When challenges need an evaluation: for operational excellence and sustainability orientation in humanitarian supply and logistics management

Abstract

Humanitarian supply and logistics management (HSLM) is becoming an important research area for governments and relief aid operational managers in developing successful practices in disaster management. It is vital for humanitarian operations to deal with the probable challenges to HSLM for operational excellence by focussing on sustainability. Therefore, the prime contribution of this article is to identify key challenges to HSLM and to analyze causal relationships between these challenges for developing sustainability in relief operations in a developing economy– the Indian perspective. The listed key challenges were analyzed using explanatory factor analysis and decision making trial and evaluation laboratory analysis. A total of 136 responses were received from Indian humanitarian sector respondents. From findings, ‘Governance and regulatory’; ‘Technology and Facilities’ and ‘Strategic’ challenges are the cause group challenges. This research is invaluable for practitioners, policymakers, NGOs and communities in bringing synergies between humanitarian operations and operational excellence to accomplish sustainability orientation in systems.