Social Science Research Council

Until recently humanitarian organizations spent relatively little time thinking about how to evaluate the effectiveness and consequences of their actions. Although such issues are now a matter of concern, it is not clear how to determine whether humanitarian action is a success or failure. What outcomes are desired to be measured? What sorts of methods are appropriate? What sorts of data collection procedures are required? How can humanitarian organizations balance their insights informed by context while looking for broader generalizations that can be applied across contexts? How can humanitarian agencies organize themselves so that they can better answer their question of effectiveness? Does the attempt to evaluate effectiveness mean that “value rationality” will be replaced by “instrumental rationality?” Will humanitarian organizations allow their indicators of effectiveness to drive the very goals of humanitarian action?

April 2005 Presenters

James Darcy, Research Fellow, Humanitarian Policy Group, Overseas Development Institute
Link to Paper: "Acts of Faith? Thoughts on the Effectiveness of Humanitarian Action"

James Fearon, Professor of Political Science, Stanford University
Paper: "Measuring Humanitarian Impact"