Workshop on Regulation within the Humanitarian Sector

One of the recommendations of the TEC Synthesis Report was for regulation of the sector in
order “to ensure minimum quality control of the actors”. The synthesis and the thematic
TEC Reports contain other proposals aimed at regulation, accreditation, certification and
setting of standards. There have also been recommendations for professionalisation of the
sector in the recent Clinton NGO Impact Initiative report. It is not the first time that these
ideas have arisen; yet they resonate at this moment with several other moves along these
lines in the sector.

Over the last ten to fifteen years codes, standards and similar (or varied) attempts to provide
guidance, encouragement and frameworks have been developed. While these have led to
improvements in humanitarian response, its management and improvement also of the
agencies that implement it, the failures and shortcomings of the humanitarian system that
are consistently cited in, among other places, the ALNAP Reviews of Humanitarian Action
seem to show that they do not make enough of a difference. There also remains a very low
entry barrier to the sector, which allows continuing bad practice by new-comers into the
sector.

Is the answer then some form of regulation? And how would that be achieved? What would
its implications be? The Workshop will look at these questions and suggest ways in which
the current renewed debates about regulation can be shaped to give the best chance of
helpful outcomes.