The world needs humanitarian assistance more than ever. According to UNOCHA (2021, Global Humanitarian Overview), 1 in 33 people worldwide need aid and protection from conflicts, natural disasters and diseases, issues that have only been exacerbated by the all too familiar global pandemic. Amidst the bleak numbers, there is hope. Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) reached an all-time high of USD 161.2 billion in 2020, with a 6% increase in humanitarian aid. However, with the proportion of unmet requirements remaining the same, it is evident that effective and efficient humanitarian aid goes beyond the mere existence of funding.
Procurement underpins humanitarian assistance, receiving over 65% of any Humanitarian Organisation’s budget. Good-quality and flexible goods and services need to be obtained with speed and accuracy to serve people in volatile circumstances, which is no easy task. Aid workers and organisations on the front lines require support to secure funds and deliver aid efficiently. 2016’s Grand Bargain agreement, with some of the largest humanitarian donors as signatories, shows our deep understanding of what needs to change to improve the current humanitarian procurement and aid systems, with key principles highlighting transparency and localisation.
The Solvoz ecosystem facilitates this necessary system change.
What is Solvoz?
Solvoz is a two-pronged e-procurement platform that aims to make humanitarian aid delivery easier for organisations in LMICs and donors alike. Developed by and for humanitarians, the social enterprise arm known simply as Solvoz provides procurement support, helps connect organisations to the right suppliers for tendering, define technical specifications and provide auditable documentation. Its counterpart, the Solvoz Foundation, offers an open-access solutions and knowledge catalogue to support context-based planning and procurement. These two units work cohesively to make knowledge actionable.
How Solvoz supports Steven, a clinic supervisor in Kenya.
Explaining the value of Solvoz to operational staff, how the catalogue provides value to him to run efficient activities
How Solvoz supports Anna, a procurement officer in Kenya.
Explaining the value of Solvoz to procurement staff, how the integrated workflow with expertise allows her to procure efficiently, effectively and with integrity
Why Solvoz?
Here are three important ways in which we add value to the Grand Bargain:
Open-Access Expertise
Humanitarian assistance requires expertise, which can often be hard to access. Our free and open solutions catalogue democratises accurate and latest expert, context-specific knowledge on goods and services. With access to reliable expertise, both aid workers and donors can be assured that available funds are being used effectively and efficiently.
Focus on the Local
Local supply chains, economies and lives prosper in the long-term, when organisations in LMICs establish strong relationships with local suppliers. Solvoz’s tendering platform understands this principle, and provides a platform for local organisations and suppliers to connect. Donors’ investments are then used to create sustainable change that will empower local economies to be resilient in the future.
Transparency and Trust
Money and resources meant to improve lives should be used to do just that, which is why the need for transparency is undeniable. Solvoz integrates accountability into the ecosystem by simplifying and eliminating complex bureaucratic procedures. We establish trust between organisations and donors, nurturing effective partnerships in the long run.
Solvoz in Action
While the Covid-19 pandemic has been devastating across the world, communities in India have seen some of its most brutal manifestations. Requiring urgent aid, the BSES Municipal General Hospital in Mumbai, India reached out to Massachusetts-based non-profit Health e-Villages (HeV), requesting medical supplies and technologies.
Familiar with our values, HeV trusted Solvoz to support the procurement of goods required by the hospital. . Our open-access catalogue already contained solutions, including PPE kits and Medical Supplies, that were adapted to the hospital’s needs. Expediting the procurement process, we were able to help patients and medical staff within five days of launching a tender and connecting to local suppliers, who were then secured for long-term contracts. With our platform, HeV had assurance that their resources were used most effectively and efficiently, to provide necessary humanitarian assistance.
Through open-access expertise, local empowerment and transparency, Solvoz helps organisations in LMICs, and in turn, donors, realise the promises made in the Grand Bargain, ensuring responsible humanitarian aid procurement.
