Draft:RedR Australia

RedR Australia is an international humanitarian organisation with a mission to "build resilience, relieve suffering, and strengthen institutions before, during and after crises and conflict". RedR Australia is the largest member in an international federation of RedR organisations.

RedR Australia selects, trains and deploys humanitarian experts to support humanitarian crises around the world. RedR Australia's primary functions include maintaining a roster of humanitarian experts, deploying roster members to support humanitarian crises, and facilitating humanitarian training to support people working in the humanitarian, development and government sectors.

As of 2023, RedR Australia maintains a roster of more than 1000 senior humanitarians and 80 humanitarian trainers. In FY23, it trained and deployed hundreds of humanitarians across a wide range of skill profiles, with these humanitarians worked in 40 countries across the world.

RedR Australia maintains offices in Melbourne, Australia; Suva, Fiji; and Amman, Jordan.

1990s
RedR Australia was founded in 1992 by engineer Jeff Dobel who "called on his peers to apply their skills to disaster relief". Its founding bodies were Engineers Australia, Consult Australia, Professionals Australia, and the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA). RedR Australia was founded with a vision "to deploy experts during international crises and help alleviate suffering" and was the second RedR organisation to be founded, after the first RedR was established in the UK in 1980.

Initially, RedR Australia's humanitarian work was undertaken only by engineers. However, over time its work has broadened to include most skillsets working in the humanitarian sector.

In 1992, RedR Australia's first year of operation, it deployed 14 experts.

In the mid nineties, RedR Australia signed a partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to support their response to the Rwandan genocide and other humanitarian crises.

By the late nineties, RedR Australia was deploying "a small number of roster members" each year to support UNHCR.

In 1998, RedR Australia established humanitarian training courses and started delivering them throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

2000s
In July 2000, RedR Australia registered for deductible gift recipient status.

By 2000, RedR Australia had deployed surge support to Oxfam and Caritas.

In 2003, RedR Australia became a member of the United Nations Standby Partnership.

In 2005-6, RedR Australia deployed 80 experts to support the response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami, with funding support from the Australian Government.

2010s
In December 2012, RedR Australia was registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

In 2013, lawyer and trade diplomat Kirsten Sayers became RedR Australia's CEO.

By 2014, RedR Australia had established a funding partnership with the UK Government's Department for International Development (DFID) and had continued its partnership with the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). At this time, subsequent to their partnership with UNHCR, RedR Australia had established partnerships with six more United Nations agencies, including United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WPF), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), World Health Organization (WHO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). These United Nations partnerships allowed RedR Australia to deploy experts into their organisations and support their humanitarian work.

In 2013-14, RedR Australia's major humanitarian responses included Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, responding to the Syrian refugee crisis and the Ebola Crisis in West Africa. At this time, RedR Australia's office was in North Melbourne, Victoria.

In 2014, RedR Australia achieved Registered Training Organisation (RTO) status. The main venue for training courses was at the University of Melbourne's campus in Dookie, Victoria, however courses were also facilitated in other cities around Australia and in the Philippines and Fiji, and in Malaysia in collaboration with RedR Malaysia.

In 2015, RedR Australia began reporting cost-sharing agreements with United Nations agencies and it signed a new partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFP). Major humanitarian responses included Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu and the Nepal Earthquake, as well as disaster preparedness in the Asia-Pacific.

In 2016, RedR Australia supported the response to Cyclone Winston in Fiji, the refugee crisis in Europe, drought relief across Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and the Syrian refugees across the Middle East. It also signed a new partnership with UN Women. In FY16, the RedR Australia office moved to Carlton in Melbourne, Victoria.

In 2017, RedR Australia became the implementing partner for the new Australia Assists Program, the Australian Government's humanitarian civilian deployment program, which is run by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). RedR Australia also signed a new partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In 2016-17, RedR Australia's major humanitarian responses included responding to droughts and floods brought on by the El Niño weather pattern, which caused a food crisis in East Africa; Cyclone Winston in Fiji; and the Syrian refugee crisis. By 2017, RedR Australia's humanitarian roster included 500 specialists.

In 2017, RedR Australia signed a new partnership with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

In 2017-2018, RedR Australia established offices in Suva, Fiji and Amman, Jordan. Its largest response was supporting the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh.

In 2018, RedR Australia stopped reporting its RTO status.

Also in 2018, RedR Australia also signed a memorandum of intent (MOI) with the AHA Centre which aimed to "mutually promote, develop, and strengthen their cooperation in disaster management to further improve response for the ASEAN region’s communities." RedR Australia had been providing training to the AHA Centre since 2016. In 2018, RedR Australia also joined the CADRI Partnership, which is a partnership of international NGOs aiming to enhance expertise in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

In 2019, RedR Australia's roster had reached 700 members. Its humanitarian work continued to focus on the Rohingya crisis, and it grew its focus on supporting disaster resilience and response across the Pacific region.

In December 2019, RedR Australia formalised a new partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

2020s
In 2020, RedR Australia's focus was responding to the COVID-19 pandemic through deployments and training. It also established new partnerships with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) and the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD). RedR Australia also moved its major training centre to the Victorian Emergency Management Institute at Mt Macedon, Victoria.

During 2020-21, RedR Australia implemented 48 remote deployments due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. RedR Australia supported the pandemic response in 11 countries, including PNG, Vanuatu, Fiji and Bangladesh, and supported the response to cyclones Yasa and Ana in the Pacific, while supporting peace and stability efforts in Myanmar, Ethiopia and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

In 2021, RedR Australia signed a new partnership agreement with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). The agreement aimed to "mobilize personnel in a broad range of fields that complement UNOPS own technical expertise" and "further enhance UNOPS capacity to support vulnerable communities".

In 2021-22, RedR Australia's humanitarian work continued to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, while responding to the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcano and tsunami, and conflict in Ethiopia, Syria, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Myanmar and Ukraine.

In 2023, RedR Australia reported that its roster included more than 1000 humanitarian experts. Its humanitarian work included responding to the earthquake in Syria and Türkiye, twin cyclones Judy and Kevin in Vanuatu, drought response in Kiribati, conflict across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, floods in Pakistan and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

In early 2023, Kirsten Sayers resigned as CEO of RedR Australia after 10 years in the role. In July 2023, humanitarian lawyer Dr Helen Durham AO was appointed CEO by the RedR Australia board. Previously, Durham was the Director of International Law and Policy at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

In August 2023, RedR Australia signed a new partnership with CBM Global, an international NGO that promotes disability inclusion in humanitarian action. RedR and CBM had worked together since 2017 through training and deployment initiatives. The partnership "provides a key opportunity to ensure humanitarian deployees are supported to apply and pursue disability inclusion in their roles."

In September 2023, RedR Australia launched a podcast called Humanitarian Conversations in which experienced humanitarians discuss "what it means to be a humanitarian in today's world". Interviewees include Dr Helen Durham, Peter Grzic, Mel Bencik and Katherine Harries. The podcast is hosted by Sally Cunningham.

In November 2023, RedR Australia signed the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations (the Climate Charter), which was developed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Roster
RedR Australia maintains a roster of more than 1000 humanitarians specialists across a wide range of skillsets.

Roster skillsets including accountability to affected populations (AAP), child protection, climate change adaptation, communications, disability inclusion, disaster risk reduction (DRR), disaster risk management (DRM), education in emergencies (EiE), elections, emergency telecommunications, food security, gender-based violence (GBV), gender equity, information management, livelihoods, localisation, logistics, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

RedR Australia claims its roster members have been thoroughly assessed, screened and pre-vetted. Roster member have at least five years of technical experience, with most members averaging 10–15 years' experience.

In 2023, 82 nationalities were represented by roster members.

Deployments
RedR Australia deploys its roster members to support humanitarian crises around the world. RedR Australia has supported a vast number of humanitarian crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic; conflicts affecting countries in the Middle East, Europe and Asia; cyclones across the Pacific; earthquakes; floods; volcanos; and tsunamis.

In FY23, RedR Australia's roster members deployed for a total of 694 months (or 57 years), which is the longest amount of time in its history and represents an 18.5 per cent increase on the previous year. In FY23, 135 humanitarian specialists deployed to 40 countries around the world, partnering with 32 host organisations to support their humanitarian work. These host organisations included UN agencies, national governments, NGOs and multilateral organisations.

On occasion, RedR Australia supports their roster members to deploy with their families. In FY23, RedR Australia supported 11 accompanied deployments, which was about 8 per cent of all deployments in FY23 and more than double the number from the previous financial year. Accompanied deployees supported humanitarian initiatives across Europe, Asia and the Pacific.

Training
RedR Australia delivers a range of humanitarian training courses, including Essentials of Humanitarian Practice (EHP), Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT), Humanitarian Logistics in Emergencies (HLE), Water and Sanitation in Emergencies (WASH), Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPHA).

It also provides bespoke courses for aid workers working in humanitarian and governmental organisations. Previous training clients include UNFPA, RMIT University, International Planned Parenthood Foundation and CBM Australia.

RedR Australia has around 80 associate trainers who deliver its courses. These associate trainers are generally experienced humanitarians. It also has more than 200 volunteers who support course delivery.

In Australia, in-person courses are facilitated at the Victorian Emergency Management Institute in Mt Macedon, Victoria, as well as other locations for bespoke courses. RedR Australia has run courses in Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Jordan, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan and online.

RedR Australia maintains educational partnerships with the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Western Sydney University and RMIT University. RedR Australia partners with UNSW to deliver their subject International Humanitarian Response.

RedR Australia partners with Real Response, an organisation that delivers first aid training as part of RedR Australia's Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) course.

RedR Australia also provides training for corporate partners such as Arup, with Arup staff joining courses such as the Global Humanitarian Challenge.

RedR Australia's training courses are well regarded and in FY23 they received an average participant satisfaction rating of 92%.

Partnerships
RedR Australia maintains partnerships with governments, including the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; international NGOs such as FHI 360, Habitat for Humanity and CBM; civil society organisations such as Pacific Community (SPC), the AHA Centre (ASEAN), Rotary and Fiji Council of Social Services; and the corporate sector, including Arup and GHD.

RedR Australia is the implementing partner for the Australia Assists Program, the Australian Government's humanitarian civilian deployment program, which is run by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The Australia Assists Program deploys technical specialists to help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from natural hazards and conflict. In FY23, the program deployed 116 senior humanitarians to 37 countries around the world to address a wide range of humanitarian needs. The program was established in 2017. The current 7-year contact ($104 million) will end in June 2024. DFAT currently has a Request for Tender open for applications.

RedR Australia is a Standby Partner to 16 United Nations agencies, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), World Food Programme (WFP) and UN Women. These partnerships allow RedR Australia to deploy their roster members to work with these UN agencies following the onset of humanitarian crises and in complex emergencies. RedR Australia is the only UN Standby Partner in the Asia-Pacific and is an active member of the Standby Partnership steering committee.

RedR Australia is also a member of Sphere, a movement of humanitarians aiming to enhance industry best-practice. RedR Australia's training courses incorporate the Sphere standards and use the Sphere Handbook. RedR Australia helped to launch the Sphere Handbook in 2019.

Equality, diversity and localisation
RedR Australia strongly pursues gender equality in the humanitarian sector. In FY23, 50 per cent of RedR Australia's UN deployees identified as female. It is currently the only UN Standby Partner to achieve a parity between male and female deployees.

RedR Australia is committed to cultural diversity, with 82 nationalities represented by roster members in FY23, and to localisation, with 20% of FY23 deployees either from the country or region they deployed to.

Governance
RedR Australia is governed by a board of directors, who nominate the leadership team. The current board chair is Robert Care AM and the current CEO is Dr Helen Durham AO. Anna Burke AO, former Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, is a board member.

RedR Australia has a constitution and members of the public can join as financial members, with voting rights.

RedR Australia was registered for deductible gift recipient status on 1 July 2000. The general public can donate to RedR Australia through its Donorbox website.

RedR Australia is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). It was registered with the ACNC on 3 December 2012.

In FY22, RedR Australia's reported revenue was 16.6 million AUD.

RedR Australia has a whistleblower program through Stopline. Whistleblowers can report through the RedR Australia whistleblower hotline, which includes phone, email, post, national relay service and the Stopline app.

RedR Australia is a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID).