Round table discussion
The future state of innovation in humanitarian programming
KUNO, Oxfam Novib and Response Innovation Lab will host an informal roundtable on the future direction of humanitarian innovation.
Response Innovation Lab (RIL) is a collaborative initiative between Save the Children International, Oxfam International, World Vision International, Civic.co and Danish Refugee Council. RIL convenes stakeholders within the broad humanitarian innovation system to foster ecosystem development. Embracing a collaborative, evidence-based and localised approach, RIL endeavors to empower the humanitarian innovation system at both local and global level. In this roundtable, RIL Global Director Max Vieille will present the initiative, what insights and lessons the last nine years of supporting response-based innovation platforms have yielded, and what humanitarian innovation systems are emerging. This will lead to a group discussion on the future state of innovation in humanitarian programming and what that could imply for the Netherlands-based actors.
Response Innovation Lab (RIL) adopts a “local first, regional second, global third” approach to its operations. The Response Innovation Labs are all hosted by either the founding or local NGO partner organisations. Through this approach, RIL aims to optimise the operational support for its team while being more grounded in the field, leveraging the hosting organisation’s knowledge and network in the local context.
RIL Country Labs are facilities launched by RIL partners to implement the full Response Innovation Lab model in humanitarian response settings. They are operational in Uganda, Somalia, Gaza (currently on hiatus), and Northwest Syria. Affiliate Facilities are found in Iraq. Jordan, Nepal, Rwanda and Puerto Rico, most of which led by a local NGO. RIL is also conducting Pop-Up activities in South Sudan and Yemen, with a vision to onboard these into the network. While the global Central Support Unit plays a rather guiding and supporting role, the local labs are given great autonomy and independence to lead and manage projects, allowing them to fully respond to the demand and specificities of the response ecosystems they serve.
- Max Vieille, Global Director, Response Innovation Lab
This session will be moderated by Suying Lai, Head of the SAFE Unit at Oxfam Novib
