CONTENTS
Foreword
4
Strategic Context
6
Vision and Mission
8
Mandate and Objectives
9
Core Functions
13
Our Relevance
15
Doing Business
17
Partnerships, Collaboration and Networking
19
An Effective, Efficient and Adaptable Organisation
21
2
inSights OFFERS THESE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS,
SUPPORTED BY THE OPERATIONS
AND INSTRUMENTALISED THESE PROVEN STRATEGIES
AND WAYS OF WORKING
Ethically driven social business
Research &
Studies
Project
management
Publication &
Documentation
Training &
Capacity
Building
Flexibility and agility
Humanitarian
worker
pool
Partnership as a relationship
Challenging thinking and approaches
Innovation
Reflection and learning
Operations
Communications
Human resources & operations
Finance
Fund management & development
Learning & capacity building
To generate
knowledge and
evidence that support
a more localised and
equitable humanitarian
system.
VISION
Around the world, communities vulnerable to
disasters and humanitarian crises attain their rights
and dignity with effective and efficient services from
humanitarian aid professionals and organisations.
Impactful and meaningful
Transparent and accountable
AND CREATE THE CHANGES WE WANT TO SEE,
LOCALLY, NATIONALLY AND GLOBALLY
TO ACHIVE THESE OBJECTIVES
To identify practical
opportunities and
solutions that support
better bridge between
humanitarian and
development actions.
To equip local
humanitarian actors
both people and
organisations with
professional skills and
competencies, procedures
and resources.
To support the business
sector to integrate disaster
risk management, including
business continuity, into
business models and practises
through disaster-risk informed
business and investments.
STRONG SYSTEM TO SUPPORT PROGRAMME
STRATEGIES, ADVANCE SECTORAL COMMITMENTS
AND SUSTAIN THE ORGANISATION
MISSION
To become a global centre for excellence
grounded in professionalism and innovative
ideas, providing knowledge products and services
that facilitates more ethical and effective
humanitarian and DRR actions.
ASSUMPTIONS
inSights’s track record of quality enable growth.
inSights has capacity and standing to facilitate
local, national and international policy influencing.
inSights’s programmes are continued to be relevant
and effectively meet partners’ needs.
RISKS
Stakeholders resistance to new ideas and changes.
Financial and health outcome of COVID-19
3
FOREWORD
This Business Development Strategic Plan 2022-2026
(BDSP:2022-26) sets forth an ambitious, yet achievable,
strategic business development agenda for inSights Institute of Innovations for Gender and
Humanitarian Transformations. The BDSP:202226 will be reviewed and updated annually based on
experience, context and partners input and
that we have designed together – the new generation
inSights that will realise our vision.
stakeholders.
inSights is committed to strengthening partnerships
across sectors, improving humanitarian efficiency and
effectiveness, and empowering local actors. Our new
operating model and organisation changes will be
further strengthened in subsequent years, with
The purpose of the BDSP:2022-26 is to articulate a set
of measurable strategies and actions to seek
continuous improvements as we integrate lessons
learned, reflections and critical thinking. Within the
rapidly changing global DRR and humanitarian
opportunities and implement strategies to retain and
expand efficiency, relevance and effectiveness of
inSights. Promote inSights existing partnership,
ecosystem, inSights will make its footprint by 2022-26.
businesses and its knowledge assets toward the mission
adhere to the philosophy and modalities of social
and vision of the organisation. The Plan is carried out
by inSights senior management and staff with
consultation and expectation from the partners and
business. Our goals are ambitious, and we will only be
successful with the support of our partners and
stakeholders. We extend our sincere thanks to
stakeholders. Special thanks to inSights Advisers pool
everyone involved for their support to our change
for their vision and direction.
process and to this BDSP:2022-26.
The humanitarian, disaster risk resilience and
development sectors are at a crossroads. We have a
unique opportunity at inSights, to bring about
transformative change to the local, national and global
risk resilience and humanitarian sector by influencing
complex policy and practises while working together
with our partners in developing concrete solutions,
transforming ideas and turning them into innovations,
We are personally committed to ethical business,
Nahid Siddiqui
Chairperson, inSights
knowledge and strategies.
Since its inception in 2019, inSights have been working
towards creating knowledge products and services that
bring the change needed to humanitarian incentives and
behaviours, reduction in disaster risk and vulnerabilities.
We have made significant progress but, like the wider
humanitarian and development sectors, we need to
evolve, we need to get better at what we do. The
process of changing inSights has involved deep
engagement from a wide range of partners and
stakeholders. This paper presents the future insights
Niger Rahman
CEO, inSights
Suman Ahsanul Islam
Adviser, inSights
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Humanitarian aid work is
more than a well-intentioned
voluntary or amateur work, or
just a job.
Humanitarian aid
work is a true
profession - a
mission, a passion.
5
STRATEGIC CONTEXT
After meeting most of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) in the areas of health and education,
Bangladesh has become a role model for fighting
poverty, empowering women and disaster management.
Over the last years, Bangladesh has achieved the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets set for
2020, and is on track in some of the targets of SDGs.
Aligned with Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction (SFDRR), the National Plan for Disaster
Management (NPDM 2021-2025) investment priorities
included innovations, research and development, studies
and analysis, knowledge and information sharing,
resilience institutions, business continuity etc.
Implementation strategy of the NPDM 2021-25 planned
However, progress has been uneven within the country.
Throughout the processes of SDGs preparation, the
government has demonstrated its strong commitment to
teaming with research organisations and private sectors.
Reaffirming Bangladesh government's commitment to
strategic planning for disaster management for resilience,
carry forward the unfinished MDG agenda and build on
it. In particular, the SDGs progress address cross-cutting
the Plan focuses on disaster risk reduction for achieving
resilience, while clearly emphasising, humanitarian
issues such as economic growth, job creation,
industrialisation, inequality, good governance, peace and
response. Inclusion of women, children, senior citizens,
persons with disability, ethnic minorities are given high
justice, and ecological sustainability, in addition to global
partnership to improve implementation.
priority in the NPDM 2021-25.
Despite these achievements and commitments,
The financial cost of disasters has steadily grown in the
past decades, urban and industrial disasters present a
Bangladesh still has vulnerabilities. Its geo-physical
complex challenge for business growth and sustainability
position together with a large population, poverty and
less developed governance systems, exposes the country
to numerous natural hazards and vulnerabilities, some of
of the country. Engagement and participation of booming
private sectors in the country’s disaster risk
management has been identified as an area of high
which result in large scale destruction, loss of life and
property. Climate change, rapid urbanisation and
industrialisation are also increasing the frequency and
intensity of disaster vulnerabilities in the country.
priorities. Risk-informed private sector investments, and
the right knowledge and incentives to take on the cost
of choosing more resilient options within a project or
business model are at the high demand by the business
leaders and investors, but there is little expertise in
Bangladesh. The Ministry of Industries also has
The government and development actors have invested
in strengthening the national disaster management
system through various successful initiatives, promoting a
paradigm shift in disaster management, from relief to risk
reduction. The Disaster Management Act (2012) created
a framework to reduce risk arising from disasters and to
manage emergency response effectively. Various policies
and plans operationalise the legislation, including the
Standing Order on Disasters (SoD) at central and local
levels. In addition to specific duties, the SoD defines roles
and responsibilities for each Ministry, including preparing
disaster risk management plans, business continuity and
operational response relief and recovery.
responsibility for developing business continuity plans
and procedures at industry and higher levels; ensure that
factories and industries established in high-risk areas
undertake hazard and risk analysis and develop proper
business continuity plans based on this analysis.
Bangladesh is host to the largest refugee population.
Since the latest violence and ethnic cleansing in Myanmar
in 2017, the Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh has become
one of the most acute humanitarian crises – the refugee
camp at Cox’s Bazar is the largest in the world, shelter
of 890,000 extremely traumatised and distressed
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children, women and men. Given conflict in Rakhine, the
majority of the Rohingya will have no choice but to
remain in camps for the foreseeable future. Thus, the
humanitarian crisis has become protracted in nature,
affecting another 490,000 host community population in
Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Approximately, ten to twelve
thousand local humanitarian aid workers are working in
course content, faculty expertise and teaching
methodologies can be enhanced.
crisis with a low level of humanitarian professional
competencies and have limited opportunities of learning
and capacity development. Studies revealed that, in
general, several areas of humanitarian aid localisation are
evident in Bangladesh, however, it is comparatively
lesser in Rohingya humanitarian crisis response. National
and local leadership, coordination and complementarity
is the strongest area with limited or some evidence in
Cox's Bazar, while no or limited evidence and practises
the Region in the following ways.
From the above context, inSights - Institute of
Innovations for Gender and Humanitarian
Transformations can contribute to strengthening the
DRR and humanitarian environment in Bangladesh and in
1.
by collaborating with the government and
partners to strengthen disaster management
systems.
2.
supporting partners to expand knowledge and
skills to embed principled humanitarian
response and learning into practise.
3.
promoting humanitarian professionalism.
in partnership and funding agenda of localisation.
Bangladesh has been selected as one of the three
‘demonstrator’ countries by the localisation workstream
members, progress toward humanitarian aid localisation.
However, the country still has a long way. Among many
other constraints toward humanitarian aid localisation,
the most critical is limited and at times contradictory
Key stakeholders will drive change.
1.
First responders and communities can be
systematically engaged in capacity development
that outreach preparedness and readiness.
2.
Humanitarian teams in local, national and
international humanitarian actors, both
organisations and individuals or local and
understanding of localisation and its end goals.
Bangladesh has a wealth of enormous learnings and
experiences in managing disasters, converting these
learnings and experiences to knowledge products and
services, and contributing to the global knowledge
trajectory is minimal. There is a strong need to
institutionalise and achieve sustainability in the
achievements of DRR and humanitarian knowledge
services and products. The country has rapidly
developed academic courses in disaster management at
public and private universities, but they need to embed
further with the latest global changes and concepts of
humanitarianism and its core principles and standards.
Aligning with country and employers’ needs, academic
central government officials can be supported
to strengthen their capacity to prepare for and
respond to disasters.
3.
Knowledge services and products providers,
including research organisations, academics in
universities can be partnered and collaborated
to research, innovate and to implement
contextualised humanitarian knowledge
management and professional skills, capacity
building.
4.
Businesses can become partners in disaster
preparedness and response.
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VISION AND MISSION
inSights VISION
Around the world, communities vulnerable to disasters
and humanitarian crises attain their rights and dignity
with effective and efficient services from humanitarian
aid professionals and organisations.
inSights MISSION
To become a global center for
excellence grounded in professionalism
and innovative ideas, providing
knowledge product and services that
facilitates more ethical and effective
humanitarian and DRR actions.
inSights will enable knowledge exchange between
knowledge management, learning and development
practitioners, professionals and knowledge services and
product providers – researchers and academicians. We
will identify, analyse and connect people to a
professional development framework, incorporating
internationally-recognised competency frameworks,
aligned learning pathways and quality standards in
relevant learning and assessment opportunities. We will
tailor international standards and frameworks, to embed
programmes. We will build on our role as a facilitator to
enable partners in other South Asian countries to access
relevant knowledge and learning opportunities and
knowledge already invested in inSights. These
opportunities will be tailored to local needs and demand.
inSights will capture knowledge and learning from
Bangladesh experiences; promote and share best
practise by disseminating information throughout the
quality standards and recognition into our humanitarian
humanitarian knowledge and professional network.
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MANDATE AND OBJECTIVES
inSights – Institute of Innovations for Gender and
Humanitarian Transformations has identified four
strategic objectives which will guide its work over the
next three years. We will measure their achievement
through Key Performance Indicators.
iii.
inSights will work to the following four principles:
i.
ii.
Needs and context driven: Our strategic business
plan and its supporting annual plans will be driven
by needs and relevance to the socio-economic,
cultural context.
Facilitating global networks and platforms to enable
access: we will contribute to the global
development of the humanitarian and DRR
knowledge and learning platforms and promote
them to generate demand. Coordination and
exchange of knowledge and learnings with
humanitarians and DRR knowledge, research and
professional organisations will be instrumental in
leveraging inSights's goal and objectives.
iv.
Long-term sustainability: We will build on current
capacity and achievements and always consider how
Ensure as many relevant partners as possible are
positively engaged to contribute to and support
delivery of our strategic objectives, thereby
enabling the inSights to facilitate access to relevant
a service project or programme can be taken to
and high-quality learning opportunities and
scale, even when we are piloting an idea. A business
case will be developed for any project or
programme we initiate.
knowledge at scale.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE #1:
To generate knowledge and evidence that support a more localised and equitable
humanitarian system.
Build on inSights's previous work on localisation, over the
next three years, we will continue expanding
understanding how transfer of power and knowledge
occurs in the humanitarian system, especially in the
context and relevant in Bangladesh humanitarian
ecosystem. Over the next three years, inSights aims to
oriented approach, responsibility and complementarity,
and sustainable and mutually beneficial for all humanitarian
actors. inSights will harness a two-way approach to
knowledge generation and capacity strengthening that
enables local and national partners’ independence and
self-reliance.
develop at least ten knowledge products and services that
includes practical tools and approaches, which will
support the shift to a more localised and equitable system
and facilitates for ethical and effective humanitarian action
in Bangladesh.
We will identify, learn and integrate local good practise
into global humanitarian discourse and contextualise
global good practises to local humanitarian actions. We
We will be working with all humanitarian actors in
Bangladesh – local, national and international, building and
brokering partnerships that align with the Principles of
Humanitarian Partnership: equality, transparency, results-
recognise and leverage the strengths while working
alongside international partners and following the lead of
local partners. Diversity is essential for inSights's shared
success. We believe and value diversity and the
knowledge and expertise of people and partners, and
their ideas and perspectives.
9
We empower
humanitarian
organisations and
workers by embedding,
with them, professional
skills, competencies
and systems.
10
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE #2:
To equip local humanitarian actors both people and organisations with
professional skills and competencies, procedures and resources.
In order to ensure vulnerable people have access to
sessions in key professional skills both online and offline
high-quality aid and protection, we at inSights devotedly
believe that humanitarians actors – both individuals and
organisations need to be empowered to professionally
deliver responsible aid with standards and principle.
inSights will work to build a professional humanitarian
community which speaks the same language, uses the
same frames of reference and the same skills
development and capacity building tools. During this plan
phase, we target to empower a thousand of local
to develop and strengthen LHAW’s skills throughout
their careers in order to improve their practise and
evolve within their organisation.
humanitarian aid workers (LHAW) by providing our
innovations and sharing our firm belief that capacity
building is a vital part of professionalisation.
Local and national organisations also need to optimise
their operational capacities. They also need to impart
professional ways of working and management structure
which are increasingly exposed and increasingly in
demand, and many organisations struggle with the shift
to emergency response work. In this plan phase, inSights
target to partner with nine local and national
organisations to empower them to strengthen their
growth as a professional humanitarian organisation.
We will mobilise to nurture a pool of humanitarian
workers in Bangladesh by creating the appropriate
training. We will create and contextualise training
We firmly believe that this drive for professionalism will
further improve the quality and accessibility of
humanitarian aid and DRR.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE #3:
To identify practical opportunities and solutions that support better bridge
between humanitarian and development actions.
inSights fervently believes that humanitarian assistance,
development programmes and peacebuilding are not
the capacity of their staff to enable shared analysis,
design and delivery of transformative nexus
sequential processes but to happen simultaneously. The
synchronised process builds more resilient and
sustainable local and national systems. It enables people
and communities to thrive, and not simply survive, but
to live in more equal and peaceful societies.
programmes. We will particularly focus on shockresponsive social protection (SP) – exploring
opportunities and challenges of SP schemes that can
serve as an effective long-term response to protracted
crises bridging the humanitarian-development divide.
For this purpose, inSights will work to fortify conceptual
clarity of humanitarian actors and stakeholders, based on
local and national experiences, lessons learnt and good
practises. Conducting context analysis and an
understanding of risks and opportunities that reinforce
pragmatic programmatic approaches and decisions about
the right mix of humanitarian-development-peace (HDP)
initiatives. Work with partners and stakeholders to
develop context specific tools and frameworks. Invest in
Our work will include developing data products, analysis
and knowledge, creating and documenting the evidence
of success for decision makers and practitioners. These
will support them obtaining more agile, timely and
predictable funding (including multiyear, flexible and
more softly earmarked finance) that allows adaptive and
anticipatory programming, includes forecast-based
funding and crisis modifiers.
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STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE #4:
To support the business sector to integrate disaster risk management, including
business continuity, into business models and practises through disaster-risk
informed business and investments.
For investment and financial decision making, it is
important to become better informed of the widespread
hazards and their interconnections. And also knowing,
what it takes to address the hazards for a more resilient
and sustainable development, and economic growth.
inSights will work and involve a wide range of
stakeholders to develop better financial rationales that
make the preventative measures financially calculable,
and integrated into business and investment risk
management processes.
Founding on this need, inSights aims to generate
Develop information and business cases to demonstrate
knowledge products and services for investment
decision-makers, primarily in the business and financial
how DRR considerations can be included in business and
investment decision making and management. Foster
services sector, and also for the policy making and
regulatory authorities of the sector.
common language and understanding of risk and risk
terms used in both DRR and business, investment
This objective primarily focuses on risk-informed
investment, rather than financing for disaster risk
reduction or disaster risk finance. Enhancing the
communities, and raise awareness and disseminate
material on a systemic risk assessment approach. We
will promote and support improvement of private sector
oversight of disaster risks – legal liabilities and duties
resilience of micro, small and medium enterprises
(MSMEs) will be a prioritised area of our actions.
that cover risk disclosure by corporates and their banks
and investors.
Instrumentalising our experiences and expertise, we will
produce pragmatic innovation and evidence, good
Our actions will include advancing awareness and
practises on risk to inform decision-making processes.
part of overall efforts for building business resilience.
knowledge of business continuity and its processes as
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) is the largest and the most agile business association in Bangladesh, established
in 1958, is a member of SUPER (Strengthening Urban Public-Private Programming for Earthquake Resilience) Consortium. inSights
provided technical support to DCCI in developing the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for countries first Private sectors
Emergency Operations Centres (PEOC) and the guideline of Private Sector Emergency Response Team (PERT).
The collaborative partnership started in August 2021 with the purpose to operationalise PEOC to effectively play an active role as resource centre for DRR
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capacity building for private sector. Build its capacity to undertake the role of coordination point between the private sector and the national-level
stakeholder. And PERT members has strengthened capacity to facilitate and lead drill, ensuring effective participation, coordination and collaboration.
CORE FUNCTIONS
RESEARCH AND STUDIES
inSights will contextualise and reenvision the edges, purpose, relevance
and usefulness of research in the humanitarian and
development sector. We are committed to ethical
research practises, and will invest in developing our team
and pool researchers’ expertise in ethical research
approaches to ensure national and international Principles
and Guidelines for Ethical Research and Evaluations.
InSights will undertake independent, practitioner-led
research that ask and answer strenuous questions to
bring changes and progress in the sectors, and supports
more effective humanitarian action. We will work to
reduce the domination and biases in the knowledge eco
system by the Global North actors, and promote more
locally informed methodologies and analysis. inSights will
make sure that the research methodologies are rigorous,
producing high-quality research that is guided, and
reviewed by experts and peers across the sectors.
management approach will include developing the right
delivery strategy based on the full understanding of the
needs and requirements, risks, constraints, and
stakeholder interests. Robust controls maintained
throughout the life of the project will ensure challenges
are effectively addressed that meet time, cost and quality
objectives of the project. We will collaborate with our
partner to reduce risk and support deliver projects in a
consistent and improved manner, no matter what stage
of the project lifecycle in which we are appointed.
We will put client interests first, ensuring we help
deliver the outcomes that matter to them. inSights will
offer a portfolio of services and know-how to tailor onestop-shop solutions covering all the needs throughout
the supply chain and from the conception to the
operation of projects.
TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING
inSights will offer high-quality capacity
KNOWLEDGE BROKERING
As knowledge broker, inSights will
translate and exchange knowledge to
promote interaction between researchers and end
users, as well as to develop capacity for evidenceinformed decision making. We are in a unique position
to bridge the gap between academia and practise, and
we draw on both areas in our research. Through our
research and field work we will be continuously
informed by practitioner needs and priorities, and will
make our works accessible, applicable and relevant.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
inSights will deliver project
implementation and technical advisory
through effective planning, the right team and rigorous
controls, aiming to optimise project phases, placing
emphasis on efficiency throughout. Our project
building solutions which is relevant,
effective and lasting humanitarian responses which abide
by humanitarian principles. Our drive for standards and
professionalism will be as much on individuals and
organisations in the humanitarian sector, as our staff
members and partners. We will be implementing and
promoting capacity building which draws on inSights’s
own specific methodology and addresses the needs
identified by individuals, organisations and the
humanitarian sector. inSights will establish conducive
learning and capacity strengthening conditions for
individuals and organisations and facilitate impartial and
fair access to our capacity building measures.
We will develop bespoke solutions to enable aid
organisations to maximise their operational capacity and
develop their organisational system, teams’ and
leaderships’ skills. These tailor-made solutions may lead
to training sessions, or to develop and implement
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technical advisory projects, to organisational analysis
through our self-analysis tool, and to course design.
Our offer will include courses that provide participants
with the key skills needed for current or future practise
in the humanitarian sector. Collaborate with global
initiatives i.e. HPass, PM4NGOs for accreditation and
recognition of learnings and serve to validate acquisition
of the appropriate skills. inSights will work on
professionalising of disaster management and
humanitarian aid work. Promote core humanitarian
competency framework in Bangladesh through
collaboration and facilitation humanitarian
professionalism and competency alliance and networks
in national and international sphere.
knowledge product through editing, translating, securing
copy rights and intellectual property rights, and adhering
to the highest ethical and quality standards. inSights will
use the internet and latest available technologies,
organise conferences, create social media content, and
develop other innovative knowledge translation
products.
HUMANITARIAN WORKER POOL
inSights will support and partner with
humanitarian actors to recruit, deploy
and manage the right people with the right skills to
respond to humanitarian crises. We will invest in building
our capacity to place people on the ground in as little as 48
hours, and the ability to source, screen, and mobilise teams
in seven days from call to action.
PUBLICATION & DOCUMENTATION
Through documentation and
publications, inSights will disseminate
inSights will maintain a roster of technical and management
experts across the range of skills and competency areas
innovations, ideas, protocols, and research results to the
humanitarian clusters and sub-clusters, and leadership.
widest possible audience. This includes not only
researchers and practitioners, but also community
Leveraging our local presence ensures prompt deployment
of staff and serves to reduce the period of recruitment,
people and other knowledge users. We will do so in a
orientation and service commencement.
timely manner, adding value to the quality of the
We will work to reduce the domination and biases in the knowledge
eco system by the Global North actors, and promote more locally 14
informed methodologies and analysis.
OUR RELEVANCE
Relevance remains an overarching issue for inSights. We
identification, access and capture of information which
need to demonstrate our value to partners and
has traditionally been un-captured and unrecognised.
stakeholders, both now and in the future. As part of this
Strategic Plan, we identify new challenges and trends
Our ambition and aim is to make a difference by
which require our eyes and ears to help us identify
what’s on the horizon and to respond accordingly. We
strengthen our relevance by learning and applying new
approaches. Learn and grow in our knowledge together
with our partners and stakeholders, and most
importantly people and communities.
innovation, agility and professionalisation. Rising to the
challenges ahead, we will work to embrace the changing
and challenging world, with its many risks and
opportunities, and help evolve new technologies and
ideas. We are open to new ideas – strengthen inSights
by maintaining professionalism and continuous learning.
Providing reasons to others to consider us as knowledge
inSights is committed to working with partners and
stakeholders to determine how best to sharpen
knowledge and skills in emerging areas and to harness
new ways of working and tools. Products and services
that we offer addresses evolving challenges, sectoral
needs and societal imperatives. We ensure that the
services and products we provide are relevant to the
contexts and are not just imported models that do not
leaders, valued problem-solvers and talented innovators
of complex ideas.
resonate with local experiences. Once knowledge on
something is produced, it will then be disseminated
further to support wider adoption across a number of
key stakeholders. inSights recognises that to capture
knowledge, there needs to be considerable effort in the
sector. inSights will bring values to leaders, practitioners
and professionals with the insights and practical
applications they carry away from our knowledge and
services.
Given the increasing complexity, sometimes opaque and
radically changing business models and processes, it is
essential that professionals benefit from more accessible
research insights to obtain deeper understanding of the
drivers and pitfalls of the humanitarian and development
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To advance relevance and impact, we will invest in
expertise that translates services and products into
accessible narratives, e.g., applied research communique,
IEC materials, op-eds and blogs, etc. inSights will bring
demand-based expertise into training and courses, and
incentivise action learning. We will work to connect
academics to the practitioners, offer guidance in
innovative pedagogy, create better systems for sharing
good practises and alternative methods of learning
review, and initiate innovative leadership development
programmes.
Disaster risk management and humanitarian aid work is
an emerging discourse of both academic and professional
fields, while the sector is also passing through a
transition in its conventional ecosystem. At inSights, we
will keep ourselves informed and engaged with the
changes, build networks and allies with global actors and
actively participate in national and global issues and
processes such as – decolonialisation of aid, localisation,
Grand Bargain, Sphere standards movement, HPass, etc.
The synthesis of research and evidence around the
impact of knowledge and learning provision and how it
relates to the improvement of the sector will also help
inform both the inSights’s work as well as the wider
sector.
Innovation thrives on breakthrough
and disruptive way of thinking,
nimbleness and empowered people,
not huge budgets. We in inSights,
fosters trying something new and
open to change culture.
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DOING BUSINESS
ETHICALLY DRIVEN SOCIAL BUSINESS
inSights as a social enterprise will not
maximise profit instead strive for
achieving our objectives of social good. The company
shareholders will not receive any return on their
investment, any profit will be re-invested to increase and
improve the business' self-sustained operations. We will
IMPACTFUL AND MEANINGFUL
inSights will be pursuing for meaningful
impact of our work, undertake
meaningful projects, actions and designs that target an
impact people care about. We will regularly assess and
appraise our work whether it is important, useful, and
relevant toward the changes we strive to make.
accept grants funding to implement projects and
activities on a cost recovery basis.
inSights is committed to the highest ethical standards and
to conducting business with the highest level of integrity,
truthfulness, and honesty, and this commitment is at the
core of what makes us successful. inSights and its
employees at all times will uphold the commitment in
order to keep both personal and organisation reputations,
and to inspire confidence and trust. We will conduct our
business in a competent, fair, impartial, and efficient
PARTNERSHIP AS A RELATIONSHIP
inSights believe that a partnership is a
commitment to an ongoing
relationship. We recognise that challenges and difficult
situations will come, when these happen, we’ll do what it
takes to move through them. inSights take responsibility
for our actions for what it evokes on us. We will stay in
connection and explore together with our partners.
manner. This includes holding ourselves accountable to
adhering to global and regional ethical research and
compliance standards – building upon and strengthening
these standards as appropriate, to raise the bar of ethical
research. We will strive to follow the best practise in
organisation governance, comply with all international,
national, and local legislation affecting its operations.
inSights will develop a detailed practise level Standards
for Business & Ethical Conduct, and will be shared with all
stakeholders.
FLEXIBILITY AND AGILITY
As to adopt changes in business
environment, and to response to
business opportunities, inSights will keep flexibility and
agility at the core of our business operation to
encompass the requirements of both choice and speed.
We will create flexibility and agility as a strategic
approach by way of leadership and innovation in services
and products, use of information and communication
technology, learning orientation etc.
TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE
inSights is fully committed to
transparency and accountability in
relations with partners and stakeholders. We will establish
an evidence-base for the results achieved; ensuring value
for money; putting in practise internationally recognised
principles for business standards.
With a zero tolerance to proscribed practises, inSights is
committed to preventing fraudulent and other
proscribed practises and to actively promote an antifraud culture in our business practises.
With this commitment, we will develop, declare and
maintain business policies and code of conducts, aiming
toward acquiring at least one international business
standard certification during this planning phase. We will
publish our annual programme and audit reports in
public domines.
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CHALLANGING THINKING AND APPROACHES
REFLECTION AND LEARNING
inSights will test challenge the status
quo and conventional knowledge,
practises and perspective with a view to always making.
In inSights, we have developed an agile
organisation mindset and expertise
that is reflective, iterative and responsive to data,
We will be brave to put ourselves in discomfortable
discussions and are willing to explore new things and
take risks to achieve our great ambition.
feedback and learning. Based on our theory of change,
we will continue this reflection and learning process with
a bias toward reflective, action-based learning. inSights
will develop evidence, learning, reflection and monitoring
framework that will provide support on problem solving,
design, strategy and systems change processes. Identify
and address the barriers that make change difficult at
organisational and sectoral levels. Develop robust and
INNOVATION
inSights commits trying new things –
develop a culture of innovation with
respect to our objectives and approaches, relationship,
tools and beyond. Test and incubate ideas, work
together with communities to develop innovative
solutions to their problems. We will do this by
relevant metrics to capture our progress, understand
our relevance and effectiveness, build on good practise,
and learn from our mistakes.
aggregating knowledge, expertise and lived experience in
context and community, and build a robust body of
evidence in support of innovative, contextual and
sustainable humanitarian and development actions.
inSights will invest in the practise, tools and technology
for collecting and interpreting evidence and feedback
that lead to innovations.
Participants develop understanding and ability to explain and apply the Principled Humanitarian Actions include Code of Conduct
(CoC), PSEA & Protection (General), Basic M&E (Monitoring & Evaluation) and CFM (Complaint Feedback Mechanism) and SPHERE
Standard for different humanitarian interventions.
Partnered with IOM, and based on the identified learning needs of local humanitarian aid workers in Cox's Bazar, a contextualised training module had been
developed on Humanitarian Essentials & SPHERE Standards. Two batches of 3-days long training had been provided to 33 senior and mid-level
humanitarian programme officials from five local NGO partners of IOM in Cox's Bazar, in January 2022.
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PARTNERSHIPS, COLLABORATION AND
NETWORKING
Establishing and maintaining partnerships and jolting
stakeholders’ support and collaboration are key factors
for the effective implementation of inSights’s mandate.
These two areas of work are multifaceted and therefore
carried out through diverse actions. To ensure that the
needs for knowledge, professional skills and
playing with in the broader coordination system. This
requires us to deepen our understanding of the roles,
perspectives, gaps and capacities of a broader range of
national and regional organisations and networks. It also
requires inSights to engage collective strengths and
mobilise new partnerships. inSights understands the
competencies for humanitarian and development actions
importance of engaging organisations, affected people
are addressed in an appropriate and timely manner,
inSights will deepen and broaden its engagement with
local, national and international partners; government
and Governments at the local and regional levels. To this
end, inSights is working to engage with the coordination
mechanisms—including for joint needs assessments—to
and non-government organisations, academia,
professional institutions; the private sector; and
individual professionals and experts. The strengthening
national and local levels, and to active involvement in to
network and alliances, i.e. START Funds, and with allies
and networks – such as Disaster Forum, NIRAPAD,
partnerships of different approaches (strategic,
Sphere Standards, NAHAB, Localisation Working
collaboration, alliance and implementation) at the global,
regional, national and local levels lies at the centre of
inSights’s business role and is crucial to implement its
Group, Sphere Community Bangladesh, CHS Alliance
and NEAR etc.
mandate.
Increased collaboration with humanitarian and
While inSights is continuing to partner with NGOs
development actors, and private sector requires greater
engagement with and coordination among funding
(local, national and international) and provide knowledge
and capacity support for effective humanitarian and
development actions, it is also increasing its engagement
with government, academia, private sector, think-tanks
and networks. For better products and services to the
specific and bespoke needs in different contexts, inSights
employs the full spectrum of contextualisation models,
rather than trying to replicate the global frameworks in
sources, including traditional development financing
mechanisms and corporate platforms. It also implies
broadening the sources of resources for programmes
that address the needs of the private sectors. Effective
engagement with chamber of commerce and other
business associations. This requires inSights to
systematically participate with the corporate and private
sector coordination mechanisms and collaborative
every context. More adaptable knowledge product and
services mechanisms will help humanitarian and
development actors to work towards reduced risk and
vulnerability and reduce the overall number of people
who need assistance. inSights will also ensure robust and
well-defined relationships with other actors working on
gender equality, as well as strengthen relationships
through targeted projects and support the roll-out of
global standards and guidelines on gender and GBV.
assessment and planning processes with stakeholders.
inSights will prioritise augmented approaches, rather
than replicate, regional or national capacities, while
One of humanitarian aid localisation key elements is
sourcing more direct funds for local humanitarian actors
in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of
humanitarian actors. inSights will work together with
local NGOs, based on complementarity and comparative
advantage, to achieve efficiency gains in the humanitarian
system so that more means can be passed on to people
in need. Over the next four years, inSights will dedicate
specific effort to engage with the local organisations,
brokering partnership and knowledge, provide strategic
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Advocacy meeting with the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; sharing
the findings from the study "Health Impact of Solid Waste Management in Four Slums of Dhaka City" conducted under the Dhaka
CALLING project.
Dhaka Citizens’ Advocacy Collaboration against polluting environment (Dhaka CALLING) is one of inSights' flagship project aims to improve implementation
and enforcement of environmental laws and rules in response to identified community needs pertaining to pollution in four slum areas of Dhaka city. Two
year duration project funded by USAID and FCDO.
contributions, and ensure effective corporate
from knowledge and capacity support to partners.
involvement in different funding opportunities.
Continued generosity, engagement and support from
donors, as well as broadening its donor base, is critical.
In working with the Government, inSights works to
contribute to the national disaster management plan and
efforts, strengthen national DRR and response
To help secure engagement with government and
private sector, inSights will develop and implement a
comprehensive strategy to clearly communicate the
capacities, and advocate for vulnerable and at risk people
and the respect for humanitarian principles and law.
inSights also seeks the necessary support for effective
humanitarian action, including resources, and principled
support from the Government.
Strategic Plan, the value of collaboration and the impact
of inSights’s work for the government and the private
sector partners.
inSights needs sufficient resources to implement its
mandate and deliver on its strategic objectives. inSights’s
Management objectives, aligned with the key
performance indicators (KPIs) and enabling actions, as
well as the “Relevant and effective inSights” direction are
aimed at developing a more focused, agile, transparent
financial resources are drawn from grant projects and
and collaborative organisation.
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AN EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT AND ADAPTABLE
ORGANISATION
inSights’s business model as a social enterprise aligns
with our values as an organisation. We commit to invest
our time and money to revest into the sector and
community, commit to equality and justice for the
people facing discrimination, marginalisation and
vulnerabilities. Our identity as a social enterprise
inSights realise leadership is crucial in developing
learning within the organisation. inSights management
will uplift modelling learning behaviour and crafting a
collective vision to prepare employees for imminent
challenges. Managers and leaders would be at the
continues to grow and drive our purpose as an
forefront in inventing learning/growth practises, and take
organisation. Connecting to our organisational values,
we instrumentalise innovations, agility and autonomy of
the private sector to make our community and world a
part in them.
better place.
inSights structure and operating model optimise the
maintaining a constant focus on the sustainability of the
organisation’s resources is critical. inSights is working to
achieve this through business development and
efficient delivery of mandates and ensure learning and
marketing, competitive bidding and partnering with
innovations. We aim to grow as a flat structure learning
organisation, as this management approach best-fit to
the organisational objectives and functions. inSights
NGOs and private and public organisations. inSights
seeks to stabilise its income by creating long-term
projects, and market oriented products and services.
believes, workforce team-members are the key to bring
For this purpose, inSights will focus on products and
success in this strategic plan. We will continue to
support our team members to grow and develop a
services hence maximum effort to put on quality and
optimum impact of our knowledge products and
culture of learning, works on collaboration and open
communication which leads to benefits – improved
innovation through fostering an enabling environment to
encourage innovation.
services, and build organisational culture that focuses on
the satisfaction of the stakeholders, partners and clients.
In support of the operating model and aspirations of the
organisation, and to ensure a flexible, mobile and diverse
workforce, inSights will implement a fit-for-purpose
human resources strategy that specifies how the
organisation will adapt staffing to changes in the demand
for its services or the availability of financial resources.
inSights will work towards enhancing women’s
leadership in the humanitarian sector and implementing
measures to achieve gender parity.
To ensure inSights is able to implement its mandate,
The alignment of planned income and expenditure levels
is not only a pre-requisite for sound financial
management, but also a necessity, given inSights’s social
enterprise purpose and financial sustainability. In
developing the financial plan, inSights will prioritise
activities in alignment with its strategic vision, rather
than budgeting on the basis of operational need. We will
set yearly revenue and expenditure projection
considering the best estimation at a given point, and
review periodically to it hundred percent.
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https://www.insightsbd.com
1/11, Iqbal Road (3rd floor), Mohammadpur,
Dhaka – 1207, Bangladesh
Phone: +88 01911478566
Email: insights.dhk@gmail.com
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