ATHA

Founded: 2005
Status: Completed Program, 2020
Regions of Focus: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali and the Sahel region, Nigeria, Somalia, Ukraine
Research Theme: Humanitarian Strategies

From 2005 - 2020, the ATHA Program at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative led research on the critical challenges facing the humanitarian system and provided professional development tools for practitioners to navigate these challenges. With the overall goal of strengthening local engagement in the humanitarian sector, the ATHA program published independent, critical, and locally-responsive research, and accessible, policy-oriented content including policy briefs and professional development materials (e.g. case studies or simulations). We provided a platform for local researchers to collaborate and undertake studies on humanitarian and development assistance, and contribute to professional development throughout the humanitarian sector. The theory of change underlying this work is that locally-driven research and critical analysis, if made available to the right people in the right ways, supports decision-making that is more responsive to the unique contexts in which humanitarian assistance is delivered.

To this end, ATHA’s three primary strategic objectives were to:

  1. Conduct independent, rigorous research, and critical analysis of policy issues that shape frontline humanitarian action;
  2. Promote locally-driven approaches to decision-making on humanitarian assistance, protection, and development; and
  3. To reinforce skills, knowledge, and confidence among researchers and practitioners, both local and international, on the challenges of humanitarian action and research among populations in conflict.