Managing for results in humanitarian organisations
that the requirement to contribute results to the corporate results system was seen as burdensome by humanitarian staff, while adding no practical value to their operations. As one key informant observed, “A system built to inform HQ is different than a system built to empower country offices”. It is therefore not surprising to find that the HOs as a group scored relatively low for their first generation of RBM systems, and that dual mandate organisations like UNICEF that invested heavily in RBM systems, found it difficult to integrate their humanitarian operations. However, the case studies show that this is not the end of the story. The HOs are pressing forward with developing a new generation of RBM system that meets their requirements better, and appear to be coming up with viable solutions for addressing the challenges discussed here. The most successful strategies, particularly those adopted by UNICEF and FAO as dual-mandate organisations, have integrated humanitarian operations with development goals, in pursuit of a common set of outcomes. UNICEF’s new strategic plan includes humanitarian assistance not as a separate area of action, but integrated across its results areas. The results that UNICEF seeks to achieve for children – for example, that they have nutritious diets, access to primary health care and opportunities to learn – can be delivered either through development or humanitarian interventions, as conditions require. Similarly, FAO’s Strategy Framework 2022-31 is clear that the organisation’s work spans the humanitarian-development continuum, and that both humanitarian and development assistance can be tools for achieving the organisation’s overarching objectives. Furthermore, it follows the ‘triple nexus’ approach by pledging to ensure that its support for countries and populations facing acute food insecurity also equips them with the capacity to withstand and manage future shocks and risks. Both organisations have recognised that, while short-term humanitarian action is necessarily a large part of their work, achieving their long-term objectives means not just satisfying this year’s humanitarian need with shortterm interventions, but also taking a strategic approach to reducing humanitarian need over time. This context makes the aggregation of humanitarian results into the corporate RBM system a much more meaningful undertaking. It allows the organisation to see what proportion of its overall results is being delivered through humanitarian channels, and the relative cost of delivering results in emergency contexts – important information for an organisation seeking to make progress with the HDP Nexus.
Towards an organisational framework for RBM in humanitarian organisations The lessons show that implementation of RBM in HOs in a meaningful way is a complex endeavour, generally requiring reforms to a range of wider corporate systems, structures and processes. Table 2 summarises some of the strategies used across the case study organisations to achieve an integrated RBM system that meets both the demands for management information at operational level and the need for accountabilities to funders and governing boards at the corporate level.
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