Five ways the aid system can improve its accountability to affected people

If efforts to improve accountability to people affected by crises are to finally have a chance at progressing, the humanitarian system needs to organise itself differently. It’s therefore encouraging that the emergency relief coordinator’s new “Flagship Initiative” gives aid leaders in-country the space and flexibility to actually do that – something we’ve found to be critical if this agenda is ever to move forward. As the Flagship Initiative starts to pick up steam, and begins its rollout on the ground, here are five pieces of advice for the aid system, informed by years of listening to crisis-affected people.

1. Think – and act – long term

2. Stop with the catch-all assessments; focus on people’s capacities and priorities instead

3. Don’t mistake reactive complaints and feedback mechanisms for accountability

4. Don’t let aid protocols and standards get in the way of what communities say they want

5. No regulation, no reform