What the humanitarian field taught me about building institutions

Before diplomacy and investment, I spent several years in humanitarian work, delivering emergency programmes with Médecins Sans Frontières and building partnerships across five countries with the International Rescue Committee. It was demanding work, and it taught me lessons about organisations that I now apply in very different settings.

Humanitarian organisations operate under pressure, with limited time and resources and high expectations. To cope, they have developed habits that are useful far beyond the emergency room or the field office.

Six habits worth borrowing

01Clarity of purpose

Every programme I worked on could state, in a sentence, whom it served and what it aimed to change. That clarity guided every decision about priorities and resources.

02Systems that outlast people

Staff change often in humanitarian work, so procedures are written down, roles are defined and handovers are structured. Institutions that document how they work are less dependent on any single person.

03Decisions based on evidence

Needs assessments, data collection and regular monitoring are routine. Decisions are explained with evidence, and results are measured against a baseline.

04Accountability to the people served

Good programmes ask the communities they serve what they need, explain what they can and cannot do, and provide ways to raise concerns. Public institutions gain the same trust when they do the same.

05Partnership with local organisations

The most effective international programmes I saw worked through Libyan organisations, strengthening their capacity rather than replacing it. International commitments to channel more support through local actors point in the same direction.

06Care for the team

Pressure is constant, so good organisations pay attention to workload, safety and wellbeing. A team that is looked after delivers better and stays longer.

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Emergency response saves the day. Institutions save the decade.

A fair reading of the transition

Humanitarian action is designed to be temporary. As Libya moves further from emergency response towards development, the natural next step is for Libyan institutions and civil society to lead, with international partners in a supporting role. This transition is not always simple: parallel systems built during emergencies can take time to fold into national structures, and funding patterns change. Handled well, it leaves behind stronger Libyan organisations with the systems, data and habits they need.

From the field to the ministry

When I chair a planning session today, I notice how often I reach for the tools of the field: a clear statement of purpose, a written plan with owners and dates, a small set of indicators, and a feedback loop with the people the work is meant to serve. They are simple tools, and they work in any institution willing to use them.

The humanitarian community in Libya has done demanding work in difficult circumstances. One of its most lasting contributions can be the professional culture it leaves behind, carried forward by the Libyans who worked within it and now serve in institutions across the country.

The views expressed in this article are my own and do not represent any employer, government body or institution with which I am affiliated.