Part of the ODI focussing on policy and practice in the response to conflict, instability, disasters and associated humanitarian needs. During the 1990s, the focus of the Group’s work shifted from natural disasters to complex political emergencies The group is re-establishing some capacity to work on natural disasters, but the main focus will continue to be complex political emergencies where the operational and policy issues are most challenging.
HPG has played a leading role in the recent surge of interest in issues of learning and accountability in humanitarian assistance. HPG researchers have participated in a number of key evaluations, and the group founded and hosts The Active Learning Network on Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Assistance which has as its objective improving the quality and accountability of humanitarian assistance programmes by providing a forum for the identification and dissemination of best practice and the building of consensus on common approaches.
The work of HPG informs and is informed by a wide range of policy-makers and field workers via the Humanitarian Practice Network (formerly the RRN) (HPN) – which disseminates newsletters, network papers and good practice reviews to field staff of humanitarian agencies – and through the publication of Disasters, a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal which brings together research on complex political emergencies and natural disasters from a world-wide geographical perspective.
The website contains details of current and previous activities and full text versions of HPG reports, briefings and research outputs.