This is an independent, external evaluation of the Start Fund’s ‘localisation pilot’ conducted in late 2022. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the extent to which the global Start Fund is ready in terms of current and planned processes, practices and capacity, to develop into a more locally-led humanitarian model while maintaining its mandate to respond rapidly to the gaps and unmet needs of people in, or at-risk of crisis.
In 2016 the Start Network launched Crisis Anticipation within the Start Fund. This short brief documents the 10 key lessons learned and recommendation from the first 3 years of Crisis Anticipation at the Start Network.
Mongolia is unique. 30% of the population earn their livelihoods from herding livestock, leading a traditional nomadic life to enable their animals to access pasture throughout the year. Weather conditions can be extremely harsh, with long, stormy winters where temperatures can drop as low as -40C or -50C. Herders, and therefore the wider Mongolia economy, are vulnerable to the impacts of extreme winter weather. Dry summers can mean livestock do not gain the weight needed to survive winter, combined with harsh conditions this can cause mass livestock mortality known as ‘dzud’.
Now moving into its fifth year of operation, the Start Fund is the fastest collectively-owned funding mechanism in the world. It is a leading enabler of rapid, needs-driven humanitarian response for overlooked crises. Filling a critical gap in humanitarian financing, it pools funding from donors for immediate release for crises around the world. In its fourth year alone the Start Fund spent over £8.8 million responding to the unmet needs of 2,050,546 people across 44 crises in 31 countries. Find out more about the work of the Start Fund, including our performance, how we are meeting our commitments to the Grand Bargain, our Anticipation Window, and why we hold localisation at the heart of our work.
The Start Fund opened its Crisis Anticipation Window in November 2016. In this report we set out the changes we have made so far, identify what we’ve learned during its first year and explain the plan to normalise and embed anticipation across the Start Network.
In order to establish a baseline on the state of localisation in the Start Fund and humanitarian sector in Bangladesh more generally, the Start Fund Bangladesh commissioned this external review.
Our third year was one of exciting progress and significant learning, with 74 alerts – nearly as many as our first two years combined – funding 94 projects in 29 countries, reaching nearly 2 million people affected by crisis. Find out more about the work of the Start Fund, including our performance, how we are meeting our commitments to the Grand Bargain, our Anticipation Window, and why we hold localisation at the heart of our work.
This report, for donors, Network Members and all Start Fund stakeholders, provides evidence on the performance of the Start Fund, and reflections on the challenges we have collectively faced over the last year.
This report provides evidence of our assertion that the Start Fund, collectively owned and operated by NGOs/INGOs, can and will enable the international humanitarian system to rise to the challenges of 21st century humanitarian crises
