3 things you need to know about partnering with UNHCR Innovation

Partnership is central to the work of UNHCR Innovation. Scan the 2013 year-end report of this young unit at the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and you’ll find the word “partner” and related terms mentioned more than 50 times across 23 pages. Formally established in November 2012, UNHCR Innovation has forged partnerships with a variety of organizations, from the academe and the corporate world to peers within UNHCR and the U.N. family. Not only that, it also collaborates actively with the end users of its efforts: refugees. “We believe in the power of collaborations,” Chris Earney, co-lead of UNHCR Innovation, told Devex. UNHCR Innovation, according to Earney, is always open to new partnerships. If you’re interested to collaborate with the agency, here’s what you need to know. Which type of partnership to explore You can partner with UNHCR Innovation in different ways, and it doesn’t necessarily involve funding. Besides contributing money, products and services, partner organizations offer skills and expertise, which UNHCR innovation is particularly keen to harness. “We want to engage with partners from the private and academic sectors because there are great brains out there that we'd like to partner with the great brains within UNHCR,” he said. For instance, the Ikea Foundation, Refugee Housing Unit and Eindhoven University have worked with UNHCR Innovation to develop and prototype shelters that in the future could be provided to people living in camps. Built with steel frames covered by waterproof and heat-retardant material, these shelters — called Refugee Housing Units — are designed to last three years and are sturdier than tents. Last year, notable people from the academic, development and private sectors formed the UNHCR Innovation Circle. Meeting twice a year, iCircle provides UNHCR Innovation with advice, facilitates strategic partnerships between the agency and other organizations both from the public and private sectors, looks at new sources of innovation, and identifies funds for novel ideas. The group includes Elizabeth Gore of the United Nations Foundation, Paul Ellingstad of Hewlett-Packard Co. and Elizabeth Gardner of Stanford University. Individuals who have novel ideas to share can also connect with UNHCR Innovation. Earney recalled that during his recent trip to Amman, Jordan, his colleague introduced him to somebody who won a major design award last year. They began discussions on a possible collaboration right then and there. “Core competencies can come from people within big organizations or people from small organizations,” he said. “What we want is the skills and expertise, so yes individuals are more than welcome to contact us and to have the beginnings of conversations.” What approach to have If you want to partner with UNHCR Innovation, you should beware and be ready to adapt its “human-centered” approach to the innovation process. “We try and involve refugees as much as possible,” Earney said. “That is our commitment as part of this initiative.” The agency endeavors to engage refugees at every stage of the process. When defining a challenge to be solved with an innovation, its experts would brainstorm with refugees, “so the ownership of the process is in the field and it's not something that's just transplanted from Geneva for example into X operation.” If working directly with refugees isn’t possible, then UNHCR will work with people who have access to them. This is where technology can prove useful. Earney recalled that one of his colleagues was on the phone with Dadaab field colleagues almost every day to get feedback. “Unfortunately, because we're based in Geneva, we don't have the access that we'd ideally like but it does mean that we can try out new tools using technology to connect with refugees,” Earney said. How to connect with UNHCR Innovation For those interested to partner with UNHCR on innovation, Olivier Delarue, Earney’s co-lead, is the person to speak with. You can reach him at the group’s email innovation@unhcr.org. According to Earney, UNHCR Innovation will soon launch a website that will allow people to engage better with his team. In the meantime, check out its Facebook page or sign up for updates at www.unchrinnovation.org. Stay tuned for our story on what Chris Earney and his colleagues did to overcome challenges in establishing the UNHCR innovation program. Check out more insights and analysis provided to hundreds of Executive Members worldwide, and subscribe to the Development Insider to receive the latest news, trends and policies that influence your organization.