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Abstract

Humanitarian organizations (HOs) are often under pressure from stakeholders to utilize their funds efficiently. Adoption of Lean Management (LM) practices is often an effective way to increase efficiency in the utilization of financial and tangible resources. HOs intending to adopt LM must have certain practices in place before implementation of LM. This research developed a framework to measure the readiness of an HO to adopt LM in logistics and supply chain management (LSCM) system because LSCM is considered to be the most expensive part of HOs operations. The Humanitarian Organization Lean Management Readiness Assessment (HOLMRA) framework has been developed through in-depth interviews with supply chain management professionals in HOs in combination with a detailed review of the relevant literature. The literature review establishes the great value of LM in any organization. Seven factors are found to be the most relevant critical success factors (CSFs) for measuring the HOs readiness to adopt LM. The seven CSFs are: processes management, planning and control management, donor and community relationship management, supplier relationship management, top management, human resource management and communication management. CSFs assessment is associated with LM techniques. Based on discussions with HOs professionals, 7 CSFs and 35 LM elements were subsequently synthesised into the HOLMRA framework. Adoption of the HOLMRA framework provides efficient use of resources for HOs. The seven CSFs identified for assessment of HOs supply chain operations are: Process Management, Planning and Control Management, Donor and Community Relationship Management, Supplier Relationship Management, Human Resource Management, Communication Management, and Leadership Management. Each of these CSFs in turn consists of key Lean Elements. CSFs and their respective Lean Elements, explained and demonstrated with practical examples from the field, form a solid framework for understanding and assessing LM readiness in HOs supply chain operations.