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

Cost-effectiveness

109. Based on its timeliness, credibility, and over-all value added as a unique source of humanitarian reporting, IRIN has demonstrated subscriber satisfaction in the areas of products and services. To maintain this status poses a major challenge for IRIN, especially in the light of expansion into advocacy through PlusNews and IRIN Outreach Radio and, on the content side, to in-depth reporting, richer in substance and analysis. Interviews with IRIN subscribers underlined some of the concerns associated with maintaining such a diverse and high quality service. Several mentioned the need for skilled staff with backgrounds in journalism and humanitarian affairs, while others pointed to the potential for overstretch in meeting the ever-increasing demands posed by rapidly changing humanitarian landscapes, not just in Africa and Central Asia, but globally. And then of course there is always the question of resources, which have expanded for IRIN core activities from US$997,362.00 in 1996 to US$4,324,957 in 2003 with an additional US$2,637,386 for PlusNews and IRIN Outreach Radio. OCHA management has called for 'consolidation and no growth' in 2003. The question is how far IRIN can support humanitarian community information demands for expansion in an already resource and risk-intensive funding and operational environment?
110. As indicated by the table below, showing IRIN Core Activities 1999-2003, IRIN has a cash-flow problem. At the end of December every year, IRIN needs US$2 million in cash to extend international and national staff contracts and to cover operating expenses for the first three months of the following year. Most of the time, IRIN has this amount in pledges. Unfortunately, a mechanism no longer exists which permits payments against pledges. Since 1999, when it had a shortfall of US$1,294,511, IRIN had yearly shortfalls of $1,600,746 in 2000 and $663,692 in 2001. Last year income was sufficient to meet the budget and the year ended with a small surplus, although this was directly a result of a £500,000 'one-off' contribution from DfID which is unlikely to be repeated.
     
     

     Resource Allocation	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
     Budget	2,089,000	3,147,800	3,037,177	4,169,000	4,324,957 *
     Income	1,605,126	1,479,254	2,526,308	4,159,271
     Expenditure	2,899,637	3,080,000	3,190,000	3,998,000
     Shortfall	(1,294,511)	(1,600,746)	(663,692)	161,271
     Table 3: IRIN Core Activities 1999-2003 (US dollars)34 *Does not include additional funding for either PlusNews or IRIN Outreach Radio

     
     
111. Since a large portion of IRIN's income goes to cover salaries, how IRIN management is addressing this issue is reviewed below.

     IRIN Staff levels and costs

112. As at 1 January 2003, IRIN had 62 staff, 22 international and 40 nationals. The tables below indicate the distribution of IRIN core staff by function and location.
     
     

     HQs	Nairobi	Johannesburg	Abidjan	Asia
     2 international (Geneva and New York)	11 international 17 national	2 international 8 national	4 international 8 national	3 international 7 national
     Table 4: IRIN Core Staff by location

     
     
     

     Senior Management	Liaison Staff	Editorial Staff	National Support Staff
     2 internationals	2 internationals	20 internationals 12 nationals	26
     Table 5: IRIN Core Staff by function

     
     
113. When considering the implications of these tables, it is important to bear in mind that all but two of IRIN's senior managers are also working editors and writers. Further, IRIN staff is employed on several different types of contract (See Annex 9, Types of Contracts for IRIN Staff). Most of IRIN's staff have either fixed term contracts or activity of limited duration contracts (ALD). IRIN's total 2003 budget for core posts is US$2,507,496.

Continued 

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