Lessons learnt from the Start Fund's anticipatory response in Burundi

The Start Network is experimenting with ways to positively disrupt this model by using mechanisms (like the Start Fund) that provide early funding in advance of crisis situations rather than waiting until they escalate.

As the Start Fund is designed to fill identified gaps in the emergency funding architecture, including early response to slow-onset crises, and given the complete lack of emergency funding for Burundi, the Start Fund anticipatory activation was important for NGOs operating in Burundi and contributed significantly to pre-positioning of contingency stocks as part of the Inter-agency Contingency Plan. With some modifications to the timeframe and proposal and reporting narrative, future anticipatory activations in a similar development context with an emerging slow-onset crisis could be equally successful.