Rigorous evidence of the cost-effectiveness of investments in disaster preparedness is limited. However, overall the available data points to disaster preparedness leading to clear reductions in both humanitarian costs and losses due to crises (lost lives, assets, livelihoods). While there is general consensus on the importance of preparedness, significant challenges mean it ...» more
UK Department for International Development (DFID)
The GSDRC has provided research services to DFID since 2001, initially serving governance advisers, and gradually expanding to also cover social development, conflict, and humanitarian issues. The following GSDRC publications were commissioned by DFID.
Cost-Effectiveness in Humanitarian Aid and Development: Resilience Programming
The results of the review show a gap in the literature in terms of providing conclusive evidence/data and analysis of the cost-effectiveness of resilience-related responses. Most of the reports, papers, briefs and notes that were reviewed tend to make normative assertions as to how important is to provide humanitarian assistance early enough and to direct efforts towards ...» more
Cost-Effectiveness in Humanitarian Aid: Localisation Programming
The localisation of humanitarian aid is a “collective process by the different stakeholders of the humanitarian system (donors, United Nations agencies, NGOs) which aims to return local actors (local authorities or civil society) to the centre of the response with a greater, more central role” (Groupe URD, 2017). The idea of promoting localisation in humanitarian aid through ...» more
Cost-Effectiveness in Humanitarian Work: Cash-Based Programming
There is consensus in the literature that giving people cash in humanitarian contexts provides greater choice and dignity while at the same time stimulating local markets. In comparison to in-kind approaches, cash emerges as more efficient to deliver and – depending on the particularities of a given context – it can also be equally or at times more effective at delivering the ...» more
Cost-Effectiveness in Humanitarian Work: Integration of Displaced Persons into Host Community Services
With unprecedented numbers of displaced persons around the world, the humanitarian system is facing huge financial pressures. The international community provides support (about US$22 billion in 2015) mainly through humanitarian programs, but the World Bank describes the current model as critically flawed (WBG 2017, p. 12) because forcibly displaced persons have to ...» more