Purchasing and supply management in humanitarian settings

Purchasing and Supply Management (PSM) plays a critical role in the work of Humanitarian Organizations (HOs). This position paper reviews the existing literature and analyzes two contemporary cases from practice to provide an overview of the key characteristics of humanitarian PSM. It highlights the unique objectives of humanitarian operations in contrast to profit-seeking firms. It also notes a convergence of boundary conditions, as uncertainty and disruptions become increasingly prevalent across all contexts. Despite sectoral differences, commercial PSM can significantly benefit from the strategies and practices developed in humanitarian settings. Using the Disaster Management Lifecycle to differentiate segments of humanitarian work, PSM is positioned not as a mere transactional function, but as a strategic enabler of humanitarian missions. To stimulate further research in humanitarian PSM, five key themes in the research landscape are summarized: make-or-buy decisions, global or local sourcing, collaboration and alliances, sustainable sourcing, and digitalization. • In humanitarian work, purchasing plays a strategic role, not just a transactional one • Despite differences, humanitarian and commercial boundary conditions are converging • Key opportunities exist for cross-sector learning in purchasing and supply management