Conceived in 2020 while humanitarian organisations were animated by debates about colonial legacies, racism, and institutional biases, this study examines internal power dynamics within the medical humanitarian association Médecins Sans Frontières.

The report focuses on Operational Centre Amsterdam, one of five centres that run MSF’s medical and health programs. It looks at both operational decision-making and daily human relations, and dynamics between staff members as well as the implications for MSF’s relationships with patients and communities.

This study was commissioned by the Manson Unit – part of MSF UK – and undertaken by an independent research team: me, Myfanwy James, Lioba Hirsch, and Molly Naisanga. Research for this study was undertaken in 2021 and 2022. The full report is available alongside summaries of the research on this website: https://msfuk.unbounddocs.com/power-analysis/