© HI / Atlas
Signal's unique approach helps humanitarian operators to better understand and target their interventions, enabling them to maximise their impact on the populations most at risk in times of crisis.
The humanitarian challenges posed by climate change, especially the increasing number of climate-related disasters, have revealed the limits of traditional response methods, highlighting the need to increase disaster risk reduction and preparedness efforts. Meanwhile, humanitarian funding has not kept pace with rising needs. Logistical costs account for between 60% and 80% of humanitarian response expenditure, and the cost of climate actions could reach 20 billion dollars a year by 2030. There is therefore an urgent need to optimise disaster risk management by integrating logistics into all phases of the humanitarian response. Logistics planning must be adapted to local conditions and to the type of disaster. Supply chain management must anticipate disruptions and minimise operational and financial risks. Governments and civil society actors, who are often insufficiently prepared, must strengthen their capacity to manage these crises in order to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian responses to growing crises.
There are two main components to the Signal project: the LVI and the local logistical environment assessment. These tools enable the collection of detailed data that can then be used to assess an area’s level of logistics vulnerability and the capacity of populations to recover after a crisis.
Examples of mapping using Signal analysis tools:
Signal is unique in its Humanitarian-to-Humanitarian (H2H) approach, where results are produced and shared by and for humanitarian aid actors. By collaborating with NGOs, UN agencies, state agencies, universities and other partners, HI / Atlas Logistique ensures that Signal's tools and deliverables are continuously improved to meet the needs of humanitarian actors and vulnerable populations. The project is not just about collecting data: it is designed to be a real operational lever for maximising the impact of each humanitarian intervention.
In countries where access is difficult, infrastructure is fragile and communities are living in great precarity, Signal offers an essential key to fine-tuning humanitarian responses. It helps us to better understand the complexity of vulnerable areas and to adjust our actions on the basis of the logistical and contextual data collected. It can be used to prioritise intervention zones, optimise logistics routes, identify pre-positioning points for equipment in preparation for disasters and much more.
Next steps in the Signal project will be to build the capacity of local players to analyse logistics vulnerability by providing them with the tools and skills they need to better understand and anticipate the challenges of logistics management in emergencies. This approach, introduced during the previous phase of the project, will help to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian interventions by taking into account local circumstances and the needs of the most vulnerable populations.
Capacity-building workshop for members of the Agence Nationale de Protection Civile (ANPC) on the use of Signal deliverables in updating communal contingency plans (PCC) in Karimama, Alibori department, Benin. © HI / Atlas
Capacity-building workshop for local players on the use of Signal deliverables (NGOs and state players) in the Atakora and Donga departments in Natitingou, Atakora department, Benin. © HI / Atlas
At the same time, particular emphasis will be placed on advocating for logistics data to be integrated into crisis preparedness processes. The aim will be to raise awareness among stakeholders, at both national and international level, to the crucial importance of collecting, analysing and using this data to optimise the responsiveness and coverage of humanitarian responses in emergencies.
With the Signal project, HI / Atlas Logistique is implementing an innovative approach to humanitarian aid that places logistics and contextual analysis at the heart of the humanitarian response. By identifying the most vulnerable areas and assessing the resilience of local communities, Signal enables humanitarian actors to make more informed decisions and maximise the impact of their interventions. Thanks to this collaborative and evolving approach, Signal is establishing itself as a model for more inclusive and effective humanitarian aid, in support of the most vulnerable populations.
1 Secondary data is tried and tested data that is previously analysed and filtered.
2 Primary data is data collected specifically to respond to a particular research situation and to satisfy the information requirements of a given problem. There are three ways of collecting primary data: observation, experimentation and sample surveys.
3 Reported importance of the market in supplying the local population and surrounding supply points.
