IRIN Evaluation Report - March 2003
by Graham Mytton & Sharon Rusu

1. The lack of reliable information and news sources in Rwanda in 1994 proved a contributing factor to the genocide, as well as an impediment to the coordination of the humanitarian response. To counter misinformation and vertical information practices, the Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) was born, opening its first office in Nairobi in late 1995. Recalling the circumstances leading up to the birth of IRIN, Randolph Kent, a former Humanitarian Coordinator and UN Resident Representative for Rwanda, highlighted 'the fact that agencies in Goma and Kigali were

   IRIN was like a guerrilla operation, inside the UN, engaging in a style of reporting that was most un-UN-like. Kevin Kennedy, OCHA.

   communicating with New York or their various headquarters, but not with each other'. A regional information capacity was needed, and the development of IRIN was the perceived solution. Kent goes on to comment that the name IRIN was formulated to 'reflect recognition of the importance of having a network of information producers that was both regional and integrated.' ⁴
2. Established by the Department for Humanitarian Affairs (predecessor to OCHA), IRIN first acted as a clearinghouse for the compilation and dissemination of key humanitarian reports (situation and field reports, maps and other related documents) from various UN and NGO actors. The key step to its future direction, as observed by a former staffer, was the Coordinator's assessment that the IRIN model at the time did not fill information gaps. What was required, in her estimate, were summaries of events and written reports on humanitarian concerns not being reported on by the traditional media, or in the absence of media altogether. As a start to redressing these identified gaps, IRIN introduced the Weekly Roundup which had two immediate benefits: a summary, in the place of individual reports, of the week's major events, and the instant reduction of information overload.⁵
3. By mid-1996, at the request of the humanitarian community, IRIN took steps to produce synthesis reports, recognizing in 'distillation, an art that is undervalued.' ⁶By the time of the return of the Rwandan refugees from DRC in late 1996, daily reporting was introduced which led to an expanded network of core staff and further regional coverage possibilities. As former staffer Ben Parker observes, 'IRIN's real value-added was evident soon after start-up when it began, in addition to the Roundup, to produce its own synthesis reports and write its own stories' Movement away from the clearinghouse model into humanitarian reporting was irritating to some UN agencies, as the potential for criticism of UN policies and practices increased. Most of the donors were supportive.⁷
4. The single biggest factor in IRIN's development, however, was the availability of web technology. The 'successful linking of technology and humanitarian reporting' was as one observer noted, clearly central to IRIN's development. ⁸ Advances in technology permitted IRIN to move from faxes to e-mail, a move that produced three immediate benefits: cost savings and expansion in the areas of geographical coverage and readership. In 2001, a new web system was introduced which permitted the streamlining of IRIN's e-mail interface by linking e-mail with the web. The benefits as a result of the transition were at least threefold: more cost-effective communications and staffing and better subscriber management. These savings are further elaborated in Section 2.

   IRIN's comparative advantage lies not in the provision of online news, but in the contextualisation of humanitarian content, customized and in peoples' email in-boxes. Opiah Kumah, Senior Official, OCHA

5. IRIN's initial focus was on the Great Lakes. From the start, however, IRIN's readership was broader than just donors and relief workers in the region. The successful launch of synthesised reporting was succeeded by demands for IRIN services and products in and outside the region. Over a six and a half year period, from July 1997 to January 2003, IRIN opened 3 additional offices: Abidjan in 1997 to cover West Africa, Johannesburg in May 1998 to cover South Africa, and Islamabad in July 2000 to cover Central Asia. In 2000, IRIN moved to an editorial desk structure with desks for the Horn of Africa (2000), East Africa (2001) and an Editor-in-Chief located provisionally in West Africa.
6. By the end of 2002, IRIN was covering 54 countries and producing Daily Reports, Web Specials, Focus Reports and Features, the Weekly Round-up and Interviews. IRIN was also managing two projects: PlusNews, an HIV/Aids information service, and an Outreach Radio Project. From a few hundred subscribers in 1995, IRIN's daily email subscriber list topped 18,000 at the end of 2002, with a current estimated readership in the area of 100,000. This latter number increases substantially if readership statistics from websites re-posting IRIN articles are included. Since its upgrading in October 2001, a steady increase in the numbers visiting the IRIN website has been observed. ⁹ In its readership survey of March 2002, over a quarter of respondents claimed that IRIN saved them at least one hour of online research time per week.¹⁰
7. IRIN in 2003 has a current total of 22 international staff and 40 nationals. They also have about 11 stringers and 4 or 5 translators. The contractual arrangements for these groups vary and are further elaborated in Part 2.
8. IRIN's total core activities budget for 2003 is US$4,324,957. ¹¹ But a chronic problem for IRIN is cash flow, maintaining enough cash in hand to support operations. At the end of September 2002, IRIN had a shortfall of US$900,000. ¹² This is a recurring problem for IRIN, generally related to the late release of donor funds. To counteract this predictable shortfall, OCHA has recommended that donors contribute to a revolving fund, staggering their donations so that IRIN can cover this predictable shortfall. But this remains a recommendation in need of follow-up.
9. But these financial challenges are not new to IRIN. As one senior UNOCHA official noted, 'IRIN has from start-up seen many upsets and struggles: financial, staffing, communications, and even mission focus, but these did not stop it from becoming quickly recognized as an effective source of humanitarian information'. ¹³ Despite adversity, the central challenge for IRIN has always been to maintain a high standard of professional reporting. Thus, IRIN introduced a system of oversight, based on rigorous guidelines and editorial standards, with a view to ensuring that IRIN reports would withstand challenge as examples of 'reliability, professional analysis and balanced content'.¹⁴
10. In 2003, IRIN will be faced with additional difficulties including requests from humanitarians for the further expansion of IRIN reporting. IRIN's budget for 2003 is based on zero-growth and it has already undertaken consolidation efforts. Other challenges relate to management and the most effective ways to 'get the job done' and 'to translate IRIN's positive aspects into needed resources'? ¹⁵ Still, the major challenge is how to move IRIN beyond chronic funding deficits without compromising its credibility and integrity as a distinguished humanitarian news service.

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