The quality and use of evidence in humanitarian action

Published: 2014
Author: Paul Knox Clarke and James Darcy

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE? The quality and use of evidence in humanitarian action

Paul Knox Clarke and James Darcy

ALNAP Study

This paper reviews the quality of evidence available today to support humanitarian action. It focuses primarily on evidence generated by the ‘formal international humanitarian system’1 through early warning, needs assessment, monitoring and feedback, evaluation and impact assessment. It also considers the degree to which actors in the humanitarian system actually use evidence to guide their operational decisions and policy formulation.

Key Questions:

  1. Why does evidence matter for humanitarian action?
  2. What is ‘evidence’ in the context of humanitarian action and how do we judge its quality?
  3. Does current evidence meet the criteria for quality?
  4. Is current evidence used to guide humanitarian operations and policy-making?
  5. How can the quality and use of evidence in humanitarian action be improved?

For more information and other related resources are available on the ALNAP website

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