Emerging technologies in the humanitarian sector

Methodology report

Pauline Paillé, James Besse, Hampton Toole, Chryssa Politi, Shruti Viswanathan, Eunice Namirembe, Jyoti Nayak, Sergi Martorell, Iain McLaren, Christopher Tyson, et al.

ResearchPublished Oct 17, 2024

In an international context where simultaneous crises arise, due to conflicts, fragility or climate change, humanitarian needs continue to increase rapidly. In the meantime, resources remain limited, therefore, the pressure on the humanitarian sector is expected to continue to rise over the coming years.

To help address this challenge, ongoing efforts have been initiated to increase efficiency and shift towards the adoption of a forward-thinking standpoint within the humanitarian sector.

In this context, RAND Europe, in partnership with Athena Infonomics and glass.ai, conducted a study exploring the adoption and use of emerging technologies (excluding AI solutions) and to explore opportunities for future responsible adoption of technologies. The research was funded by the United Kingdom Humanitarian Innovation Hub (UKHIH) as part of their Foresight Initiative.

This document provides a detailed overview of the methodological approach used by the study team and the underpinning activities including: semi-structured interviews, a survey, workshops and horizon scanning.

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Paillé, Pauline, James Besse, Hampton Toole, Chryssa Politi, Shruti Viswanathan, Eunice Namirembe, Jyoti Nayak, Sergi Martorell, Iain McLaren, Christopher Tyson, Charlie Wilkening, and Jacob Ohrvik-Stott, Emerging technologies in the humanitarian sector: Methodology report, RAND Corporation, RR-A3192-2, 2024. As of April 30, 2025: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3192-2.html

Chicago Manual of Style

Paillé, Pauline, James Besse, Hampton Toole, Chryssa Politi, Shruti Viswanathan, Eunice Namirembe, Jyoti Nayak, Sergi Martorell, Iain McLaren, Christopher Tyson, Charlie Wilkening, and Jacob Ohrvik-Stott, Emerging technologies in the humanitarian sector: Methodology report. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3192-2.html.
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This project was commissioned by the UK Humanitarian Innovation Hub (UKHIH) and funded by UK International Development. The research was conducted RAND Europe.

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