A Framework for Cascading Innovation Upstream the Humanitarian Supply Chain through Procurement Processes

Procurement for humanitarian supply chains is often done by agencies that underlie public procurement regulations. These regulations tend to focus on transparency and openness, in other words, tender processes, price and quality. In other words, public procurement can be seen as hindering innovation through its rigidity. At the same time, humanitarian organizations face highly turbulent environments, sudden demand, and disaster- and context-specific requirements on items and technologies. Innovation in humanitarian supply chains needs to be swift but also robust, fitting an environment with disruptions in critical infrastructures such as energy and transportation. In spite of context-specific requirements, innovation does not stand alone but impacts on the supply chain through its requirements on suppliers, use in other echelons, and even, use across various sectors. Innovation thus cascades both upstream the supply chain and across sectors. Such cascades need to be identified, managed, or if detrimental, mitigated in the humanitarian supply chain. This paper therefore develops a framework for cascading innovation in humanitarian supply chains.