February 2023 – October 2023 (finished)
CDO commissioned a review to strengthen its understanding of how Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and Self Help Groups (SHGs) have been used by local and international humanitarian agencies in Yemen.

The review assessed the effectiveness of VSLAs and Self Help Groups in contributing to empowerment goals such as gender equality, social inclusion, food security, and economic resilience. It involved mapping different models used by FCDO partners and other actors in Yemen and analysing their strengths and weaknesses across key criteria including relevance, efficiency, and sustainability.

It also examined how FSSN partners were implementing these approaches, identifying opportunities to strengthen coordination, share learning, and draw on global evidence. Findings were delivered through a concise final report with a four-page executive summary, alongside regular engagement with FCDO and a final presentation of recommendations to improve effectiveness, value for money, and inclusion.

March 2024 – March 2025 (finished)

STAAR undertook research on the role of civil society and local actors in the design, delivery, and monitoring of social protection and humanitarian cash programming, with a focus on improving gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) outcomes in both crisis and stable contexts.

The research examined how local actors engage with social protection systems, including their linkages with humanitarian responses. It identified challenges to effective engagement and proposed strategic opportunities to strengthen local involvement, enhance programme design, and improve outcomes for marginalised groups.

This work drew on experiences from five to seven countries and focused on localisation and GESI to generate practical recommendations for inclusive, resilient social protection. The findings were used to support FCDO’s delivery of commitments in the 2022 UK International Development White Paper, including a new localisation strategy by 2024.

July 2023 – February 2024

UNICEF requested STAAR’s support in consulting with local women and girls in Nepal as part of UNICEF’s We Deserve Better Initiative.

STAAR supported the initiative by exploring their lived experiences with social protection systems, focusing on their perceptions and involvement in participatory policymaking. The assignment aimed to identify the barriers, opportunities, and objectives for gender-responsive and transformative social protection in Nepal.

STAAR provided national consultants, including a researcher and facilitator, as well as logistical support, while UNICEF contributed technical assistance with filming and communications. Through this collaboration, STAAR played a crucial role in gathering valuable insights from women and girls. The support is expected to continue as the initiative enters its second phase, which will focus on influencing governments in champion countries.

April 2019 – July 2019 (finished)

This STAAR assignment was commissioned to support FCDO’s ongoing efforts for greater localisation in Yemen, by analysing the Value for Money of moving increasingly more funding for the Food Security Safety Net (FSSN) programme to local actors.

The STAAR assignment team conducted a value-for-money assessment of the current operation of the Yemen portfolio and provided a practical framework for greater localisation, looking at separation of functions, step-by-step transition, capacity investment, debunking risks and risk management and shifting not only funding but also power and process.

The assignment developed a framework for a localisation shift within the Yemen FCDO Humanitarian Portfolio.