Two sets of questions guide this study: 1) How is the competitive aid environment evolving and what are the forces shaping this environment? In that context, in what ways does this impact on donors, aid organisations, the larger humanitarian community and beneficiaries? 2) Given this evolving environment, how could the United Nations (UN) be best configured to provide maximum benefit to beneficiaries, in terms of its role, its efficiency in the use of resources and its effectiveness as a provider of assistance, while remaining an attractive option for donors? These questions form the basis of the study’s terms of reference (see: Annex I) and are reflected in the study’s structure.
