Empower to Enable Toolkit: Empowering frontline staff to enable more meaningful participation of affected populations in humanitarian programs

Do Frontline Staff Hold the Key to Transforming Community Engagement? The International Rescue Committee (IRC), with the support of USAID’s BHA, created the Empower to Enable (E2E) Toolkit—a suite of 7 tools designed to empower frontline staff. Tools included focus on Engaging Frontline Staff in Proposal Design; Senior Management Team Field Visit Form; Focus Group Discussion Guidance for Frontline Staff; AAP Resources Library; Country Program Leadership Self-Assessment Tool; Community Engagement Responsibilities and Skills Self-Assessment for Frontline Staff; and Budget Template for the E2E Toolkit.

Developed during co-creation workshops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Iraq, the toolkit can help humanitarian organizations hand more control and autonomy to frontline staff, who can then help ensure that programs respond directly to the needs of affected people. Tested during a pilot program in Iraq and the DRC, the E2E Toolkit received critical feedback from users on improving each tool for maximum relevance and efficiency. Positive results showed promising shifts in involving frontline staff in meaningful ways, as detailed in the E2E Case Study.  But this isn’t just about tools. It’s about shifting organizational culture and embedding practices that allow frontline staff to truly influence how programs are designed and delivered. The pilot results are clear: empowering frontline staff leads to better programming.