Mapping Innovation in Humanitarian Action

This short studdy reviews how humanitarian actors understand and implement “innovation.” It summarises how ten different organisations and agencies place and explain innovative practices within their vision, goals and policies and which formal institutions or strategies they have established to support and implement new ideas and projects. The focus is on organisations that work on more short-term innovations for immediate relief as well as longer-term adaptations and innovation leading to change.
A few elements were identified as formal signifiers of innovation. These are not meant as a rating of an agency’s ability or willingness to innovate, but serve as useful indicators to establish “innovation profiles” of the different actors. These signifiers ask:
 Did the agency appoint a dedicated team to support innovations?
 Was an “innovation lab” or “hub” established to develop or refine innovations?
 Does the agency prioritise partnerships to further the objective to innovate?
 Is a fund in place that directly supports innovations?
 Were innovative pilot projects implemented?