The professional humanitarian and the downsides of professionalisation

Author(s)
James, E.
Publication language
English
Pages
21pp
Date published
01 Apr 2016
Publisher
Disasters
Type
Articles
Keywords
Development & humanitarian aid, Principles & ethics

Criticisms lodged at humanitarian relief often include the belief that professionalisation is needed. The problems associated with humanitarianism would end, it is assumed, if the delivery of aid, and relief workers themselves, were more professional and 'business like'. To explore this further, the paper asks what comprises a profession, and offers four criteria: (1) specialisation of knowledge; (2) establishment of the profession as a livelihood; (3) organisation and institutionalisation; and (4) legitimacy and authority. A model for understanding professionalisation, as developed by the author, is then presented. The analysis compares six other professions against the same criteria to argue that the humanitarian community already constitutes a profession. Finally, three potential downsides of professionalisation are offered: the distance of the relief worker from the beneficiary, barriers to entry into the humanitarian sector, and adding to risk aversion and a decline in innovation. Based on these findings, professionalisation should be approached with some caution.