HUMANITARIAN HORIZONS RESEARCH PROGRAMME

Strengthening the evidence base for effective and efficient humanitarian response

Informed and shaped by key stakeholders in the region

Elevating the profile of humanitarian action in Asia and the Pacific

The Humanitarian Horizons Research Programme consists of two pillars:

4 multi-year research projects

Series of  12 practice papers

The multi-year programme seeks to inform and elevate the profile of humanitarian action in Asia and the Pacific.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?The Humanitarian Horizons Research Programme is a three-year research initiative. The humanitarian space is facing unprecedented challenges. With more protracted crises in the world than ever before and demand for humanitarian funding at an all-time high, humanitarian actors need to be more effective and efficient. The program adds unique value to humanitarian action in the Asia and Pacific contexts by generating evidence-based research and creating conversation for change. The program is supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

2017-2018 PROGRAMME f Establishment of a Research Advisory Committee (RAC)

f Scoping research priorities for three-year program

f Research Project 1: Localising humanitarian action in Asia and the Pacific

f Research Project 2: Diverse humanitarian leadership

f Practice Paper 1: Local leadership in the Rohingya response

f Practice Paper 2: LGBTIQ+ inclusion in humanitarian response

f Development of communications and engagement strategy

Pillar 1: Multi-year Research Projects

Research Project 1: Localising humanitarian action in Asia and the Pacific

This projects explores how Australia and its Pacific partners can develop the most appropriate and effective approaches to implementing and measuring their progress against the localisation commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit.

Research Project 2: Diverse humanitarian leadership This project explores how diverse leadership contributes to more effective humanitarian action. It will start by mapping leadership roles to form a baseline that can be tracked over time, and then provide an evidence base for the anecdotal benefits of diverse leadership in humanitarian response operations in the Pacific.

Pillar 2: Practice Paper SeriesThe second pillar of our research program addresses emerging themes at the forefront of humanitarian action. Consistent, rapid analysis of humanitarian action by independent practitioners, taking account of multiple stakeholders and themes, has been rare to date in the Asia and Pacific region. The practice papers respond to this gap, providing a quick turnaround analysis of emerging themes to prompt critical analysis and awareness among responding actors and donors.

When the Rubber Hits the Road: Local Leadership in the First 100 days of the Rohingya Crisis Response

The international community has committed to a humanitarian system that is locally owned and led. This rapid real-time analysis in partnership with NIRAPAD considers how the global localisation agenda has influenced the current operational response to the crisis, and prompts questions about what happens when localisation moves from theory to practice.

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WHEN THE RUBBER HITS THE ROADLOCAL LEADERSHIP IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE ROHINGYA CRISIS RESPONSERESEARCHED AND WRITTEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NIRAPAD

December 2017

H U M A N I T A R I A N H O R I Z O N S P R A C T I C E P A P E R S E R I E S

HOW IT WORKSWorking with national researchers and organisations is a key value for us. We support national researchers in the Pacific and Asia regions to work with us across the research programme, through our Regional Associate programme.

Research is undertaken in partnership with national and regional organisations and academic institutions in the region and globally, and stakeholders from local, regional and global networks will be engaged throughout the research and dissemination stages:

f Australian NGOs and civil society organisations f Australian and regional governments f Regional universities in the Asia and Pacific region f National consultant networks f Private sector partners f Regional peak bodies such as the Australian Council for International Development

(ACFID), the Pacific Islands Association of Non-governmental Organisations (PIANGO) and International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)

f Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG)

ABOUT USHumanitarian Advisory Group (HAG) was established in 2012 to elevate the profile of humanitarian action in Asia and the Pacific. Established as a social enterprise, HAG provides a unique space for thinking, research, technical advice and training that can contribute to excellence in humanitarian practice. HAG emphasises supporting national researchers, women and emerging practitioners to engage in humanitarian action, and believe that networks and strong relationships are key to improving practice.

Our research values f We communicate with integrity, by being transparent in our research process f We engage ethically, by acknowledging the contribution of our partners f We support networks and strong relationships, believing they are key to improving practice f We value the contribution of our national researchers, who are involved throughout every

phase of our research f We prioritise community ownership of research, by ensuring that communication is

contextually appropriate f We are committed to making research accessible, using different formats and

communication methods according to audience needs f We adhere to ACFID’s Principles and Guidelines for Ethical Research and Evaluation

in Development.

Partner organisations/ institutions

National research networks and consultants

HAG research team

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COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT Producing research that is relevant and useful to affected communities is a driving commitment of this research program. Translating research outputs in local languages and monitoring perception of usefulness of research on the ground are among the steps we take to facilitate local ownership of outputs. HAG has developed a communications strategy for effective and ethical engagement throughout the programme.

GUIDING OUR RESEARCH The Research Advisory Committee (RAC) of the Humanitarian Horizons Research Programme is comprised of representatives with diverse expertise from a range of fields, including the private sector, academia, and peak humanitarian bodies. These include PIANGO, the Cook Islands Red Cross Society, the International Council of Voluntary Agencies, Deloitte and the University of Melbourne.

The first phase of the research involved mapping out the research priorities to shape a more comprehensive three-year program, based on the results of a survey distributed to key stakeholders in the region. Throughout the course of the research program, we will continue to tap into the links created with local, regional and global networks, to ensure ongoing engagement with humanitarian actors.

LEARN MORE www.humanitarianadvisorygroup.org/humanitarian-horizons-research-programme/

Key Contacts Josie Flint | jflint@humanitarianadvisorygroup.org Kate Sutton | ksutton@humanitarianadvisorygroup.org

Cover: Aftermath of cyclone Pam. Pam struck the islands of Vanuatu (South Pacific) on March 14 and 15, 2015. and destroyed almost 90 percent of the houses. Shot shortly after the disaster. Credit: Shutterstock.com

Above: Members of Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya minority walk through a broken road at Shah Porir Deep, at Teknaf in Cox’s Bazer, Bangladesh on September 11, 2017. Credit: Sk Hasan Ali / Shutterstock.com