UN agencies often partner with international and local NGOs to implement humanitarian assistance and protection. NGOs, on their part, are faced with the challenge of understanding and dealing with different, and often complex, UN partnership frameworks. Understanding how these frameworks function, and how humanitarian funding through the UN is evolving, was the topic of the second session of the learning stream on humanitarian financing, jointly organized by ICVA and PHAP.

In this session, experts from two major agencies – the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Program (WFP) – presented their organizations’ approaches to implementing partnerships and discussed challenges related to the existing funding modalities together with an NGO representative. Participants were provided with an overview of key procedures, as well as trends and challenges regarding UN humanitarian funding opportunities for NGOs.

Please note that on 10 November there was a separate learning session on pooled funding mechanisms, discussing the Country Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) and other pooled funding mechanisms, including those managed by NGOs, such as the START Network's and NEAR Network's pooled funds. You can read more about this session and register at phap.org/10nov2016

Briefing paper

ICVA has prepared a briefing paper based on the discussions during the event. You can access the document in English, French, and Arabic.

For additional resources on this topic, you can go here.

Follow-up responses and interview with Marcus Prior

Read the written responses to the follow-up questions by Fatima Sherif-Nor and Marcus Prior

Read the interview with Marcus Prior on WFP's approach to delivering through partnerships with NGOs

Introductory whiteboard video

Recommended resources

• UNOPS, “2015 Annual Statistical Report on United Nations Procurement,” UN Office for Project Services, 2016.
• Ahmed and Cordell, "A Comparison Review of UN Project Partnership Agreements for NGO Implementation of Humanitarian Projects," ICVA, February 2015
• George A. Bartsiotas & Sukai Prom-Jackson, “Review of the Management of Implementing Partners in United Nations System Organizations,” UN Joint Inspection Unit, 2013.
• Tandanori Inomata, “Financing for Humanitarian Operations in the United Nations System,” UN Joint Inspection Unit, 2012.

Geneva Humanitarian Connector

This event was made possible through the Geneva Humanitarian Connector, an initiative of PHAP supported by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

Learning stream on humanitarian financing

As part of the learning stream on humanitarian financing, this event was the second of six live interactive online learning sessions that ICVA and PHAP have organized between September 2016 and March 2017 with the purpose of providing NGOs and humanitarian workers with a stronger understanding of the humanitarian financing system.

Learning objectives

• Awareness of some UN funding mechanisms available to NGOs
• Familiarity with the overall procedures for grant approval and monitoring with WFP and UNHCR
• Awareness of the main trends and challenges for NGOs accessing UN funds
• Knowledge of the different sources of information on UN funding

Target audience and event access

The stream specifically targets NGO staff, including field, policy and HQ staff, but all live sessions are open to anyone interested in improving their understanding of humanitarian financing.