Associative Forum of December 10, 2024: Strengthening Operational Research, a Strategic Pillar for MSF's Future

What is operational research and why is it critical for MSF?

What is Operational Research and Why is it Essential for MSF?

During the Associative Forum held on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, members of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Luxembourg reviewed the motion project presented by the Board of Directors and discussed the vital importance of Operational Research (OR) in the organization’s humanitarian interventions. Spearheaded by Engy and Rony, the discussion highlighted the central role of OR in improving decision-making, access to healthcare, intervention quality, and human resource management.

Operational Research: A Legacy and an Imperative

Rony revisited the historical successes of OR within MSF, including:

• Combatting Malaria: Twenty years ago, OR revealed chloroquine’s inefficacy against resistance, enabling MSF to revise medical practices and strengthen accountability.
• Universal ARV Treatment: Thanks to OR, MSF expanded access to HIV treatments across several southern African countries, becoming a beacon of hope for millions of patients.
   

These examples demonstrate how OR can turn challenges into opportunities, positioning MSF as a technically credible and innovative organization.

Making OR an Integrated Priority

Currently, OR faces a lack of integration into projects from their inception and apparent neglect due to financial constraints. Participants stressed that real-time OR is critical for immediate decision-making during crises, such as with COVID-19, or as an advocacy tool during events like the European migration crisis of 2015-2016.

A Motion at the IGA to Strengthen OR

To address these challenges, MSF Luxembourg aims to propose a motion at the International General Assembly (IGA) in June 2025. The process requires the motion to be first adopted by the association members during the Extraordinary General Assembly on Monday, December 16, and then submitted to the Motions Committee for approval by December 20.

Based on the forum discussions and participants’ valuable input, the following updates will be made to the motion draft:

• Clarifying Priorities: The motion will focus on three pillars: access to care, quality of care, and human resources.
• Strengthening Advocacy: OR should also serve as a tool to influence policies, with concrete examples like migration advocacy (presenting data to the European Parliament during the 2015-2016 migration crisis) or the situation in Gaza.
• Synchronizing Efforts: The motion will align with other MSF initiatives to maximize its impact.

A key vote will take place during the Extraordinary General Assembly on December 16, 2024, marking a critical step in advancing this vision.

Building the Future

This motion seeks to bridge the gap between operations and research to maximize OR’s impact on humanitarian decision-making. It reflects a collective ambition to position MSF as a leader in operational innovation while staying true to its humanitarian identity.