Decison-Making Dynamics in MSF and ACT: Comparison and Discussion of Research Results

This study has shown how MSF Holland and ACT Netherlands decide on the locations and activities of their humanitarian aid projects. We argued that the complex context of humanitarian aid provision with all its situational and organizational constraints makes the work of these organizations almost an impossible job. If one wants to take into account all potential threats to effective intervention – such as safety risks, corruption, donor wishes, access problems, etc. – it would become very difficult, if not impossible, to come to any decisions about aid provision at all. Hence, the selection of humanitarian aid activities is always, in one way or another, a matter of choosing the lesser evil.