Preliminary Work
Work on the Refugee Response Index’s (RRI) commenced in 2017, with analysis of refugee legal and policy developments, including the review of international proposals to improve the global refugee system from the perspective of state action. This preliminary phase helped to shape the RRI analytical framework, including through identification of relevant elements for the qualitative and quantitative indicators comprising the index. Extensive consultations were held with leading experts in refugee law and policy from key institutions such as UNHCR, ICRC, World Refugee Council and CARE International.
Methodological Consolidation
The RRI is currently in the methodological consolidation phase, which involves defining, evaluating and adapting the indicators comprised in the index.
As the guidebook was being developed, an initial assessment was undertaken in Mexico by the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City to test and refine the indicators. The results were used to inform the first draft of the RRI guidebook, which was adapted and refined throughout 2018, in line with the consultations on the Global Compact on Refugees.
In 2019, the RRI conducted a series of regional workshops in Jordan, Mexico and Ethiopia, as well as a working session in Geneva, to collect feedback on the indicators in order to refine the methodology. The final draft of indicators will be issued in 2020, based on the input received from stakeholders during these consultations.
The index will feed into national, regional and UNHCR driven processes. This will include aligning RRI indicators with those developed as part of the Global Compact on Refugees, in order to provide more rigorous analysis of developments and accountability to the commitments made.
During the methodological consolidation phase, the RRI team has worked to equitably balance the indicators and adapt the analytical framework, so as to not penalize countries with differing capacities. Additionally, the development of cross-cutting indicators to assess Gender, Age, Diversity and a Multi-Stakeholder Approach have been included in the framework.