ALNAP’s evolving role as sense-maker

The period covered by our latest Annual Report, published last week, includes the publication of the fifth edition of our flagship State of the Humanitarian System (SOHS) report and the production of a raft of reports, events and articles under the theme Spotlight on Learning, in recognition of ALNAP’s 25th anniversary.

These publications tell a story about our twin focal points in 2022–23. In the SOHS report we collated a wealth of evidence and learning to produce a valuable snapshot of the performance of the humanitarian system. And in Spotlight on Learning we analysed fundamental learning processes to create a better understanding of how and when humanitarians learn, and to find out more about the blockages and accelerators that affect the implementation of learning to achieve positive change.

This is a story about evidence, and why – in itself – it’s not enough.

When ALNAP was set up, the problem lay in a lack of evidence to inform learning. That isn’t the challenge now. Whilst some important evidence gaps remain, we are richer in evidence, knowledge and documented learning, than ever before and we have a strong understanding of good practice in many areas.

Yet we know – despite the availability of evidence, and notwithstanding important areas of positive change – that in many areas the sector is not progressing in the way it wants to.

Recommendations for improvements in localisation and accountability to affected populations are the same – almost word-for-word – as they were 20 years ago. The SOHS report depicts a sector that has committed itself to become more diverse and decentralised, but in which resources and funding decisions are actually becoming more concentrated.

The challenge now is to find out how to instrumentalise learning to drive change. ALNAP’s role is to act as the institutional memory of the sector: to curate learning, and make it accessible and usable. We are increasingly being asked to help members make sense of the vast array of evidence for humanitarians who have limited time and space for learning.

This year we have produced rapid evidence reviews and briefings to support the responses in Ukraine, Pakistan, Türkiye and Syria, and Somalia. The feedback we have received on these briefings and evidence reviews, and on the tailored briefings and presentations we have delivered on the SOHS report, has been strikingly positive.

It’s becoming ever clearer that making sense of evidence in a timely and accessible way will be an increasingly important part of our evolving role.