The Evolving Flagship Initiative Approach

The Flagship Initiative, launched in 2023, represents a bold effort to redesign humanitarian action from the ground up. Operating in four pilot countries – Colombia, Niger, the Philippines, and South Sudan – the initiative aims to shift the drivers of humanitarian action by organizing assistance around the priorities of crisis-affected communities rather than those of aid providers.

Despite the vastly different operational contexts and unique challenges faced in each country, the Flagship Initiative has identified five common evolving elements that are transforming the way humanitarian responses are programmed and delivered. These elements, emerging over the past 18 months, are reshaping the humanitarian landscape, moving away from standardized, top-down approaches towards more community-centered, locally-driven solutions.

The Flagship Initiative approach is revolutionizing humanitarian action through five key elements:

1. Systematic and Participatory Community Engagement

This new approach prioritizes participatory engagement based on active listening and iterative dialogue. It aims to truly understand and prioritize community needs, moving beyond traditional needs assessments.

2. Decentralized Area-Based Coordination

The initiative implements area-based coordination, emphasizing greater local involvement and decentralized decision-making. This approach focuses on empowering local actors who are best positioned to respond effectively.

3. Funding Local Communities' Priorities and Capacities

The Flagship approach utilizes country-based pooled funds to directly support local initiatives and capacities. It introduces micro-grants and develops coherent country-level finance strategies that align with community priorities and focus on building resilience.

4. Programming and Humanitarian Planning Based on Community Priorities

Community priorities become the central focus for all actors involved in humanitarian response. The humanitarian response plan is evolving to present area-based strategies organized around these community-identified priorities.

5. Empowering Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators to Drive an Integrated Response that Addresses Community Priorities

The initiative empowers Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators to transform the humanitarian business model. They can now develop innovative approaches that directly respond to community priorities and promote integrated programming across humanitarian and development sectors.

The Flagship Initiative is driving significant changes in how humanitarian assistance is delivered, shifting focus from providers to communities and aiming to graduate people out of dependence on aid. As the approach evolves, it has the potential to fundamentally transform the humanitarian system, leading to more effective, community-centered responses that address both immediate needs and long-term resilience.

For more information, visit: https://www.unocha.org/flagship-initiative