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www.alnap.org |
2002/03 |
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ALNAP, as a unique sectorwide active-learning
membership network, is dedicated to
improving the accountability and quality of humanitarian action, by sharing
lessons; identifying common problems; and, where appropriate, building
consensus on approaches.
Introduction
The Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in
Humanitarian Action (ALNAP) was established in 1997 as an international
sectorwide forum to address learning, accountability and quality issues within
the Humanitarian Sector. ALNAP encourages self-criticism and learning by
ensuring that no one type of organisation is able to dominate discussions or
set the agenda.
Target Audience
ALNAP’s primary
target groups are those who have responsibility for and/or are engaged in:
·
development and interpretation of policy;
·
design and management of operations;
·
organisational learning; and
·
accountability (including governance and external
scrutiny).
ALNAP fosters a
culture of active learning, accountability and quality throughout the sector to
facilitate improved performance
Membership and Structure
ALNAP
has 51 Full Member organisations, over 280 Observer Members, and is governed by
an elected Steering Committee of 8 Full Member representatives. ALNAP’s work is
managed by a small Secretariat, hosted by the Overseas Development Institute
(ODI).
Funding
ALNAP is
currently funded by over 50% of its Full Member organisations. Members also
provide in-kind support eg, translation of ALNAP publications; hosting of meetings;
and secondment of personnel to ALNAP activities.
Network activities
Facilitating
sectorwide networking is ALNAP’s primary function. These activities include all
information synthesis, dissemination and exchange activities.
·
Biannual
Meetings: twice yearly ALNAP Full
Member representatives come together over two days to share information and
perspectives, and through a process of debate and prioritisation, determine
ALNAP’s workplan.
·
ALNAP
Annual Review Series: published every
April, in addition to providing a synthesis and meta-evaluation of available
evaluations of humanitarian action, the Annual Review addresses a current theme
within the humanitarian sector and highlights key challenges for the sector.
·
Key
Messages: short briefing papers on the key messages arising from ALNAP’s
research/work.
·
Training
Modules: training
modules are developed to disseminate good practice identified through ALNAP’s
research activities. The modules are available as a free good on the ALNAP
website.
·
Evaluative
Reports Database: a fully-searchable online collection of
evaluative reports of humanitarian action (eg, evaluations, reviews, lesson
learning studies, conference proceedings and syntheses) with key sections
accessible.
Programme activities
ALNAP commissioned
research focusing on key issues for the sector as identified by the Full
Members at Biannual Meetings.
·
Strengthening
Programme Monitoring Systems in the Humanitarian Sector:
This 2-year phased study seeks to strengthen programme monitoring systems to
ensure that lessons are learned, and appropriate modifications made, during the
course of an intervention. Equally important is the need to ensure that these
lessons are captured to inform future performance in humanitarian action.
·
Programme
and Evaluation Guidance Gap Filling: A
series of guidance booklets developed by ALNAP to address gaps in current
guidance. Planned guidance in the
series are: Evaluating Humanitarian
Action (2002); Protection: Strengthening
Performance Frameworks for Protection, for Mandated and non-mandated
Humanitarian Organisations (2003); and Capacity Building and Context Analysis (2004).
·
Improving
learning: Documentation and comparative assessment of 2-3 approaches to After
Action Review (AAR) in the sector. This involves assessing AAR processes of
selected ALNAP Full Member organisations. The assessment involves real-time
observation of an AAR process and interviews with participants.
Interest Group Activities
The interest
group process allows proposals developed within ALNAP, for which there is no
implementation or funding capacity, to go forward under the leadership of a
group of interested Members.
·
Consultation
and Participation in Humanitarian Action: this 18-month study, incorporating case studies in 5
emergency contexts, aims to identify good practice on consultation with, and
participation by, beneficiaries and affected populations in the planning,
management, monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian programmes. Key outputs
will be 5 individual case study Monographs, a Practitioner Handbook, and an
Overview Book. It is anticipated that findings will also be incorporated into an ALNAP training module.
·
Testing
the Learning Support Office Concept: the aim is to
improve field-level learning through the promotion and facilitation of
three-way learning activities: i. Learning In; ii. Learning Out; and, iii
Lateral Learning. The Learning Support Office will offer an independent
learning resource accessible by all within the sector.
Available from www.alnap.org
-
Training modules:
1.
Introduction to Evaluation;
2.
Evaluating Humanitarian Action; and,
3.
Managing and Facilitating the Evaluation of Humanitarian Action Process.
-
ALNAP Annual Review 2001
-
Key Messages sheets
-
Online Useful Resources Database
-
Evaluative Reports Database (ERD)
-
Annual Reports
-
Meeting Records and updates of Full Member’s current
and future learning and accountability
initiatives.
ALNAP studies
and background papers:
-
Aid Responses to
Afghanistan: Lessons from Previous Evaluations, December 2001
-
Follow-up to
Evaluations of Humanitarian Programmes, April 2001
-
Kosovo
Humanitarian Programme Evaluations: Towards Synthesis, Meta-analysis and
Sixteen Propositions for Discussion, October 2000
-
Mapping Accountability
in Humanitarian Assistance, May 2000
Books available to order
-
ALNAP (2002) Humanitarian
Action: Improving performance through improved learning ALNAP Annual Review
2002. London: ALNAP
-
Wood, A. Apthorpe, R. and J.
Borton (eds) (2001) Evaluating
International Humanitarian Action: Reflections from practitioners. London:
ALNAP/Zed Books
ALNAP
Full Members
Africa Humanitarian Action, Prof.
Apthorpe, AusAID, BADC, John Borton, BRCS, CAFOD/Caritas, CARE International, CIDA,
Ian Christoplos, DANIDA, DFA Ireland, DFID, DMI, ECHO, Emma Ltd., ETC UK, FAO,
Groupe URD, Humanitarian Accountability Project, ICVA, ICRC, IFRC, InterAction,
JICA, MFA France, MFA Germany, MFA Netherlands, MFA Norway, MSF-H, OXFAM, ODI,
People in Aid, SCF UK, SCHR, SDC, Prof. Shaw, SIDA, SPHERE, Tufts University,
UNDP, UNHCR, UNHCHR, UNICEF, UNOCHA, USAID/OFDA, VOICE, WFP, WHO, World Bank,
World Vision.
ALNAP’s
existence reflects a sectorwide desire to improve performance in humanitarian
action, and recognition that:
§
this
requires sectorwide change as well as change within individual organisations;
§
existing
mechanisms are not sufficiently inclusive to facilitate sectorwide change;
§
individual
organisations will benefit from a sharing of perspectives and experiences in
their efforts to improve active learning, accountability and quality within the
sector.
For further information please contact
the ALNAP Secretariat:
ALNAP at ODI,
111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1
7JD, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7922 0300
Fax: +44 (0)20 7922 0399
alnap@odi.org.uk http://www.alnap.org
Secretariat Coordinator: John Mitchell
<j.mitchell@odi.org.uk>