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28-09-2018 | 1

Purchasing and Supply Chain

Management

Week 43: P&SCM in the NGO sector

Video 43.2 Humanitarian Operations

Prof. dr. Taco van der Vaart

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Learning goals
› Explain humanitarian operations’ characteristics
and their implications for SCM and related
concepts
› Explain how host governments, as public sector
representatives, impact logistics performance of
international NGOs in the humanitarian context
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Host government impact on

humanitarian operations

› Government by far the most mentioned

word in humanitarian logistics research
à Just like in public services, they have a huge
impact on operations of other organisations but for
different reasons
à Tensions between host government interests and
international humanitarian organisations can affect
performance

Dube et al., 2016

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Host government impact on

humanitarian operations
› Sources of tension, examples
§ Political
- Lack of trust in IHOs, e.g. due to western identity
- Desire to exclude certain groups from access to public goods (e.g.
Rohingya people in Myanmar)
- Using IHO services as proof of capability to provide public goods
- Legitimacy of a government questioned (fragile states)
- Desire to show goodwill to the international community
- Tensions with certain countries
§ Non-political
- Quality control
- Desire to align IHO activities with country’s long term objectives

* Interestingly: no evidence of regulations related to

sustainability
Dube et al., 2016
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Dube et al., 2016

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Host government impact on

humanitarian operations
› Politically motivated decisions and impact on
performance
§ Declaring a state of emergency (goodwill, high level of dependency)
- Leads to shorter lead time and customs duty exemptions (lower
costs)
§ Not declaring a state of emergency (trust, legitimacy)
- Leads to longer lead time, no customs clearance and duty
exemptions (higher costs)
§ Dictating to IHOs where they can work to provide
humanitarian assistance (excluding some groups)
- Leads to delayed or failed access, compromises equitable aid
distribution

Dube et al., 2016

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Host government impact on

humanitarian operations
› Politically motivated decisions and impact on
performance
§ Granting IHOs multiple exceptions (capability to provide public goods)
- Leads to shorter lead times and customs duty exemptions (lower
costs)
§ Rejecting products from specific countries (tensions with some
countries)
- Leads to longer lead time, search for more expensive alternatives
(higher costs), quality compromises (in effort to lower costs)
§ Restrict access to certain routes or areas (excluding some groups)

- Leads to delayed or failed access, compromises equitable aid

distribution, higher transport costs incurred

Dube et al., 2016

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Prof. Dr. Taco van der Vaart

Professor of Supply Chain Management

j.t.van.der.vaart@rug.nl
+31 (0)50 36 37060 (37020)
www.rug.nl/staff/j.t.van.der.vaart/index