Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) Mid-Term Evaluation (2020) and Management Response (2021)

Summary of publications

The Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) is a five-year (2017-2022) partnership between the Australian Government (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, DFAT) and Australian Non-Governmental Organisations (ANGOs). This Mid-Term Evaluation was designed to provide evidence-based assessment of the progress of AHP and recommendations for future planning.

AHP continues the support provided by DFAT to Australian NGOs to deliver effective humanitarian assistance and to provide support for communities to take a leadership role in preparedness, response, early recovery, risk reduction and resilience efforts. AHP is delivered through a partnership between DFAT and six Australian NGOs. AHP is managed by DFAT and the Australian NGOs with the assistance of a Support Unit (AHPSU).

Photo of Oxfam staff member taking details of woman. — An Oxfam staff member collects a woman’s details at an evacuation centre in Dili, Timor-Leste. Severe flooding in April 2021 left many homeless. Through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership response, six ANGO partners provided immediate response including shelter, food and hygiene supplies to those impacted by the floods. Credit: CARE in Timor-Leste.

The Mid-Term Evaluation found that, in the area of rapid and slow onset disasters, the program provides an effective way for DFAT to utilise Australian organisations to contribute to response and recovery. Disaster READY, the major focus of the Mid-Term Evaluation, has five end of program outcomes and the Evaluation found evidence of progress against all five.

The Mid-Term Evaluation made ten recommendations for possible areas of improvement and posed a number of further AHP and Disaster READY program level considerations to inform future planning. DFAT, in its Management Response, supports 8 of the 10 recommendations in full and partly supports the remaining 2 recommendations. DFAT has committed to implementing recommendations where possible through the AHP design update process and the Disaster READY refresh (through 2022).