Jess Garana, Cluster Coordinator at the United Nations Development Programme, Speaking on Challenges in Directing Aid

Posted on Aug 02, 2016
 
Commack-Kings Park Rotary Club Member Jess Garana offered the Club a presentation discussing the various multinational humanitarian projects he works on as the Cluster Coordinator of the United Nations Development Programme.  Jess went on to discuss various issues and their implications for aid support, the potential for misdirected aid and the harm often caused by good intentions.  Among other issues discussed were undefined standards, difficulties with achieving non-discriminatory practices, diversion and theft of funds, deficiencies in projects due to mismanagement and improper planning and the difficulty of achieving project objectives which are often set outside the community and are inconsistent with the community's standards...
 
Jess discussed the UN's own issues with local laws, standards and best practices, including prevention of gender discrimination, SGBV (Sexual and Gender-Based Violence) and child labor.  Among the future program improvements presented is a series of incentives for region-based projects that would provide for more general cohesion and fewer projects that are tribe or political entity affiliated.  Aid that is directed through local infrastructure often results in waste of up to 90%, which is often diverted and converted to local leaders for personal gain.  
 
Jess also discussed the problems of unidentified standards and the inconsistent standards between the international standards and expectations for final project outcome, versus the local, cultural expectations of the appearance, functionality and usage traditions that the local population may consider more important.