 About seven years ago, we made a commitment to this topic, having very
limited knowledge of the humanitarian world. Driven by the conviction that a lot could be learned from these exceptional types of operations, our group began to write case studies on humanitarian logistics with the UN agencies (Joint Logistics Centre, and World Food Program), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, and FUNDESUMA. Increasingly, we realized that the professionalization of logistics in the humanitarian sector was a pressing need towards which we could contribute.
Motivated by the request of our humanitarian partners to partake in their trainings and activities, we continued to build our team at INSEAD, developing articles, case studies, and course packages. As our knowledge of the area increased, so did the demand for more information, though this time from the private sector. This was when corporate social responsibility and public-private partnerships began to appear high on both sectors’ agendas, raising questions about how and why should both sectors work together. We expanded our interests to include private-humanitarian relations, specifically how value could be created for both sectors through the exchange of best practices.
Overall, the process of getting to know the humanitarian sector has been a
journey of discovering the different organisations (their structures, funding
mechanisms, ideologies), the challenges they face responding to different
types of unpredictable events around the world, and the complex environment in which donors, organizations, communities and beneficiaries have to make decisions. Today we have a dedicated team of researchers, doctoral students and faculty who have produced 30 cases studies, 15 articles, several reports, an MBA elective, and an executive education program for humanitarian agencies. We are pleased that our work has received international recognition, in particular several awards. This book is heavily inspired by those publications.
We would also like to recognize INSEAD for all its support, and our colleagues in academia for their advice and intellectual drive. We would especially like to thank Ramina Samii for her contribution to several of the case studies cited in this book and her dedication to our group. Similarly, we would like to thank our students for their feedback, dedication and interest.
Finally, we would like to express our appreciation to our families and close
friends for their support, encouragement and understanding throughout this period of professional and personal dedication.
Rolando and Luk
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