It’s often sobering to discover how the humanitarian community really appears in the eyes of others. But instead of not daring to ask what people think, we ought to take the time to pose more thoughtful questions — even if critical of current programming — and carefully analyze the responses to better target the delivery of aid. With repeated and collective efforts to track and manage such perception data, in time we may find our reflection becomes more attractive.

As budgets shrink, aid agencies in Afghanistan have under-invested in understanding and nurturing their own image. Instead, identities are often proclaimed, assuming that people will “get it.” This assumption is no longer viable.

This is especially true in Afghanistan, where the decades-long conflict caused over 3,500 civilian deaths last year, the highest number of casualties since 2010. With this dramatic deterioration in the security situation, the space for humanitarian action and aid workers has tightened drastically. At first, aid agencies pulled out of the provinces to relatively safe Kabul; today, with attacks routinely reaching the capital, Kabul has become a fortress where aid workers attempt to manage projects from behind high blast walls.

Read the full article on fostering positive perception of NGOs by Elias Sagmeister at Ground Truth Solutions