In humanitarian settings (such as natural disasters, conflicts, famines, etc), innovation can be as important as regular programmatic activities or research, and can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from either of these. At once experimental and responsive, innovation can be a welcome response to an unresolved problem, but also lack the oversight of research and the reliability of established practices. To help address the unique ethical tensions that arise in humanitarian innovation, the research presented in this dissertation was conducted as part of a consultancy-grant with the Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF). The aim of this partnership was to support the development of evidence-based ethics tools for innovation in humanitarian contexts. In this dissertation I present three unique contributions to the body of knowledge surrounding humanitarian ethics research. The first article presents the overarching research architecture that was employed in partnership with the HIF, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of this approach to the development of ethics tools. The second article presents the findings from a scoping review of academic and grey literature focusing on ethics and humanitarian innovation, identifying ethical tensions across innovation stages as well as a common thread of solutionism. The final article presents a qualitative description of key stakeholder interviews, which highlighted the need for micro (tools for reflection), meso (funding structures), and macro (sectoral learning and transparency) level shifts to foster ethical humanitarian innovation. Taken together, these contributions point to a humanitarian innovation ecosystem that is very much still in its nascency, potentially vulnerable to exploitation by market interests, and has not established effective mechanisms to facilitate learning and collaboration between funders, innovators, and affected populations. This research and the associated toolkit begin to respond to the immediate need for resources, and provide empirical support for larger sectoral change. Further research and the establishment of a community of practice surrounding these tools will be critical to the continued pursuit of humanitarian innovation in an accountable, ethical, and impactful manner. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Over the past decade there has been an intense proliferation of innovation activities in the humanitarian sector (challenges, labs, accelerators), but a lack of practitioner-oriented resources to facilitate ethical decision making and reflection when pursuing these activities. This research was conducted through a consultancy-grant between the Humanitarian Innovation Fund & the Humanitarian Health Ethics Research Group, with the aim of supporting the development of evidence-based resources to foster ethical innovation in humanitarian contexts. Qualitative interviews and literature reviews were used to explore the landscape of what is known and to identify gaps and needs, which informed the series of iterative tool workshops. This research ultimately produced five unique tools and a series of case studies, as well as greater understanding of the ethical dimensions of humanitarian innovation. Further research and the establishment of a community of practice surrounding these tools will be critical to the continued pursuit of humanitarian innovation in an accountable, ethical, and impactful manner.

Background: Children make up more than 50% of the population affected by humanitarian crisis. Although it has been shown that a stable, nurturing and safe home environment can help mitigate the negative effects of ambient violence and instability, with deteriorating family relationships and poor psychosocial wellbeing of caregivers in humanitarian crisis, children may face an additional source of harm from within their home. This scoping review was conducted to a) examine the extent to which caregiver psychosocial wellbeing and family violence affect the wellbeing of children and b) understand if interventions and programming can improve wellbeing of children through changes in caregiver psychosocial wellbeing or family violence. Methodology: Using the Arksey and O’Malley framework, we searched three electronic databases and various grey literature sources for literature that discussed the associations between caregiver psychosocial wellbeing and/or family violence, and the wellbeing of children. A quantitative and thematic analysis was conducted to examine the extent, range and scope of literature. Results: The findings from 22 identified observational studies indicated that caregiver psychosocial wellbeing and family violence are both associated with various dimensions of child wellbeing. Although the three interventional studies suggest that targeting caregiver wellbeing and family violence may be promising, the search revealed very limited evidence in the form of evaluated programs that reliably measure caregiver and family dimensions, while also measuring child outcomes. Conclusion: Focusing on improving the wellbeing of caregivers and reducing family violence may provide an important venue through which we can improve the lives of children. However, further research must be conducted to expand our understanding of the relationships between relevant factors, and to create robust program evaluations to determine the efficacy and value of interventions. Such research can contribute to the evidence base that is crucial to helping us protect and promote the wellbeing of children in these challenging contexts. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / In the aftermath of a disaster, relief agencies rush to assist the affected population. However, lack of coordination between these agencies often results in poor resource management, which undermines efficacy and efficiency. This report facilitates inter-agency collaboration, particularly between military and non-military entities, by conducting a case study of one non-government organization involved in disaster relief. With the second-highest revenue among major non-government organizations in the United States, the Salvation Army in America—and, by extension, its international arm, the Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO)—is an ideal candidate for evaluation. This report evaluates SAWSO's disaster response capabilities by analyzing its organizational history, operational competencies, and financial resources. The results of this report offer a foundation for military and other humanitarian relief agencies to pursue collaborative efforts and increase the overall efficiency and efficacy of future disaster response operations. This report's findings indicate that SAWSO is a highly efficient organization from a financial standpoint, and that it offers a variety of relief capabilities that vary by region, with the provision of shelter, settlement, and non-food items among its strongest and most consistent competencies. / Outstanding Thesis / Captain, United States Marine Corps

<p>This research paper focuses on the legal protection of humanitarian workers. It refers to the experience of governmental organizations with a humanitarian vocation, and international humanitarian organizations, such as, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), active in more than 80 countries. The ICRC was created in order provide assistance and protection to wounded combatants,11 but its activity has gradually extended to include prisoners of war and civilians, territories. Also Medecin Sans Frontiere (MSF), functioning in more than 70 countries, was established to provide medical assistance to victims of conflicts or natural and other disasters.</p>

Background: Nowadays, humanitarian relief organizations are more and more present in people’s lives due to the number of recorded natural disasters increasing over the last 30 years. Although there are several actors involved in humanitarian aid, the need to integrate logistics service providers into humanitarian relief operations has been recognized. Howev- er, the literature lacks particular attention concerning the coordination roles and objectives between humanitarian relief organizations and LSPs during disaster relief operations. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between UNICEF and its LSP(s) during disaster relief operations. More specifically, this study aims to understand the elements that drive, facilitate, constrain and affect the relationship UNICEF has with its LSPs. Method: A qualitative, exploratory research approach was used, using a real-context case study as the research design. The empirical data was collected through in-depth semi- structured interviews with four respondents representing both UNICEF and its LSPs. Conclusion: The researchers present a revised version of the conceptual framework used to conduct this research. One additional component was added to the list of compo- nents affecting the effectiveness of a relationship. In addition, some other influencers were discussed. This conceptual framework can be used to formulate an effective relationship between two humanitarian actors within disaster relief operations. Finally, forming a rela- tionship between UNICEF and its LSPs is nothing new. Recommendations for future re- search include investigating implementation efforts once a relationship is built, in order to improve disaster relief operations and save more lives.

<p>This research paper focuses on the legal protection of humanitarian workers. It refers to the experience of governmental organizations with a humanitarian vocation, and international humanitarian organizations, such as, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), active in more than 80 countries. The ICRC was created in order provide assistance and protection to wounded combatants,11 but its activity has gradually extended to include prisoners of war and civilians, territories. Also Medecin Sans Frontiere (MSF), functioning in more than 70 countries, was established to provide medical assistance to victims of conflicts or natural and other disasters.</p>

Submitted in fullfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Research) Macquarie University, Division of Humanities, Dept. of Modern History. 2005. / Thesis (MA)--Macquarie University, Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dept. of Modern History, 2005. / Bibliography: p. 268-290. / Introduction -- 1. Norms, interests and humanitarian intervention -- 2. Bosnia and Somalia -- 3. Rwanda -- 4. The Clinton Administration and the Balkan Wars -- Conclusion. / A number of Constructivist and English school scholars have investigated the degree to which humanitarian intervention is allowed and legitimised by international society. In other words, they have examined the nature and strength of a norm permitting humanitarian intervention. It is the contention of this dissertation that another norm of humanitarian intervention - parallel but discrete - has been neglected. It is argued that ideas and beliefs shared by members of international society not only permit intervention but prescribe it in certain circumstances and this has been largely ignored in the literature. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / 290 p

Thesis (LL. M)--University of Toronto, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 186-192).

Current trends have seen a rise in the frequency and severity of disasters on a global scale, with disasters in recent years having some of the most devastating impacts ever seen on the societies they affect. As a result, there are increasing pressures on the Formal Humanitarian Sector (FHS) and their resources, resulting in a growing need to examine the logistical processes essential to humanitarian operations. Existing research within the humanitarian logistics (HL) domain has highlighted a plethora of challenges relating to the efficient and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected by disasters. Through a systematic literature review, it was discovered that current research predominantly focuses on the activities of humanitarian organisations (HOs); overlooking the social and logistical capacity already present within affected communities. In order to address the gap left by HO-centric HL research, this investigation approaches the challenges of efficient and effective humanitarian assistance from a novel perspective. Drawing upon the notion of Collaborative Aid Networks (CANs), this research explores the role of communities as drivers of HL processes, and of their own relief and recovery. In a field in which empirical data is lacking, this enquiry utilises a constructivist grounded theory methodology in order to gather empirical insights from post-earthquake Nepal. Interviews and observations were conducted over a period of seven weeks, with data being continuously analysed and refined throughout this process. The findings from this research culminated in the development of a theoretical framework which illustrates the interrelationships between CAN characteristics and their outcomes on HL. This study contributes to the emerging debates concerning community participation in disaster contexts, and provides revelatory insights regarding CANs’ unique attributes and competencies, which enable them to positively impact disaster affected communities. In levying CAN support, the FHS could increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their HL operations, whilst improving collaboration and communication between the FHS and the community; in turn supporting the legitimacy and downward accountability of FHS programmes.