HERE (Humanitarian Exchange and Research Centre) is an independent think-tank which has as its mission to contribute to closing the gap between policy and humanitarian practice, through:
Research: we document and analyse the gaps that we see in humanitarian responses on the ground
Engagement: we have a large network within the humanitarian community and connect and engage a number of these actors in dialogues on policy and practice or in research projects
Messages: we deliver reports and studies with clear and consistent messages on what actions humanitarian actors (and others) need to take to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian response
The Role of ‘Mandates’ Final report
Questioning the general tendency to define humanitarian aid based on what each actor provides, the three years study looked more deeply at the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ as key to achieving an effective humanitarian response. Read Unpacking humanitarianism, the study’s concluding report.
UNHCR’s Leadership and Coordination Role
This UNHCR commissioned independent desk review looked at past refugee responses in the period 2014—2018, considering whether and how UNHCR may need to reorient its approach to leading and coordinating refugee responses in the future.
COVID-19 & humanitarian response
HERE organised a series of reflections with four leading humanitarian thinkers and practitioners, discussing their immediate response and expectations for what this crisis means for their current ways of working and models for the future.
Buddha, Hercules, and others in Humanitarian Leadership
The purpose of this HERE-organised round table was to exchange ideas on leadership in the context of humanitarian coordination, and to identify leadership issues that deserve more attention.
Sooner or later, governments, UN organisations, NGOs, and others will undertake after-action reviews and evaluations of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The message will be that they need to learn from this crisis by examining their preparedness, response capacity, and the measures taken. Though this pandemic is entirely new, it is highlighting existing issues raised by previous evaluations. It follows that the lessons of COVID-19 evaluations are predictable. And these lessons need not be learnt in several months but can be understood right now. Read our predictions.