Third Annual Global Humanitarian Policy Forum, 3-4 december 2014 - Analytical Summary: Enhancing Cooperation, Enhancing Effectiveness

Introduction

On 3 and 4 December 2014, OCHA hosted its third annual Global Humanitarian Policy Forum (GHPF). The forum was convened by the Policy Development and Studies Branch (PDSB). Participants included over 100 humanitarian practitioners, academics, private sector partners, and representatives of international organizations and non-governmental organizations.
The GHPF aims to build a more inclusive policy community, identify latest trends, showcase research, and foster a coordinated policy-and-research agenda that contributes to the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit (WHS). The 2014 GHPF focused on the following specific objectives:

• Build a common understanding of the term “interoperability”.

• Identify the systemic issues and priority research, policy and operational gaps pertaining to interoperability on which the international community should focus.

• Identify initiatives to be taken by different actors to foster interoperability as a way to enhance the effectiveness of global humanitarian action.

The GHPF comprised a Humanitarian Symposium, open to the public. This was followed by an off-the-record Policy Conclave with working-level experts. Both sessions analysed the concept of interoperability. The second day included a series of workshops, four of which supported the thematic areas identified under the auspices of the 2016 WHS (effectiveness, managing risk, innovation and serving the needs of people in conflict). The workshops examined the following topics:

• Improving effectiveness through better response.

• Managing risk through more effective planning and programming.

• Enhancing research-and-development efforts in the area of innovation.

• Best practices for reaching hidden populations of urban internally displaced persons, including the use of tools and data methods.

A fifth workshop examined the application of complexity science theory to improve humanitarian response capabilities.