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Self Report 2018

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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  • 2B
    Ensure full access to and protection of the humanitarian and medical missions

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Humanitarian Aid International will strive to ensure that international humanitarian law (IHL) is strictly adhered to by all state actors. Punitive actions must follow in case of any violation. Humanitarian Aid International will advocate and lobby for safety of aid workers who are increasingly at risk in conflict zones. It will demand zero tolerance for civilian deaths in the name of collateral damage. It will adhere to and promote the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and impartiality in all circumstances. It will promote greater awareness on IHL among the civil society organisations and Southern NGOs so that they would reaffirm their rights-based programming and uphold the rights and entitlements of the people affected by disasters, climate change, conflicts and extreme events.


    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Humanitarian Aid International (HAI) has come up with is own HAI Principles for Humanitarian Action. We commit to adhere with all principles except the one of 'Neutrality', which we will take case by case. Since humanitarian advocacy is one of our focus areas, at times we may choose to take sides to ask for durable solutions rather than being neutral. HAI is promoting humanitarian principles among its member organizations in order to ensure adherence across all of our programmes. 

    Humanitarian advocacy is one of the four thematic focus areas for HAI, with emphasis on seeking durable solutions to conflicts. HAI advocate for addressing root causes of displacement and primarily do that through HAI's publications and social media messages. 

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    HAI have its own internal mechanisms. 

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Funding amounts
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    HAI observes that scant regard is paid to seeking solutions to conflicts, with excessive focus placed on relief, granting asylum etc. These are important, but the humanitarian community should do more to also seek durable solutions. 

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    HAI will further strengthen its international advocacy. HAI wil try to influence signatories of Charter for Change to put more emphasis on humanitarian advocacy. 

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • More commitment to address root causes of conflicts. 
    • More accountability to comply with International Humanitarian Law.
    • Monitoring of arms industries. 
    • Stringent measures to control organized human trafficking, particularly of migrants. 
    • Increased prominence in humanitarian advocacy on durable solutions to conflicts. HAI is increasing its advocacy efforts and expects that other national and international actors will also emphasize this more in their own humanitarian advocacy. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    HAI Principles for Humanitarian Action. 

    Keywords

    Humanitarian principles, IHL compliance and accountability, Local action

  • 3A
    Reduce and address displacement

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Given the high number of refugees and asylum seekers and long periods of displacement, Humanitarian Aid International will advocate for special programmes with host communities, in order to minimise hostility and ensure better integration. It commits to be inclusive of excluded and invisible people in all programmes, particularly of women, children, elderly, disabled and socially marginalised.  It firmly believes that the ultimate solution to displacement is not providing refuge and granting asylum, but seeking permanent and lasting solutions to conflicts, so that displaced people settle back to their places of origin with absolute safety and protection. However, until solutions are agreed, the displaced populations'€™ right to life with dignity must be ensured. Protection of the rights of population on the move, or in displacement must be a top priority.


    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    IDPs (due to conflict, violence, and disaster)

    Humanitarian Aid International (HAI) is not working in any conflict zone. However, in the Indian states where HAI works, such as in Assam, climate related displacement is high. HAI, while addressing immediate relief and recovery needs, has mainstreamed resilience into its activities, so that climate related displacement could be minimized. HAI has also taken-up climate related advocacy so that displacement caused by climate change is recognized as disaster affected and therefore displaced persons are entitled to government support. 

    At the international level, HAI advocates that while it is important to provide lifesaving support to displaced populations, it is equally important to seek durable solutions to address root causes of displacement. Minimizing the needs is the most prudent disaster response, which is what HAI advocate for on all platforms.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    HAI track government policies at the national level. HAI also monitor how international policies and strategies evolve. As of now, there is little evidence to demonstrate that HAI's efforts have started yielding results at the national and international level.  However, at the field level HAI are more successful in addressing climate related displacement. 

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Buy-in
    • Data and analysis
    • Human resources/capacity
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    At the global level, there is little impact of HAI's advocacy, with the focus still being on access to affected areas and the provision of aid. There is little focus on, or demand for, sustainable solutions, including by making state actors answerable to prolonged conflicts. 

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    In India, HAI is developing a resilience program to continue to address the root causes of disaster and climate change related displacement. At the international level, HAI will continue to engage in relevant platforms and push for durable solutions to conflicts, prevention of displacement and maximum efforts for repatriation.  

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    HAI will continue its advocacy efforts and programs with other signatories and endorsers of Charter for Change. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    In Assam state of India, HAI is working on alternative livelihood plans so that disaster-induced migration can be reduced. 

    Keywords

    Disaster Risk Reduction, Displacement

  • 3D
    Empower and protect women and girls

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Given the high number of refugees and asylum seekers and long periods of displacement, Humanitarian Aid International will advocate for special programmes with host communities, in order to minimise hostility and ensure better integration. It commits to be inclusive of excluded and invisible people in all programmes, particularly of women, children, elderly, disabled and socially marginalised.  It firmly believes that the ultimate solution to displacement is not providing refuge and granting asylum, but seeking permanent and lasting solutions to conflicts, so that displaced people settle back to their places of origin with absolute safety and protection. However, until solutions are agreed, the displaced populations'€™ right to life with dignity must be ensured. Protection of the rights of population on the move, or in displacement must be a top priority.


    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Humanitarian Aid International (HAI) responded to floods in the Assam and Bihar states of India. Women were included in all phases of planning so that their specific gender needs and protection related issues could be addressed. Likewise HAI's activities were designed to provide more protection to disaster affected women and to mitigate their forced displacement risks. In Bihar state, where trafficking is very high, our member organization was particularly watchful, establishing monitoring cells at the village level to prevent unsafe migration and trafficking. 

    During the year, HAI also amplified its advocacy at global level against trafficking and unsafe migration. 

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    HAI does internal monitoring by engaging member organizations and community representatives. 

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Funding amounts
    • Gender and/or vulnerable group inclusion
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Protection and gender are becoming cross-cutting issues across programs of all HAI members. HAI has succeeded in mitigating the cases of trafficking from disaster affected areas. 

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Migration will continue being a key cross-cutting issue for HAI. HAI will further develop a national strategy to monitor it during disasters. HAI will continue discussing with the government for safer migration. HAI will also continue its global advocacy on the issue. 

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    There are organized groups of human smugglers. Humanitarian agencies need to join together to ask for strict actions against human smugglers/ traffickers, to expose the nexus with some state agencies, and to ask for safer passage to migration. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Wider awareness created on migration and trafficking during flood response in Bihar and Assam states of India. 

    Keywords

    Displacement, Gender, Protection

  • 3G
    Address other groups or minorities in crisis settings

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Given the high number of refugees and asylum seekers and long periods of displacement, Humanitarian Aid International will advocate for special programmes with host communities, in order to minimise hostility and ensure better integration. It commits to be inclusive of excluded and invisible people in all programmes, particularly of women, children, elderly, disabled and socially marginalised.  It firmly believes that the ultimate solution to displacement is not providing refuge and granting asylum, but seeking permanent and lasting solutions to conflicts, so that displaced people settle back to their places of origin with absolute safety and protection. However, until solutions are agreed, the displaced populations'€™ right to life with dignity must be ensured. Protection of the rights of population on the move, or in displacement must be a top priority.


    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Humanitarian Aid International (HAI) responded to floods in Assam and Bihar states of India. Through our program, we focused on religious and ethnic minorities and tribal communities who remain socially marginalised and who find it challenging to claim their entitlements from the government. 

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    HAI has internal monitoring mechanisms, which include members from partner organizations, government officials and representatives from the communities. 

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • Funding amounts
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    It is challenging to access funding as Grand Bargain signatories have yet to fully deliver on commitments. Additionally, international actors also raise funds in India which also denies national resources to Indian organizations. This impacts HAI's ability to implement a comprehensive response plan. 

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    HAI is a member based organization. HAI will continue expanding its membership base to reach out to religious and ethnic minority populations in need. HAI will continue holding Grand Bargain and Charter for Change signatories accountable for better delivery on commitments. HAI will also keep raising the issue of local fundraising by international actors, so that local and national actors have better access to national resources. 

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    There is a need to meaningfully work on the commitments made in the Grand Bargain, so that local and national actors could be more efficient first responders and continue reaching out to the most marginalized and vulnerable populations. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    HAI's advocacy paper "Towards a Localized Humanitarian Response". 

    Keywords

    Local action, People-centred approach, Religious engagement

  • 4A
    Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Humanitarian Aid International commits to break the silos of humanitarian and development programmes by bringing resilience at the centre stage. All of its humanitarian and development programmes will lead to addressing risks, vulnerability and exposure.


    • Policy
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Strengthening national/local leadership and systems

    Humanitarian Aid International (HAI) has initiated discussions with other like minded southern NGOs to form an alliance with the purpose of eventually establishing a Southern Charter. This Charter will be used to hold Grand Bargain signatories accountable and answerable to the commitments they have made. Currently, all global processes originate in the global North, therefore, discussions largely remain confined among northern actors with some token participation from southern actors. A bottom-up approach is essential to bring about essential change and to hold northern actors accountable. HAI is also working toward establish an Indian Charter.

    HAI is also a member of the coordination group of Charter for Change, which HAI constantly uses to push advocacy messages in favor of local and national actors. 

    People-centered approaches (feedback mechanisms, community engagement, etc)

    Humanitarian Aid International (HAI) has established a national platform consisting of local and national organizations, with the purpose of reinforcing them. During the year, HAI responded to three disasters through four of the member organizations. More than 95% of the funds were transferred to member organizations for programming. Enough flexibility was provided with the funding to be able to adjust activities according to changing needs. The member organizations shared the budget with the affected population and established feedback mechanisms. HAI provided equal visibility to member organizations in all its publications. HAI also helped its members to get connected with international processes and also accessed international media houses. 

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Other: HAI assesses its own programs by engaging its member organizations, representatives from the affected population and other stakeholders, including the government.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    HAI is gradually succeeding in changing the discourse in India. HAI came up with a paper on the localization process, and its poor implementation in India. The paper has been published by the Forum for Indian Development Cooperation, which will also organize a seminar on the subject. 

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Buy-in
    • Funding amounts
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • In India, resources are controlled by international aid agencies, so much so that Indian organizations find it hard to directly access funds, which prevent them from upscaling activities to the desired level. 

    • There is little understanding of the Grand Bargain among the NGOs, government and other stakeholders in India, making it challenging to engage them in the localization discussion, bring them to one platform and create synergies among their actions in favor of local and national actors.  

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • Implement a two pronged strategy: 1) HAI will keep challenging international actors by holding them accountable to the commitments they have made, and 2) HAI will continue to work with local and national actors to raise awareness, so they can increasingly assert themselves and bring about required reforms in the humanitarian architecture. 
    • Launch with the participation of key stakeholders the HAI paper "Towards a localized humanitarian response in India", published by Research and Information System for Developing Countries. 

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The country offices of signatories of Grand Bargain and Charter for Change should show more adherence with the commitments they have made, and should support locally-led initiatives and be willing to stop competing with local and national actors who are not on a level playing field. Headquarters of international organizations that are signatory to the Grand Bargain and the Charter for Change should ensure that the commitments are understood and shared across their respective organizations and national offices are held accountable.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    • HAI is keeping its funding transparent to its member organizations, who in turn also share their entire budget with the target communities. This is positively impacting the program and also inspiring others to follow the pattern. 
    • HAI's efforts to initiate an Indian charter and a Southern charter
    • HAI establishment of a national platform, consisting of local and national NGOs, faith-based institutions, corporate and media houses to effectively take up advocacy issues.

    Keywords

    Local action, People-centred approach

  • 4B
    Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Humanitarian Aid International believes that the corporate sector has tremendous potential to contribute to alleviate humanitarian suffering. It will constantly work with the corporate sector enterprises and national governments for poverty reduction, income generation, vulnerability reduction, education and livelihood diversification, especially in disaster-affected areas by facilitating stakeholder engagement.


    • Partnership
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    • There is no pooled fund in India that is accessible to Indian local and national actors, which delays the response and makes local actors dependent on international aid agencies. To address this, Humanitarian Aid International (HAI) initiated the Thousand Plus campaign to establish a pooled fund. There was only limited success, but the fund helped to immediately respond when massive floods affected several states of India. Through limited funds we could ensure timely and cost efficient response. The HAI platform ensures presence throughout the country, so that we could trigger a response without wasting time. The ultimate aim is to save more lives and ensure faster recovery. 
    • HAI is also trying to develop a national resilience program to proactively address risk and vulnerability and strengthen resilience, but have been delayed due to a lack of funding. 
    • HAI is also currently implementing a flood response program in Assam and Bihar states of India. Resilience has been mainstreamed in the program, so that root causes of poverty and vulnerability can be addressed.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Many actors have now started talking about the necessity of a pooled fund in India. Several organizations have shown interest to join HAI for the purpose of establishing a national pooled fund. 

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    • Human resources/capacity
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    There is a need to further strengthen the national pooled fund, which is exclusively available to local and national actors. International aid agencies need to be careful not to hijack the process through their national offices. 

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • Continue talking with other national actors and also international actors towards establishing a national pooled fund.
    • Continue work toward a national resilience program.
    • Continue work toward establishing a national roster to provide surge capacity to local and national humanitarian organizations. 

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Support and commitment from international actors to not compete with local and national actors. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Establishment of a pooled fund. The amount was too low and HAI found it hard to replenish after utilization, but at least a process has begun. 

    Keywords

    Community resilience, Country-based pooled funds, Disaster Risk Reduction, Local action

  • 4C
    Deliver collective outcomes: transcend humanitarian-development divides

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Humanitarian Aid International commits to break the silos of humanitarian and development programmes by bringing resilience at the centre stage. All of its humanitarian and development programmes will lead to addressing risks, vulnerability and exposure.


    • Policy
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    • Humanitarian Aid International commits to constantly strive for the synergy of humanitarian programmes with development programmes of all actors, in order to address the root causes of poverty and vulnerability.


    • Policy
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis and planning towards collective outcomes

    During the reporting period, Humanitarian Aid International (HAI) responded to floods in the Assam and Bihar states of India, which get flooded every year and often several times. Interventions were designed to address risk factors, strengthen resilience, develop/strengthen village based institutions, and also establish linkages with the relevant government departments and other stakeholders. HAI succeeded in doing that to a good extent. Food was still distributed but through food-for-work and livelihoods were still restored but through the creation of a revolving fund. Government departments and ministries pooled their resources and support to bring about synergy.  The agriculture department and meteorological department offered support for better forecasting and guidelines on adaptive farming. There is still a long way to go, but the beginning is encouraging. 

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    HAI engages not only affected populations but the government and other stakeholders in monitoring the progress. Statements are based on the feedback from them. 

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Data and analysis
    • Funding amounts
    • Human resources/capacity
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Disaster response has to be innovative, particularly in areas which are perennially disaster prone. Funding is not increasing, therefore whatever is available should be used judiciously. HAI believe that a development and DRR perspective was brought in through its response. 

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    HAI are seeking resources for a resilience program to consolidate achievements in 2017, and to proactively work on mitigating risks and strengthening resilience. 

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    HAI need support from international aid agencies to partner with member organizations through multi-year financing to achieve sustainable results. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Engaging government departments at all levels helped to get offers of collaboration. That augmented resources and coverage. 

    Keywords

    Community resilience, Disaster Risk Reduction, Humanitarian-development nexus, Local action

  • 5A
    Invest in local capacities

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Humanitarian Aid International firmly believes that local actors do have the capacity to respond. They only lack resources to be more prompt and effective. Being a local actor, Humanitarian Aid International is better placed to address this gap. It will commit itself to strengthen the network of local organisations, and support them with adequate resources (professional, technical and financial) to reduce the response time.


    • Partnership
    • Invest in Humanity

    • Humanitarian Aid International commits to address the flaws of humanitarian financing by bringing local actors at forefront of humanitarian response, in order to reduce the administrative expenses, so that maximum resources are utilised on programmes.


    • Advocacy
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Addressing blockages/challenges to direct investments at the national/local level

    Humanitarian Aid International (HAI) is an Indian national organization, and it is reinforcing, not replacing local organizations. This is being done through the national platform, to which local organizations are members. HAI believes that local actors have high response capacity, but not enough compliance capacity as most of the compliance requirements are highly technical and developed in western countries. To address this, the HAI secretariat provide complementary support services to its member organizations. HAI is also working on a national roster with different professional expertise for the purpose of providing immediate surge capacity to frontline organizations. 

     

    Country-based pooled funds

    There is no pooled fund in India this is accessible to Indian local and national actors, which delays the response and makes local actors dependent on international aid agencies. To address this, HAI initiated the Thousand Plus campaign to establish a pooled fund, exclusively available to national and local actors. There was only limited success, but the fund did help to immediately respond when massive floods affected several states of India. Through limited funds HAI could ensure timely and cost efficient response. The HAI platform improves presence throughout the country, so that a response could be triggered without wasting time. The ultimate aim is to save more lives and ensure faster recovery. 

    Direct funding to national/local actors

    During the reporting period, HAI responded to three disasters through its member organizations. Local and national actors were provided with 95% of the total funding available with HAI. Enough flexibility was also provided with the funding to allow member organizations to adjust activities according to changing needs. The member organizations shared the budget with the affected population and established feedback mechanisms. Local and national member organizations were also introduced directly to other donors. At least two member organizations succeeded in mobilizing more funds and establish new partnerships.

    Other-5A

    • HAI developed a policy paper to influence the national policies in India and the policies of the corporate sector which favors local and national actors in India and empowers them.
    • HAI participated in global events including Grand Bargain: One year on meeting in Wilton Park, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment (Geneva); Grand Bargain annual meeting (Hague); and launch of the first Agenda for Humanity report (New York). HAI was part of panel discussions in most of these events, which was used to influence global humanitarian policies, particularly around the capacity issues of local and national actors, and aggressive fundraising strategies of affiliates of international actors in growing economies of the global South. 

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    • HAI determines progress in consultation with its member organizations. Data publishing is still weak, as aid agencies don't follow a common template. Organizations using the the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) dashboard or the Financial Tracking System (FTS) are rare. 
    • Many actors have now started talking about the necessity of a pooled fund in India. Several organizations have shown interest to join HAI for the purpose of establishing a national pooled fund. 

     

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    • Human resources/capacity
    • Other: Reasons are invented to deny funding to local actors. Aggressive fund raising in the global South is another major barrier for Southern actors.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • Local actors are getting more informed about the commitments of the Grand Bargain and Charter for Change, however they still don't assert their views and concerns as much as they should for fear of losing funds. 
    • Need to strengthen the national pooled fund. It is important international aid agencies don't hijack the process through their national offices.
    • In India, resources are controlled by international aid agencies, so much so that Indian organizations find it hard to directly access funds, limiting their ability to upscale activities to the desired level. 

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    1. To further strengthen the HAI secretariat to continue providing complementary support services to its member organizations.

    2. Work on a national roster for surge capacity. 

    3. Continue disseminating information about Grand Bargain and Charter for Change to local actors.

    4. Constant advocacy with the government, aid agencies and other stakeholders.

    5. Continue talking with other national actors and also international actors towards establishing a national pooled. 

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • HAI expects other organizations, particularly aid agencies, to support dissemination by informing their local partners about commitments made internationally, and to give them confidence to hold aid agencies accountable. 
    • Support and commitment from international actors to stop competing with local and national actors. 
    • International actors should stop using the pretext of insufficient capacity, inadequate compliance, or poor adherence to humanitarian principles (which there is no concrete evidence of) as a pretext to deny funding to local actors, and instead facilitate them with better resources to protect rights and entitlements of at-risk communities. 
    • Now there is a better understanding of the response capacity of local actors, a system to complement and support them on compliance is needed.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    • HAI is challenging the concept that capacity could be built through classroom trainings only. We are shifting from that to capacity building through practice. Local actors do not need to be provided with training which they can't sustain, or don't need to use frequently. 
    • Establishment of a pooled fund. The amount was too low and HAI found it hard to replenish after utilization, but at least a process has begun. 

    Keywords

    Community resilience, Country-based pooled funds, Local action, People-centred approach, Quality and accountability standards, Transparency / IATI

  • 5E
    Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Humanitarian Aid International commits to address the flaws of humanitarian financing by bringing local actors at forefront of humanitarian response, in order to reduce the administrative expenses, so that maximum resources are utilised on programmes.


    • Advocacy
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Humanitarian Aid International (HAI) is very actively challenging the fundraising practices of international NGOs in Southern countries that can further marginalize local actors and keep them dependent on international NGOs, even for resources available within the country. HAI has come up with two advocacy papers on this subject and will continue to raise it on all available platforms. HAI firmly believe that the national fundraising space should be left for local and national actors. Only then can they be in a position to diversify their resource base. 

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    1. Monitoring of programs of our member organizations.

    2. Research. 

    3. Data publishing is still weak, as aid agencies don't follow a common template. Organizations using the the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) dashboard or the Financial Tracking System (FTS) are rare.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Buy-in
    • Data and analysis
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    While the issue of fundraising in the global South an its appropriateness has become an issue nationally and internationally, the biggest challenge is that local and national actors don't feel confident to challenge international actors due to unequal power relationship. 

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    HAI is working toward the establishment of an India and Southern charter, which will, inter alia, ask international aid agencies to stop raising funds in southern countries, and also work through partnership. 

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    National branches of international organizations should live up to the commitments made internationally and support local initiatives to amend the humanitarian architecture. 

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Two advocacy papers of HAI on the subject. 

    Keywords

    Local action, Transparency / IATI

Attachments

  • WHS Commitments Attachments
    Transformation - 5A | Local action