The coordination architecture

1Why coordinate?

Without coordination, aid is concentrated in easily accessible areas, creates duplication, leaves areas forgotten and applies different standards from one organisation to another. Coordination serves to cover all priority needs, without duplication, with common standards, and to speak with one voice to the authorities and donors.

It respects the primary role of the State: when the authorities have the capacity, international humanitarian mechanisms support them rather than replace them.

2Who coordinates?

• The Emergency Relief Coordinator (head of OCHA) at global level, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), which brings together UN agencies, the Red Cross (as an observer) and NGO networks.
• The Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) in the country, often also the UN Resident Coordinator, responsible for the international response.
• The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT): the strategic body around the HC (agencies, international and national NGOs).
• The Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG), facilitated by OCHA, which links the sectors.
• At local level: regional or district coordination groups, thematic working groups (cash, accountability, PSEA, access).

3The clusters

The cluster approach (2005 humanitarian reform) organises the response into sectors, each with a lead agency at global level, for example: health (WHO), nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (UNICEF), food security (WFP and FAO), logistics and emergency telecommunications (WFP), protection (UNHCR), shelter and camp coordination (UNHCR and the International Federation or IOM depending on the context), education (UNICEF and Save the Children).

The core functions of a country-level cluster: support service delivery (avoid duplication and gaps), inform strategic decision-making (assessments, analysis), plan and develop strategy (standards, response plan), advocate, monitor and report, prepare for future crises, not forgetting accountability to affected populations.

The lead agency is also the “provider of last resort”: it commits, as far as possible, to filling critical gaps.

4The humanitarian programme cycle

1. Needs assessment and analysis: Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO), often with a joint intersectoral analysis of severity.
2. Strategic planning: Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), with objectives, targets and budget by cluster.
3. Resource mobilisation: appeal, CERF, country-based pooled funds (CBPF), bilateral funding.
4. Implementation and monitoring: monthly cluster reports, dashboards.
5. Operational peer review and evaluation, then a new cycle.

For a project, being aligned with the HRP and registered with the cluster greatly helps in obtaining pooled funding.