European NGO Security Research

Humanitarian security adviser (and NGO Security Blog contributor) Alexandre Carle is conducting research on European NGO security practices. If you're an aid worker who has experienced a security event while working for a European humanitarian organization, he'd like to hear from you. Here's more about the study. We look forward to seeing the final report and conclusions.

Introduction to the study

The security of missions is becoming increasingly challenging for all humanitarian actors, and more specifically NGOs, for whom the risk threshold is very often much higher than for most other stakeholders. There is no clear global information about the ways in which NGOs are currently managing this increase in security and crises nor its effectiveness. Practice, experience, tools and needs are different across the various NGOs. In addition, the rapid changes in contexts and the increase in exposure to threats results in a need for ongoing diversification of systems. There is a gap between what NGOs would like to do in terms of security and crisis management and what they are actually able to do.

Objectives of the study

To :

• Examine how security and crisis are managed by Continental European Humanitarian NGOs at head office and field levels
• Identify Continental European Humanitarian NGOs future needs with regards to security and crises management
• Generate recommendations to inform future support mechanisms for NGOs in the humanitarian context

Study methodology

This investigation is in two parts :

• Research involving 20 European continental humanitarian NGOs, from 9 different countries, using a questionnaire for head office and field levels as well as interviews with HQ and field staff and field visits
• Random interviews with aid workers who have experienced specific security incidents and who are willing to testify independently

Invitation to participate in the study by testifying about a security event

Are you an aid worker who has some field experience and faced security events when working with European Continental Humanitarian NGOs ?

If so, would you like to take part in this study on security and crisis management ?

The interview will involve five questions via email and you will receive the final report of all findings soon after.

Please contact Alexandre Carle : other_solutions@hotmail.com