Explore tools, guides, and insights developed through our project with the Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF–Elrha).
The Toolkit is composed of five tools designed to work independently. However for best results, they can also be used in combination with each other. Each one targets an ethical vulnerability identified during the research lead by the Humanitarian Health Ethics Research Group. The Toolkit contains all the material you need to get started, however, it is recommended that facilitators read the Background Paper and Case Studies.
The four case studies have been developed to help you explore, discuss and resolve ethical issues. They can be used as a window into the nature of the ethical challenges confronted by humanitarian innovation teams, or as a companion to the Toolkit within a workshop setting. We hope the case studies will help innovators recognise ethical challenges in their own work, in the reflection of the common ethical challenges faced by others.
The Background Paper plots the journey of how and why this resource was developed. It presents exploratory research on the need for practical ethical resources within the humanitarian innovation space and the findings that informed the design of each tool in the Toolkit.
Scoping Review – The Ethics of Humanitarian Innovation: Mapping Values Statements and Engaging with Value-Sensitive Design
This paper advances humanitarian innovation ethics by presenting two key contributions: (1) a mapping of how six core values: do-no-harm, autonomy, justice, accountability, sustainability, and inclusivity, are expressed in value statements from diverse organizations, and (2) two practical activities to help innovation teams integrate and navigate these values throughout their project lifecycle. This value-sensitive approach supports ethical alignment, shared understanding, and preparedness for ethical challenges
Laying the Groundwork: Insights from Organisational Ethics for Humanitarian Innovation
This paper examines how humanitarian organisations can lay the groundwork for ethical innovation by strengthening their ethical infrastructure. Drawing on the lens of positive organisational ethics, it explores three dimensions: resources (e.g., policies and value statements), practices (e.g., staff onboarding methods), and capacities (e.g., ethics knowledge and skills). The paper situates this analysis within broader debates on ethical challenges in humanitarian innovation, such as inclusion, imposition of solutions, new risks, and potential exploitation, and connects it to ongoing efforts to embed guiding values into innovation processes.
HUMANITARIAN HEALTH ETHICS 