InterAction Working Groups
One of the ways InterAction aids and supports the work of its member organizations is by convening a wide variety of issue-based working groups where members gather to discuss and share vital information, receive training and produce joint materials or products. Typically, these groups are developed according to member interest in an issue or topic around which they feel their collective voices will clarify or strengthen responses.
InterAction's current roster of working groups is listed below. For more information on a specific working group, click the staff contact's name to send an email inquiry.
To request membership in any working group, you must first log in to the site using a recognized email address of an InterAction member organization, and then return to this page to complete the relevant contact information and check the relevant box(es) at the bottom of this page.
| Group | Description | Staff Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan Reconstruction Working Group |
Meets the fourth Wednesday of every month to discuss the current humanitarian situation, the role of NGOs and other actors in Afghanistan, and advocacy efforts. |
Abby Bruell |
| Aid Effectiveness |
The group meets on an ad hoc basis to advance thinking on global Aid Effectiveness principles and the outcomes of the 2012 Busan High Level Forum on Development Effectiveness. |
Kellie Peake |
| Civil-Military Relations Working Group |
Meets regularly with DOD, State Department and USAID officials to discuss civil military issues including humanitarian space, training and education, and doctrine development. |
Julien Schopp |
| Climate, Environment & Development |
The group supports U.S. NGOs in helping vulnerable countries and communities respond to the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation. It is also looking at the overlap between climate and environmental issues with other sectors such as food security and disaster risk reduction. |
Danielle Heiberg |
| Disability Working Group |
The Disability Working Group meets every other month to promote inclusion of people with disabilities as a human rights issue and a critical component of effective development. |
Danielle Heiberg |
| Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group |
Meets the second Wednesday of every month to raise the profile of international disaster risk reduction policy and programming, and encourage the quality of risk reduction practice. |
Abby Bruell |
| Evaluation and Program Effectiveness Working Group (EPEWG) |
The EPEWG aims to build the capacity of our members to measure and demonstrate their effectiveness, and to inform donor policies and practices on monitoring and evaluation. |
Laia Grino |
| Food Security & Agriculture Working Group |
This group provides a forum for NGOs to support relevant policy reform, exchange best practices, and discuss areas of concern regarding food security, agriculture, nutrition, and more. |
Danielle Heiberg |
| Mapping/GIS Working Group | A forum for members to learn more about mapping, data management and how to incorporate mapping into their work. Meeting once a month with a focus on collaboration to address challenges and identify solutions in the use of spatial data. | Danielle Heiberg |
| Gender Integration Sub-Working Group | Meets quarterly to support member engagement in the IASC Sub-Working Group on Gender. | Nora Malikin |
| Gender Based Violence Sub-Working Group | Meets monthly to develop coordinated messages advocating for policies, funding and programming that address GBV issues with key stakeholders. The group shares best practices, builds member capacity and supports overall improvements in the humanitarian community's response to GBV. | Andrea Aramburu |
| Gender Integration Working Group |
Provides a forum for members to share strategies and advance gender integration in the policy and practice of InterAction and their own organization. |
Kellie Peake |
| Gifts-in-Kind Working Group |
Sharing best practices and developing trends in the procurement, valuation, management and distribution of gift -in-kind resources. |
Taina Alexander |
| Horn of Africa Working Group |
Meets as necessary to discuss operational and advocacy issues related to providing humanitarian aid in the Horn of Africa, especially Somalia. |
Andrea Aramburu |
| Humanitarian Partnerships Working Group |
Provides a forum for members to discuss areas of interest in their work with UN Agencies, including issues related to budgeting, governance initiatives, leadership, and collaboration with NGOs. |
Abby Bruell |
| Integrating Health in Relief and Development |
Deals with the "how to" of health delivery and the strengthening of health systems within relief and development contexts. The group meets once a month and also discusses issues not related to health to promote effective coordination and integration. |
Danielle Heiberg |
| Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) |
Meets monthly to coordinate advocacy activities with civil society organizations in MCC-eligible countries. The group also engages with Congress and the MCC on behalf of the NGO community. |
Melissa Kaplan |
| Outreach and Communications Working Group |
A skills-building workshop for communications and advocacy staff. Meetings are held quarterly and feature speakers on topics such as email fundraising and marketing, social media metrics, and online advocacy strategies. |
Zoe Plaugher |
| Private Sector Working Group | Platform for information sharing focused on promoting InterAction members’ strengths as development and relief partners, and also a safe space for dialogue with key private sector actors doing business or expanding into communities where we work. Meets monthly | Luisa Cordoba |
| Pakistan Working Group |
Meets monthly to discuss the role of NGOs and other actors in Pakistan, and share information on the humanitarian situation in the country.. |
Abby Bruell |
| Protection Working Group |
Meets once a month to enhance protection for refugees, IDPs and civilians affected by conflict. The group also increases the capacity of international organizations, the U.S. government and NGOs to incorporate protection into humanitarian programming. |
Andrea Aramburu |
| Public Policy Committee (PPC) |
Represented by more than 40 organizations, the group shares information and coordinates advocacy efforts. The PPC is the staff-level advocacy body vis-à-vis U.S. foreign assistance and protection of NGO space, as well as other relevant policy issues. |
Caitlin Carr |
| Shelter and Settlements Working Group |
Meets once a month to improve the collaboration, capacity, practices and programmatic impacts of shelter and settlements organizations, working towards shared advocacy objectives. |
Mohamed Hilmi |
| Security Advisory Group |
The Security Advisory Group advances issues of security for NGOs and promotes better security awareness among stakeholders. It also works to standardize practices and principles, while providing information to smaller NGOs. |
Lauren Rajczak |
| Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Sub-Working Group |
The group builds capacity within InterAction members to prevent and respond to the sexual exploitation and abuse of aid beneficiaries. It meets on the third Wednesday of every month. |
Margot Bokanga |
| Sudan Working Group |
Meets regularly to discuss operational and advocacy issues related to the Darfur conflict, IDP and refugee emergencies, Southern Sudan, and implementation of the CPA. |
Andrea Aramburu |
| Transparency Working Group | This group currently only functions as an email list and is for those interested in transparency/open data efforts by NGOs and the U.S. government. | Laia Grino |
| Task Force on Foreign Assistance Reform (TF) |
A forum for discussing and planning advocacy strategies on foreign aid reform |
Melissa Kaplan |
|
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Working Group |
The WASH Working Group meets monthly to influence the U.S. government's WASH-related policies, with an emphasis on sound water resource management. | Erin Jeffery |
| West Bank/Gaza Working Group |
The West Bank/Gaza Working Group meets monthly to share information and raise awareness on immediate and long-term issues related to programs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. |
Andrea Aramburu |
