5.3 Target 3: the Strength

In its Humanitarian and Emergency Strategy (HES) CARE states its ambition to be a leading humanitarian agency known for :

  • its particular ability to reach and empower women and girls in emergencies.
  • its culture of humanitarian leadership and accountability at all levels
  • the efficiency of its operational models which expand and nurture strategic partnerships with traditional and non-traditional actors at the local, national, regional and global levels
  • the talent, capabilities and capacity of its staff in terms of global preparedness, surge and response management capacity
  • its sustainable business model which ensures adequate funding and effective use of resources for humanitarian preparedness and response

The HES sets out organisation-wide strategic priorities for achieving the institutional and operational strengths required to establishing CARE as a leading humanitarian agency. The following table provides an overview of core performance criteria linked to each strategic priority.

Strategic Priority Institutional Strength Operational Strength
Response Focus ·   global gender support capacity

·   gender capacity within core sector teams

·   global advocacy capacity to support gender sensitive humanitarian programming

·   response analysis, strategy and activities aligned with gender criteria (see gender marker)

·   solid documentation of evidence of effectiveness gender sensitive and transformative approaches in humanitarian responses

Leadership & Authority ·   efficient global and regional decision making mechanisms for all types of crisis & responses ·   Efficient corporate response mobilisation mechanisms

·   corporate accountability mechanisms

·   clear and transparent operational decision making authority

·   efficient response monitoring, & reporting

·   timely response reviews and management responses

Operating Model ·   global partnership approach with investment in strategic alliances

·   corporate preparedness and risk management mechanisms

·   Efficient remote management systems

·   efficient response preparedness

·   efficient operational cooperation and collaboration

·   effective integration and support of local actors and responders

Capacity & Capabilities ·   Globally funded and managed surge, flexible response and support, risk analysis & management capacities

·   Coordinated staff training, talent management,  human resource support mechanisms

·   adequate response management capacity based on response specific assessments, enhanced through deployments and complemented through appropriate partnerships
Business Model ·   Global communication and information management systems

·   Pooled rapid funding mechanisms

·   Program support capacity at corporate level

·   Geographically focused preparedness and response management platforms

·   timely public communications

·   efficient fundraising and information management

·   adequate response funding (pooled and response strategy based)

·   efficient management of response specific  and reallocated resources

The Response Performance Monitoring Tool provides details of the indicators for measuring the operational strength of CARE’s humanitarian responses. Aggregated data from CARE’s responses provide the Humanitarian Performance Metrics which contribute to the analysis required for assessing CARE’s institutional strength. The HAF Accountability System establishes the linkages between the monitoring and review mechanisms allowing for documenting CARE’s organizational performance as a humanitarian organization.