Lessons from measuring effectiveness of meaningful participation innovation challenge
This learning paper synthesises evidence from Elrha's Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF) Meaningful Participation Innovation Challenge, which funded projects in Indonesia and Ethiopia to strengthen the meaningful participation of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and Older People's Associations (OPAs) in humanitarian action. Drawing on the PIONEER initiative in Indonesia and the "Nothing About Us Without Us" participatory audits project in Ethiopia, the paper examines how meaningful participation can move beyond consultation towards shared leadership, decision-making and accountability. It explores innovative approaches including equitable partnerships, capacity strengthening, participatory auditing, policy influence and localisation, analyses the added value and enabling factors for meaningful participation, reflects on methods for measuring its effectiveness, and concludes with practical recommendations for humanitarian organisations seeking to embed disability- and age-inclusive participation across programme design, implementation, monitoring and governance.