Multilateral Aid Review summary - International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

The ICRC is a private organisation with an exclusively humanitarian mission. It directs and coordinates the international relief activities conducted by the Red Cross movement in situations of conflict. ICRC is therefore different in nature from any of the multilaterals that DFID works with.

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Contribution to UK development objectives	Strong
	+	ICRC’s activities and mission fit closely with DFID’s objectives and structural reform pillars.  It is viewed as extremely relevant, particularly in the conflict countries where it works.
	+	ICRC often has unparalleled access to vulnerable populations because of the trust it has developed with the government and is therefore often the only organisation offering assistance and protection, particularly in remote areas.
	+	ICRC has made great strides in its gender work and it is starting to look more comprehensively at environmental considerations.
	_	In non conflict settings, ICRC’s role is less important as there are sometimes other actors who may be able to fulfil some of ICRC’s functions.
Organisational strengths	Strong
	+	Cost efficiency underpins ICRC’s financial management and value for money considerations are taken into account in programming.
	+	ICRC often has strong partnerships with governments, other parts of the Red Cross Movement, donors and other parts of the humanitarian system.
	+	Mandate is clear with a line of sight to strategy. Leadership is strong including at the country level and the Planning for Results framework enables reporting on outputs.
	+	ICRC manages limited resources effectively and allocates aid according to agreed schedules.
	_	ICRC operates on a policy of confidentiality rather than transparency to deliver its mandate. Although we are fully supportive of ICRC’s role, and understand this need, it unavoidably makes it less transparent as an organisation.
	_	The degree of ICRC accountability to recipient country stakeholders is also not clear.
	_	ICRC willingness to engage with humanitarian partners in country is not consistent and depends in large part on the particular ICRC delegates in country.
Capacity for positive change	Likely
	+	ICRC has strong management, the Donor Support Group is effective and ICRC is a learning organisation which has demonstrated its willingness to take on board donor concerns and implement change accordingly.