Shaping the future: Our strategy for research and innovation in humanitarian response.
Shaping the future: Our strategy for research and innovation in humanitarian response.
Aim: to improve outcomes for people affected by humanitarian crises by identifying, nurturing and sharing more effective and scalable solutions.
The HIF is a globally-recognised programme leading on the development and testing of innovation in the humanitarian system. Established in 2011, it was the first of its kind: an independent, grant-making programme open to the entire humanitarian community. It now leads the way in funding, supporting, and managing innovation at every stage of the innovation process.
The HIF’s portfolio of funded projects has informed a more detailed understanding of what successful innovation looks like, and what it can achieve for the humanitarian community. This work is leading the global conversation on innovation in humanitarian response.
The HIF Evaluation report is an evaluation of the performance of Elrha’s Humanitarian Innovation Fund from January 2019 to September 2022.
The seven evaluation questions were:
In 2019, Elrha commissioned an independent evaluation of its HIF programme. The evaluation, led by The Research People, covered the period 2019-2022 and reviewed HIF’s ‘core’ work (Scale, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Disability and Older Age Inclusion (DOAI), Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Building Skills and Capabilities). The HIF evaluation was overseen by an independent Steering Committee consisting of 6 members 1 and chaired by Nancy McPherson, Director of Evaluation at the Rockefeller Foundation. We are grateful for the Steering Committee members’ time and guidance throughout the evaluation process, and for the valuable feedback and programme steer from HIF’s Advisory Group, and the wide range of stakeholders who informed the evaluation.
Our 2018-2020 programme strategy was informed by an independent evaluation of the HIF’s performance and a review of the humanitarian innovation landscape. This was a ‘responsible ambition’, one that was creative and dynamic whilst also focused on accountability and sensitivity to the humanitarian ecosystem of which we are a part. We aimed to work collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to collectively drive forward innovation for a more effective humanitarian response.
Our 2017 evaluation, conducted by Triple Line between December 2016 and June 2017, covers the period from the launch of the HIF in early 2011 to December 2016. Its purpose is to provide accountability to our stakeholders through an independent assessment of the HIF’s performance; to support learning about the effectiveness of our own processes and to contribute to our strategic development. We welcomed this opportunity for a formal review as we fully believe in the importance of robust evaluation for improving how we work and helping us maximise our value to the humanitarian sector. Our 2017 evaluation response shared our learning and set out our actions.
View the Evaluation in Full here.
this Evaluation also carried out three case studies:
The HIF’s current thematic focuses are:
Since starting our work on innovation in WASH within humanitarian settings in 2013, we have supported more than 50 innovation or research projects in this area and continue to support many more...
Gender-based violence (GBV) in humanitarian settings is a life-threatening issue. It undermines dignity, causes pain, and is a threat to equality and development around the globe. We are exploring potential solutions to address humanitarian GBV through both our research and innovation programmes...
We set out to address the sector wide question of how to scale humanitarian innovation. In many cases, the complexities involved in scaling innovation beyond prototyping and piloting has stagnated projects meaning valuable, innovative ideas do not get the chance to develop, progress or achieve their potential...
All people affected by crisis deserve to be included in humanitarian response activities. Yet we know that some people are systematically excluded. Our newest area of work explores the barriers to and support opportunities for the inclusion of older people and people with disabilities in humanitarian response....
We believe innovations can be stronger and more effective if they are developed with the input of those most affected by the problems they aim to solve. To ‘localise’ our funding and support, we formed a strategic partnership with the Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN)...
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