How coordination between the Red Cross, Red Crescent, and the World Food Programme in Bangladesh set the stage for scaling-up

This briefing captures the lessons from a study conducted in mid-2020 to capture the lessons from the fruitful interorganizational collaboration that took place in Bangladesh from 2015-20. Practitioners around the world can learn from this experience. These lessons are based on a review of project documents and interviews with nine key informants working on Forecast-based financing (FbF) in Bangladesh from Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, World Food Programme, German Red Cross, Care Bangladesh and the government. The results highlight successes and lessons learned from the collaboration between WFP, BDRCS and a growing list of humanitarian actors interested in anticipation.

The briefing finds several key conclusions and lessons that may be relevant to practitioners in other contexts. Firstly, practitioners must share data, resources, and strategies to capitalize on each organizations‘ strengths. Collaboration reduces the overall investment required to establish effective systems, prevents duplication, and enables early actions to be scaled up and reach more beneficiaries. Secondly, practitioners must coordinate advocacy efforts to speak with one voice. The most frequently cited achievement was establishing anticipatory action in the Standing Orders in Disaster. Thirdly, practitioners must facilitate continuous learning, coordination and exchange. Fourthly and finally, practitioners must allow for diversity for maximum impact. Within the shift toward anticipation, there is room for difference and experimentation. A variety of strategies and foci can be complementary and help bring benefits to more people.