to play in the wider UN system and ensure good value for money is delivered.

Furthermore, increasing funding commitments to specialised UN agencies (such as UNICEF, as outlined in the results of the Multilateral Aid Review) needs to be done in conjunction with increased funding commitments and leadership support to those NGOs with specialised approaches in critical areas of humanitarian and development assistance - such as multisectoral nutrition approaches addressing acute malnutrition - and proven delivery capacities.

Humanitarian Space. We welcome the importance given by DFID to re-assert humanitarian action based on need and the utmost importance of the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality in DFID’s work. Funding for humanitarian action in conflict areas needs to be channelled through the NGOs and the Red Cross as a way to further reinforce humanitarian space.

ACF would welcome a DFID statement and commitment to engage with key humanitarian partner NGOs, such as ACF, to work together to deliver transformational change within DFID and the wider Humanitarian system.

We, at ACF, agree that humanitarian concerns need to be at the heart of DFID programming: not only during humanitarian crises but also to complement DFID’s development agenda. For example, the Sahel region poses extreme humanitarian challenges in its lack of preparedness, resilience building and humanitarian emergency response. Currently, the Sahel countries are not included in DFID’s priorities, as outlined in the outcomes of the Bilateral Aid Review. There is a need to enable the recommendations of the HERR in such areas, and ensure that such transformation is enabled with an applied geographic and thematic focus, through a principled humanitarian lens.

ACF hopes to be able to contribute and help DFID further to achieve such transformational change.