Humanitarian Innovation Research Articles

Laying the Groundwork: Insights from Organisational Ethics for Humanitarian Innovation

Humanitarian innovation is occurring in a wide range of organisational contexts, from innovation labs and hubs, to specialised units within humanitarian organisations, to small social innovation startups and through intersectoral partnerships. Ethical considerations associated with innovation activities have been the source of increased discussion, including critiques around inclusion in the definition of problems, imposition of solutions, introduction of new risks for people in crisis situations and potential for exploitation. To promote ethical innovation, various initiatives have sought to articulate guiding values and to create resources and frameworks to integrate values in project design and implementation. A distinctive yet complementary line of ethical analysis is offered by the approach of positive organisational ethics, which considers the features of organisations that promote and sustain conditions supportive of ethical action. In this paper we examine three dimensions of an organisation’s ethical infrastructure: the resources that are established, such as policies and statements of organisational values; the practices that are enacted, such as methods of onboarding new staff; and the capacities that are fostered and accessed, including ethics knowledge and skills. Attention to these features constitutes an important means of laying the groundwork for organisational conditions that are supportive of ethical humanitarian innovation.

Humanitarian hacking: Merging refugee aid and digital capitalism

Abstract Hackathons have become popular for helping refugees, among NGOs, volunteers, and corporations but their material impact has been limited. This article explores two Techfugees hackathons in Copenhagen organized with support from Google. The article conceptualizes humanitarian hacking as a space where refugee aid meets digital capitalism by examining the practices of ‘hacking the refugee crisis’ within the analytical framework of critical refugee and humanitarian innovation literature. Rather than providing novel digital solutions, hackathons reproduce existing imaginaries that cast digital technologies as effective, quick-fix solutions; tech companies as innovation experts and humanitarian actors; and refugees as entrepreneurial subjects not in need of aid but of platforms and market opportunities. Thus, while humanitarian hacking has limited impact for the intended beneficiaries, it produces value for hackathon participants and the sponsor organizations. Crucially, humanitarian hacking places tech companies at the forefront of humanitarian aid for refugees and reaffirms humanitarian innovation policy narratives and Silicon Valley corporate humanitarianism.

Innovation in humanitarian assistance—a systematic literature review

The promise of innovation in humanitarian contexts has generated an expanding literature, from academics as well as practitioners. However, the field has become characterised by conceptual ambiguity and insular approaches, inhibiting the integration of findings and best practices. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the key concepts, definitions, and themes in humanitarian innovation (HI) research by applying a systematic literature review and content analysis. Based on data from 301 publications, we analyse scholarly and practitioner articles addressing the topic of humanitarian innovation. Our analysis suggests that efforts to reform the humanitarian system by leveraging innovation have been primarily ad hoc, fragmented, and serving miscellaneous separate objectives. This results in the implementation of incremental improvements, rather than transformative change throughout the sector. To bridge the gap between the various conceptualisations of HI, we propose a conceptual framework that provides a system perspective on HI, which includes the institutions, actors, contextual factors, and outputs of the system. The implications of our finding for further research and policy are discussed as well.Points for practitioners• Ensure active participation and inclusion of affected populations in innovation agendas and processes.• Strengthen collaborative efforts among actors (donors, practitioners, private sector, intermediaries, NGOs) in humanitarian sector to increase coordination, knowledge exchange, and bundling of resources for innovation.• Facilitate evidence-based approaches and data-driven decision-making, for the operationalisation of appropriate innovations.• Increase the quality and quantity of funding going to innovation actors, and steer funding towards innovations explicitly catering to the needs of affected populations.Graphical

Innovation: actor heterogeneity and linkages in humanitarian innovation ecosystems

ABSTRACT As the humanitarian sector faces growing challenges to respond to the needs of people affected by human and natural disasters, and lately by the challenges of the global pandemic, there is a pressing need for innovation and innovation mechanisms that guide new ideas from initial concept stage into implementable and scalable solutions. Despite dedicated innovation spaces gaining popularity over the last decade, there remains a lack of understanding of humanitarian innovation actors, their roles, dependencies and interdependencies by practitioners, policymakers, and academics. This paper uses evidence from a single case study of a UNICEF Innovations Lab in Kosovo, to provide a list of actors involved in innovation processes. The roles and functions, dependencies and interdependencies existing between actors in this innovation ecosystem, and the implications of the knowledge gained for policy and practice are discussed. Evidence was gained through interviews, surveys, focus-group discussions, analysis of documents and through participatory observation.

The concept of the application for humanitarian aid and its use with CAD/CAM technologies and virtual reality and its impact on the safety of the healthcare sector

Purpose: The article has presented the concept of a proprietary application for humanitarian aid and prosthetic needs for reconstruction submitted to the European Union Competition for Humanitarian Innovation (InnovAid) for innovative improvement solutions that increase humanitarian aid.
 Method: analysis of statistical data and data from available literature and scientific articles, observation.
 Findings: Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian aid around the world, reusable and achieving the appropriate level of safety for the world's personnel, as well as providing access to innovative solutions for medical personnel anywhere in the world.
 Paper type: practical, theoretical.

The Ethics of Humanitarian Innovation: Mapping Values Statements and Engaging with Value-Sensitive Design

The humanitarian sector continually faces organizational and operational challenges to respond to the needs of populations affected by war, disaster, displacement, and health emergencies. With the goal of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of response efforts, humanitarian innovation initiatives seek to develop, test, and scale a variety of novel and adapted practices, products, and systems. The innovation process raises important ethical considerations, such as appropriately engaging crisis-affected populations in defining problems and identifying potential solutions, mitigating risks, ensuring accountability, sharing benefits fairly, and managing expectations. This paper aims to contribute to knowledge and practice regarding humanitarian innovation ethics and presents two components related to a value-sensitive approach to humanitarian innovation. First is a mapping of how ethical concepts are mobilized in values statements that have been produced by a diverse set of organizations involved in humanitarian innovation. Analyzing these documents, we identified six primary values (do-no-harm, autonomy, justice, accountability, sustainability, and inclusivity) around which we grouped 12 secondary values and 10 associated concepts. Second are two proposed activities that teams engaged in humanitarian innovation can employ to foreground values as they develop and refine their project’s design, and to anticipate and plan for challenges in enacting these values across the phases of their project. A deliberate and tangible approach to engaging with values within humanitarian innovation design can help to ground humanitarian innovation in ethical commitments by increasing shared understanding amongst team members, promoting attentiveness to values across the stages of innovation, and fostering capacities to anticipate and respond to ethically challenging situations.

The stagnation of innovation in humanitarian cash assistance

Cash and voucher assistance (CVA) has been gaining traction among humanitarian organizations as the preferred aid modality in disaster relief and complex emergencies. While the advantages of cash are well documented, the ongoing digitalization of cash and the emergence of innovative financial instruments can be associated with new operational challenges and a stagnation in innovation.This paper reflects on the changing environment in CVA as a result of technological breakthroughs in the global financial system. The concept of humanitarian innovation is introduced to differentiate it from a similar process in the private sector and to investigate factors, contributing to a slower pace of acceptance, a reluctant implementation, or a complete rejection of innovative approaches in the humanitarian organization. The purpose of the study is to conceptualize the challenges of new technology adoption and scaling, as well as to analyze the direction and current stage of the diffusion of innovation in the humanitarian sphere.Ten interviews with informants representing humanitarian agencies and the private sector were conducted to discuss their experiences with new CVA tools and perspectives on innovation in cash and voucher assistance. The results demonstrate that there is no uniform perception of innovation across the field, and the challenges of diffusion can be associated with several domains, including internal and external capacities, inherent characteristics of new financial technology (fintech), and a wider social, political, and regulatory context. According to the cyclical model of technological change, the innovative CVA fintech is currently at the ferment stage characterized by a high level of uncertainty and competition. The subsequent emergence of several dominant designs followed by incremental innovation is plausible in the future.

АРКТИКА И СЕВЕР ГЛАЗАМИ УЧЕНЫХ: РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ ЭКСПЕДИЦИОННОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ – 2022

The article describes the fourth conference organized by the Humanitarian Innovation Park of Petrozavodsk State University in order to analyze the results of the expeditionary activities of scientists in the Northern Arctic Region of Russia in 2022. This all-Russian conference is a unique platform for an interdisciplinary dialogue among researchers of various disciplines and from different regions aimed at exchanging experiences, comprehensive understanding and interpretation of the data collected during the expeditions, and generating new ideas for the comprehensive development of the Russian North and the Russian Arctic.

Humanitarian practice fit for the digital age

This essay seeks to examine some of the implications of advanced digital technologies on the humanitarian sector. It first situates data and technology-driven transformations in the broader context of humanitarian innovation and reform. It outlines how the increasing scale and complexity of humanitarian needs and operating environments has led to experimentation with new tools and approaches, business models and organisational roles in the sector. These innovations are occurring against the background of the localisation agenda, competition from the private sector, collapsing trust in institutions, and increased scrutiny of charities. The essay then highlights how technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, biometrics, and blockchain are increasing the capacity of the sector to improve humanitarian outcomes for people in crisis through new functionalities and services, greater insights into emerging vulnerabilities and risks, and enhanced organisational performance. Conversely, the essay then explores how these tools and systems are introducing a host of potential harms by exposing vulnerable people and communities to new forms of intrusion, insecurity, and inequality. This includes issues of data protection, cyber security, inherent biases in technological tools, and the reality of the digital divide and exclusion. Lastly, the essay outlines an emerging critical research agenda and active policy debates about responsible, ethical and inclusive design, use and regulation of technology in humanitarian contexts.

Supporting value sensitivity in the humanitarian use of drones through an ethics assessment framework

AbstractThe current humanitarian use of drones is focused on two applications: disaster mapping and medical supply delivery. In response to the growing interest in drone deployment in the aid sector, we sought to develop a resource to support value sensitivity in humanitarian drone activities. Following a bottom-up approach encompassing a comprehensive literature review, two empirical studies, a review of guidance documents, and consultations with experts, this work illuminates the nature and scope of ethical challenges encountered by humanitarian organizations embarking upon innovation programmes. The Framework for the Ethics Assessment of Humanitarian Drones (FEAHD) identifies five values and five key questions related to ethical considerations along the decision chain of humanitarian drone activities. It fills a gap between high-level, principle-based guidance related to humanitarian innovation, and detailed operation-oriented checklists for projects involving the use of drones. In this way, the FEAHD contributes to support value sensitivity in the humanitarian use of drones.

ВЛИЯНИЕ СОЦИОКУЛЬТУРНОЙ СИТУАЦИИ НА САМООБРАЗОВАНИЕ ЖИТЕЛЕЙ КАЛЕВАЛЬСКОГО РАЙОНА В УСЛОВИЯХ ПАНДЕМИИ

The article discusses the problem of changing the level of self-education of the population under the influence of pandemic restrictions in the current sociocultural situation. The problem is studied on the basis of data obtained during a comprehensive scientific expedition of the Humanitarian Innovation Park of Petrozavodsk State University to the Kalevala National Region in June of 2021 as part of the project “Ways to Preserve Human Capital as an Urgent Problem of the Republic of Karelia”. The methodology comprises in-depth interviews, talks and questionnaires on the topic of self-education and self-development. The analysis of the modern sociocultural situation takes into account internal factors (social dynamics, economic model of development, and changes in the political regime and state structure), historical factors (specific national features of culture in the context of which the formation of current generations took place). The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the self-education level of the residents of the Kalevala Region showed a significant difference compared to other regions of Karelia and revealed a number of reasons for the changes. The study resulted in identifying the most important socio-cultural factor that influenced the increase in the self-education level of the Kalevala Region residents during the pandemic, as well as in drawing conclusions on the importance of self-education as a source of preservation and development of human capital.

МЕДИЙНЫЕ МИФЫ О КАЛЕВАЛЕ И РЕАЛЬНОСТЬ: КУЛЬТУРОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ ПОДХОД

The article deals with the problem of the truth of modern media myths using specific information materials about Kalevala, the homeland of classical Karelian mythology. The study was conducted in two stages: the empirical stage was carried out during a comprehensive research expedition of the Humanitarian Innovation Park of Petrozavodsk State University to the Kalevala National District of Karelia, while the second stage was implemented during the office processing of the collected data. Sociological survey and in-depth interview, as well as the analysis and comparison of media myths and classical myths were used as research methods. The second stage of the study led to some generalizations and conclusions. As a result of the study, essential functions performed by media myths in modern culture were identified; six media myths about Kalevala were verified; each myth’s content and its reflection in reality were analyzed. Special attention was paid to the transformation of the classical Karelian myth of Sampo into a modern media myth verified in this study. All in all, the article presents conclusions about the conformity of modern media myths with the provisions of Aleksey Losev’s mythological theory and summarizes the cultural and creative function of modern media mythology.

Humanitarian innovation: The next step for greater impact

Since 2010, the aid sector has invested significant funds in innovation practice, implementing pilots and other practices borrowed from Silicon Valley. While this has supported some impact, the aid sector has now hit a plateau with innovation, struggling to scale what works, frustrated by ‘digital litter’ (unsustainable technology projects), trying to overcome the small innovation trap, and ‘pilotitis’ (fatigue from implementing small-scale projects that never scale up). Many innovation leaders in the social and development sectors are realising that the ‘lean’ innovation approaches commonly used do not work well for the complex challenges in their sector.
 To create the change and impact that our work demands, organisations must be able to work with real and messy challenges, and create large-scale innovative solutions. The sector is beginning to use system innovation to move past simplifying challenges in lean experiments and hackathons. This paper discusses how system innovation can support humanitarians to take the next step to innovation effectiveness, to create real impact in communities.

Applying an ecosystems approach to humanitarian innovation

There is a pressing need for innovation in the humanitarian sector, faced as it is with ever-growing demands for it to respond to the plight of people affected by both human and natural disasters. These are arguably growing in scale, scope, and complexity, and look likely to continue to do so. However, despite being referred to more explicitly in the last ten years, the understanding of humanitarian innovation by practitioners, policymakers, and academics is still very much in its infancy. To help address this issue, this paper drawn on and extends the innovation ecosystems literature to present a systematic framework for analysing innovation in the humanitarian sector. This framework is illustrated using evidence from an interview-based survey of ‘informed’ users and a set of in-depth case studies.

Big Data and International Politics

Big Data is a transformational avalanche of data-encompassing ideas, activities, standards, social behaviours and customs, plus related devices and platforms. This new environment changes the nature of public policies and decision-making. Big Data in International Politics refers to the intelligence provided to improve processes and results in world affairs. Applications and databases have become sources of authority at a moment when expert knowledge is under suspicion. Without data, decisions are less transparent and tend to be arbitrary. However, automation has also favoured the dissemination of propaganda. International Politics for Big Data promotes governance bringing together both political and technical aspects. Privacy, and Human Rights, and discourse on the common good appear as universal values. Big Data for International Politics is devoted to improving relations among international actors. The work agenda includes the refugee issue, global public health and combating climate change, an expression of humanitarian innovation and conflict prevention. Finally, the article refers to two unsettled issues: 1) the value of forecasts based on previous behaviours in a growing environment of complexity and 2) data politics, the political nature of data collection and its bias.

Social Dynamics of Expectations and Expertise: AI in Digital Humanitarian Innovation

Public discourse typically blurs the boundary between what artificial intelligence (AI) actually achieves and what it could accomplish in the future. The sociology of expectations teaches us that such elisions play a performative role: they encourage heterogeneous actors to partake, at various levels, in innovation activities. This article explores how optimistic expectations for AI concretely motivate and mobilize actors, how much heterogeneity hides behind the seeming congruence of optimistic visions, and how the expected technological future is in fact difficult to enact as planned. Our main theoretical contribution is to examine the role of heterogeneous expertises in shaping the social dynamics of expectations, thereby connecting the sociology of expectations with the study of expertise and experience. In our case study of a humanitarian organization, we deploy this theoretical contribution to illustrate how heterogeneous specialists negotiate the realization of contending visions of “digital humanitarianism.”

NON-HUMAN HUMANITARIANISM: WHEN AI FOR GOOD TURNS OUT TO BE BAD

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications such as predictive analytics, forecasting and chatbots are increasingly proposed as solutions to the complex challenges of humanitarian emergencies. This is part of the broad trend of ‘AI for social good’ as well as the wider developments in ‘digital humanitarianism’. The paper develops an interdisciplinary framework that brings together colonial and decolonial theory, the critical inquiry of humanitarianism and development, critical algorithm studies as well as a sociotechnical understanding of AI. Drawing on a review of current humanitarian AI applications as well as interviews with stakeholders, our analysis suggests that several initiatives fail their own objectives. However, this should not mean that these innovations do not have powerful consequences. Automation reproduces human biases whilst removing human judgement from situations, potentially further marginalizing disadvantaged populations. We observe a transformation of humanitarian work as technology separates officers from the consequences of their actions. At the same time, AI initiatives are cloaked in a discourse of inherent progress and an aura of ‘magic’. Rather than democratizing the relationships between humanitarian providers and suffering subjects, digital technology reaffirms the power asymmetries associated with traditional humanitarianism. The non-human aspects of AI humanitarianism reveal, rework and amplify existing deficiencies of humanitarianism. The hype generated by humanitarian innovation appears to have more direct benefits for commercial stakeholders, rather than affected populations. Ultimately, by turning complex political problems like displacement and hunger into problems with technical solutions, AI depoliticizes humanitarian emergencies.

Using Regulatory Sandboxes to Support Responsible Innovation in the Humanitarian Sector

The global regulatory community continues to explore new approaches to supervising innovation. Among these, so‐called ‘regulatory sandboxes’ are proving to be particularly appealing to the financial sector as it seeks to promote technological and data‐driven innovation. These ‘playgrounds’ for innovation are also spreading to other regulated sectors such as telecommunications, data protection, energy, and environmental protection, allowing participants to test new business models and technologies under the supervision of regulators while the applicable rules are temporarily relaxed. Regulators can provide targeted guidance to sandbox participants, including help with understanding how an innovation fits within the existing regulatory framework. As of July 2019, at least 50 sandboxes were either in operation or under consideration globally. Significantly, many of these are based in countries that host large numbers of displaced persons. This commentary explores the potential role for sandboxes in promoting responsible humanitarian innovation. Through a review of the literature, we discuss the stated benefits of the sandbox approach while also acknowledging notable risks and challenges to their sustained deployment. We then reflect on how the humanitarian sector might engage regulators and other stakeholders through sandboxes to develop and catalyze innovations that better serve those affected by humanitarian crises, including the displaced.

Ethics at the Intersection of Crisis Translation and Humanitarian Innovation

Language and its translation are important operational concerns in humanitarian crisis response. Information sharing, coordination, collaboration and relationship-building all revolve around the ability to communicate effectively. However, doing so is hampered in many humanitarian crises by linguistic differences and a lack of access to adequate translation. Various innovative practices and products are being developed and deployed with the goal of addressing these concerns. In this theoretical paper, we critically appraise the ethical terrain of crisis translation and humanitarian innovation. We identify ethical issues related to three broad themes. First, we foreground questions of justice in access to translation and its prioritisation in contexts of widespread and pressing needs. Second, we consider the relationship between humanitarian ethics and the ethics of crisis translation. We argue for the importance of attending to epistemic justice in humanitarian crisis response, and consider how Ricoeur’s conception of linguistic hospitality provides insights into how relationships in humanitarian settings can be understood through the lens of an ethics of exchange while also acknowledging the steep asymmetries that often exist in these contexts. Finally, we identify issues related to how translation innovations intersect with humanitarian values and humanitarians’ ethical commitments.

Places for People

Humanitarian innovation has come under considerable fire in recent years for its uncritical technophilia, its links with the private sector and its tendency to fetishise objects rather than focusing on politics and process. There are many examples of these issues in the shelter sector, yet this article argues that a clear distinction should be made between innovation and architecture. By comparing the Ikea-funded Better Shelter with the series of architectural interventions in Vienna, collectively known as Places for People, this paper argues that architecture can productively engage with humanitarianism not by constructing shelters but by designing at a smaller scale in a way that does not involve any building at all.