ICVA and InterAction publish "OCHA US Reserve Allocation Member Survey: Findings and Recommendations"

Published on May 28, 2026
Overview
  • In March, ICVA and InterAction undertook a joint member survey to identify early learning from the US $2 billion contribution to OCHA, managed through the Reserve Allocation procedures of the CBPF.
  • 104 responses from 72 organisations were received across all 18 identified US-OCHA priority countries. Of these, 32 respondents identified as local and national NGOs (L/NNGOs) and 9 as NGO forums, with the remainder representing INGOs. The findings were validated with survey respondents and presented to OCHA.
  • The findings point to a mechanism that successfully moved funds quickly during an acute financial crisis. However, they also indicate that allocation speed and the 6-month implementation time limits had consequences for transparency, quality funding, operational risk, and narrowing programming and partnership opportunities. Respondents also flagged centralised and sometimes personality-dependent allocation decisions, with inconsistent application of criteria across countries.
  • In summary, respondents broadly support the funding under the Reserve Allocation modalities but called for targeted adjustments to mitigate negative consequences and inform future allocations, as outlined in the core challenges in the document attached below.
OCHA US Reserve Allocation Member Survey_ Findings and Recommendations_FINAL_print.pdf
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