Accountability to Affected Populations and Cost-Effectiveness in Humanitarian Outcomes
This review summarizes the evidence on how accountability to Affected Populations is leading to cost-effective humanitarian outcomes
Abstract
Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) seeks to ensure that the rights, dignity, perspectives and security of all groups of an affected population are protected, and that gender, age, disability and diversity identify their particular needs. This rapid review summarizes the available evidence on how/if Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) is leading to cost-effective humanitarian outcomes as well as if certain AAP mechanisms are more effective than others (although the evidence on the latter is very limited). Overall, AAP has been a well-recognised principle of humanitarian action for two decades. The humanitarian sector has made commitments on five 鈥榩illars鈥� of AAP through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and other related forums, namely: leadership and governance; transparency; feedback and complaints; participation; and project design, monitoring and evaluation. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review on the 鈥榮tate of the humanitarian system鈥� by ALNAP discovered that there was 鈥榥o progress in engaging local participation鈥� and 鈥榣ittle evidence of affected populations鈥� input into project design or approach鈥�. Further, much of the available evidence confirms that the humanitarian sector has had a 鈥榩oor record鈥� in fulfilling its pledge to use power responsibly by taking into account, transparency and accountability of the people it aims to support.
This report was prepared for the UK Government鈥檚 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and its partners in support of pro-poor programmes
Citation
Megersa, K. (2020). Accountability to Affected Populations and Cost-Effectiveness in Humanitarian Outcomes. K4D Helpdesk Report 789. Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies.