Humanitarian sheltering: analysing global structures of aid

In 2018, the IDMC documented 10.8m new displacements as a result of conflict and violence and a further 17.2m displaced as a result of natural disasters (IDMC, 2019). Predictions in the rate at which displacement will continue to occur are widely varied, but there is an overall consensus that, regardless of the rate, global displacement is rising. Shelter projects are an integral part of the response to displacement. However, there is a lack of understanding of the processes involved in shelter project design decisions, the point at which these decisions take place, and the motivations underlying these decisions. Although all shelter projects have some unique attributes, the similarities in the basic requirements of shelter projects (i.e. protection from the elements) suggest that there is a huge potential to learn from the collective assessment of shelter projects. In particular, an assessment of the processes which contribute to the design of these projects, the decisions made within these processes, and the priorities of the varying stakeholders in making those decisions. There is no existing assessment of these processes or the mechanisms enabling them within shelter projects for natural disaster, conflict, and complex responses. However, an assessment of these processes could enable individuals to make improved decisions and understand the key decision nodes for doing so.
Therefore, this research utilises a combination of expert interviews and historic cases of shelter to understand the framework within which the process of design decisions takes place and the priorities of stakeholders making these decisions. This includes discussions with governments, international NGOs, Global Cluster Groups, private sector, academia, and beneficiaries of shelter. This research investigates key decisions, stakeholder priorities, influences on success, and economic factors affecting design decisions through a mixed methods approach. The final aim of this research is to develop means to support and improve the process of design decisions in the context of shelter projects for displacement

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