This quarterly learning brief (QLB) summarises some of Start Network’s key learning from the last quarter (Q4) of 2021. It completes the learning shared across the year and provided in Q1, Q2 and Q3.
Start Network has today announced the purchase of an innovative insurance policy in partnership with African Risk Capacity (ARC) and the Government of Zimbabwe. The policy is to protect more than 800,000 people in Zimbabwe from drought risk during the 2021/2022 agricultural season.
Start Network a annoncé aujourd'hui l'achat d'une police d'assurance innovante en partenariat avec African Risk Capacity (ARC) et le gouvernement du Zimbabwe. La police doit protéger plus de 800 000 personnes au Zimbabwe contre le risque de sécheresse pendant la saison agricole 2021/2022.
Start Network ha anunciado hoy la adquisición de una innovadora póliza de seguros en colaboración con African Risk Capacity (ARC) y el Gobierno de Zimbabue. La póliza protegerá a más de 800.000 personas en Zimbabue del riesgo de sequía durante la temporada agrícola 2021/2022.
Warmest wishes from all of us at Start Network, Christina Bennett, CEO and Suzanne Lyne, CFOO.
Takeaways from the 2021 Start Network Assembly Explore session: Quality partnerships from the perspectives of local and national actors This interactive session explored what quality partnerships could look like between Start Network members and local partners. It explored what local partners perceive to be important values, and how to achieve these, especially trust, flexibility, and transparency. The session included a presentation of main findings from the survey, a panel discussion, and breakout rooms with participating INGOs and L/NNGOs. The panellists were local partners: Nanette Antequisa (ECOWEB, the Philippines) Muleneh Tesfaye (Caritas Ethiopia) and Lynn Walker (Tree of Life, Zimbabwe). The session was facilitated by Lola Gostelow (an independent humanitarian and associate of the Partnership Brokers Association). The session was based on a survey of 98 local organisations and their experiences working with Start Network members, or directly with Start Network.
Takeaways from the 2021 Start Network Assembly Learn session: Recovering costs more equitably: an important step in rebalancing power This session aimed to raise awareness on why a more equitable Indirect Cost Recovery (ICR) across the humanitarian sector is a concrete and tangible way to make progress towards locally led action. Panellists from the session include Fhakrul Islam and Sajid Raihan from Start Fund Bangladesh, Yeakub Hossain from SEEP, and Dulon Gomes from World Vision Bangladesh. The session was facilitated by Myriam Castaneda Solares.
Takeaways from the 2021 Start Network Assembly Explore session: Decolonising evidence: Locally-led approaches of measuring programme success This panel session aimed to explore what alternative approaches to collecting data and measuring success could look like from the perspective of local communities and non-western lenses. It was facilitated by Sanjukta Moorthy (a planning and MEL consultant) who has a special interest in championing diverse perspectives and decolonised frameworks. The three panellists were Saeed Ullah Khan (GLOW consultants, Pakistan) who brings extensive multi sectoral experience especially in large scale survey handling; Anuarite Kabuo (MIDEFEHOPS asbl, DRC) who works for an NGO passionate about contributing effectively to the development of vulnerable communities, children, women, victims of situations of armed conflict; and Pradytia Pertiwi (Rooted Impact, Indonesia) whose work focuses on research and development practice at the intersection of psychology, disasters, development and inclusion, seeking to co-create knowledge with communities.
The Evidence & Learning and Innovation teams at Start Network came together to begin unpacking how we can better embed learning into our work to ensure that our practice and projects continually change and develop as a result of learning and feedback. We began by getting to grips with the problem – what’s stopping learning from happening?
In 2019, Start Fund Bangladesh opened up its membership to 26 local and national organisations enabling them to access direct funding and become involved in decision-making around funding and responses. As a direct result, 80% of all Start Fund Bangladesh funding had been awarded directly to local and national organisations in 2020. This directive to shift the power has also been explored in other ways. For example, Start Fund Bangladesh has also been working to encourage INGOs who have local implementing partners to share overhead costs so that these can be used to grow and strengthen local organisations. To understand more about further changes that Start Fund Bangladesh could make, we listened to some of the reflections of Sina Chowdhury and Sirajul Islam who work for two of the local organisations that joined in 2019. The verbatim quotes from the interviews provide a powerful and rich narrative around their experience working with Start Fund Bangladesh and as humanitarians and have led us to formulate three main lessons for the Start Network: BE MORE INCLUSIVE TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE; UPSKILL TO EMPOWER; and CHAMPION FOR CHANGE. This report would be of interest to all those working towards a system change to a more locally led humanitarian system that is more accountable to those affected by crisis.
