title: Toward more effective humanitarian assistance.
abstract: Although perspectives of military and civilian humanitarians may differ, they share common goals and parallel efforts for more effective humanitarian assistance. Effectiveness measures for military or civilian humanitarian assistance are discussed. Whereas examples cite military medicine, findings and recommendations are widely applicable to all forms of humanitarian assistance especially developmental relief. Humanitarian effectiveness is improved by a straightforward, standard approach to planning and evaluation, such as the logical framework process. Given successful application by a wide variety of private volunteer, nongovernmental, and international humanitarian organizations, the logical framework process is recommended for adaptation by the Department of Defense. More effective humanitarian assistance requires: developing specific, written purpose, criteria, and quantifiable measures, coordinating the purpose, criteria, and measures with all involved, including donor and host nation officials, all other providers (expatriates, private volunteers, nongovernmentals, international organizations), and beneficiaries, and documenting then analyzing results to compare outcomes with project purpose and international consensus standards for minimal performance in humanitarian assistance (i.e., Sphere project, see http://www.sphereproject.org/).
authors.affiliation: Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799, USA.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drifmeyer
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Llewellyn
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D004189:Disaster Planning; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States