The Humanitarian System:

Roles, Responsibilities and

Coordination

Module 02

Learning Objectives
Have a basic knowledge of the international
Humanitarian System
Understand the diversity of actors involved in
humanitarian action and be able to identify common
principles upheld by all.
Understand the purpose and importance of coordination
Be aware of the main humanitarian coordination bodies
and mechanisms.
List key sources of resource mobilization for
humanitarian response

Humanitarian System Network

of Actors
This figure:
Shows a number of
diverse actors involved in
international and national
humanitarian efforts
affected population,
government, UN agencies,
NGOs, donors, etc
Provides useful reminder
of the role played by
various actors
Underscores the need for
strong coordination

Disaster Management
Actors at the country
level
Host
Government

UN system and
other Agencies

Target population

NGOs, Red Cross & other civil society

members
A U S T R A L I A

Bi-lateral donors

WHY REFORM?
Findings from the 2005 Humanitarian Response Review

Well-known, long-standing gaps

Limited & inconsistent linkages: UN & non-UN

Coordination erratic/personality driven

Insufficient accountability (particularly for IDPs)

Inconsistent donor policies

Humanitarian Reform
Strengthening existing humanitarian
response through greater:
Accountability
Predictability
Leadership
Partnership

Roles, Responsibilities and

Coordination: The 3 Pillars of Reform
1

HUMANITARIAN
COORDINATION

HUMANITARIAN
FINANCING

CLUSTER
APPROACH

Effective leadership
and coordination in
humanitarian
emergencies

Adequate, timely
and flexible
financing

Adequate capacity
and predictable
leadership in all
sectors

PARTNERSHIP
Strong partnerships between UN and non-UN actors

Partnership is the Foundation for

Reform
Partnership amongst UN and non-UN partners
including government, the civil society
organizations, NGOs, CBOs and international
organizations
Respect for each others mandates
Recognition of agency-based approaches
Collaborative and inclusive process:
o aims to avoid excessive and unfocused
meetings
o builds on the complementarity amongst actors

Global Humanitarian Platform

NGOs are major actors in humanitarian assistance
NGO resources and expertise are often greater and
may differ from those of UN agencies
Weaknesses with IASC UN-centric, felt as out of touch
with or even irrelevant to the realities on the ground
2005 External Review of the IASC recommended the
creation of an outreach mechanism -> Global
Humanitarian Platform
GHP is unique due to:
o Spirit of equality and informality
o Equal status of all three pillars
o Participation of national NGOs

Roles, Responsibilities and

Coordination: The 3 Pillars of Reform
1

HUMANITARIAN
COORDINATION

HUMANITARIAN
FINANCING

CLUSTER
APPROACH

Effective leadership
and coordination in
humanitarian
emergencies

Adequate, timely
and flexible
financing

Adequate capacity
and predictable
leadership in all
sectors

PARTNERSHIP
Strong partnerships between UN and non-UN actors

Pillar I: Humanitarian Coordination

United Nations
At the top is the Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief
Coordinator (ERC)
responsible for oversight of all emergencies requiring UN
humanitarian assistance
acts as the central focal point for Governmental,
intergovernmental and non-governmental relief activities

ERC is the Head of OCHA

OCHA coordinates the UNs response to complex
emergencies and natural disasters
supports the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) at country
level in needs assessments, contingency planning and the
formulation of humanitarian programmes
OCHA also provides response tools, and advocacy and
information services

Humanitarian Coordination The IASC

Chaired by the ERC, the Inter Agency Standing
Committee (IASC) is an inter-agency forum
established in 1992 responsible for:
coordination
policy development and decision-making
IASC comprises the main UN agencies, the International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the INGOs

The IASC focuses on generic policy issues, whilst

the IASC Clusters have specific technical areas of
policy and operational concern

Coordination: Roles and

Responsibilities
UN has designated Humanitarian Coordinators (HC)
in 29 countries, managed by OCHA, and are
responsible for leading and coordinating the humanitarian
action of relevant organisations in-country
In the rest of the countries, this function is assumed by the
UN Resident Coordinator (RC) who is also the
Representative of UNDP .
The HC/RC ensure the following:
Coordination and inclusion of the various humanitarian
actors
Coordination and development of a common strategic
vision
Articulation of a common strategic plan for realizing this
vision (e.g. CHAP Common Humanitarian Action Plan)
Efficient and effective division of labour among
organizations (through clusters)

Coordination: Roles and

Responsibilities HC/RC (2)
Timely, effective and efficient
implementation of strategic plan by
holding cluster leads accountable
By establishing inter-cluster coordination,
needs assessment, monitoring and
evaluation
Ensuring the strategic plan is funded
All necessary efforts are made to obtain
free, timely and unimpeded access to
populations in need
International humanitarian and human
rights laws are promoted and respected

Coordination: Roles and

Responsibilities
Humanitarian coordination is a very demanding function as
time is of critical concern. Is influenced by:
nature and impact of the crisis
stakeholders capacities
political commitment of national and international players

National Government or occupying power has

primary responsibility for the provision (and coordination)
of response to the territory affected by disaster
Humanitarian agencies have an essential role to play by
supporting the government and respecting their
coordination function
Exceptions are when the authorities are themselves
responsible for abuse and violations, or when their
assistance is not impartial

Coordination: Roles and

Responsibilities
National governments may be able to mount their own
relief operations to help their people depending on
national capacity and scale of the crisis
The capacity of a national government to
coordinate and respond to a crisis is determined by the
existence of:
Clear, pre-determined, lines of authority and responsibility
Knowledge and aptitude within the government to
manage its relationship with international agencies
Availability of reliable information systems
The capacity to work constructively with the media
Adequate national technical capacity for programmes
designed to address emergency nutrition problems

Collaborative Groupings within the

Humanitarian System - Donors
The Good Humanitarian Donorship
(GHD) initiative comprises representatives
of government, donors and the European
Commissions Humanitarian Aid Office
(ECHO)
It endorses the principles and good practice
of humanitarian donorship
By defining principles and standards, it
provides a framework to guide official
humanitarian aid and a mechanism for
encouraging greater donor accountability

International Red Cross/Red Crescent

Movement:
Federation, Committee, National Societies
International Federation Red Cross & Red
Crescent Societies carries out relief
operations together with the (global) network of
national societies:
Promoting humanitarian values
Disaster response
(food, food security, nutrition)
Disaster preparedness
(pre-positioning of stocks)
Health and community care

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International Red Cross/Red Crescent

Movement:
Federation, Committee, National Societies
International Committee of the Red
Cross mandated:
to be the guardian and promoter of
international humanitarian law
to protect the lives and dignity of victims of
armed conflict and other situations of violence
to provide them with assistance (health,
protection, detention, tracing, etc).
Geneva Conventions
Specific ICRC Statutes used in contexts where Geneva
Conventions do not apply

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National Societies
Unique network of 187 member national
societies which cover almost every country in
the world
Act as auxillaries to the public authorities of
their own countries in the humanitarian field
and provide a range of services
Their local knowledge and experise, access to
communities and infrastructure enable the
Movement to reach areas and peoples in need
During wartime, National Societies assist the
affected civilian population

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International NGOs
NGOs can be distinguished
by area of speciality
(nutrition assessments, selective feeding, general food
rations, livelihood support, advocacy);

by the way they work

(whether they are operational or work through local
partners);

by relationship and dependence on donors

(whether mainly dependent on donors that provide only
food assistance or not).

Sources and mechanisms of funding vary enormously.

Some largely dependent upon government, while others
have developed mechanisms to access large amounts of
private and public funding ( greater autonomy in
strategic direction and geographic locations)

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Local NGOs
Including church-based groups
Often have a great connectedness to local populations and
their needs
Are easily accepted by the community
Have a great deal of understanding of local context and the
dynamics of the population, its characteristics and sociopolitical environment
May have experience in diverse emergency situations
Are usually present before an emergency strikes and remain
once the crisis is over
Tend to work at lower levels than international NGOs
Fill gaps that international NGOs may miss

In general NGOs are responsible for most

nutritional surveys conducted during emergencies

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Pillar II: Funding

Mechanisms for
Humanitarian Response

Initiatives to Strengthen Humanitarian

Financing
Central Emergency Response Fund
(CERF)
Emergency Response Funds (ERFs)
Pooled Funding
Good Humanitarian Donorship
initiative (GHD)

CERF doesnt replace appeals; it interacts with

them
up to 6 months

Nutrition
Cluster
SOP
plus
projects

Flash Appeal
Multiple donors

CERF

Project proposals

6 months on

Consolidated
Appeals
Process (CAP)

What is CERF?
1.

Rapid response grants

(2/3 of the $450 million grant

facility) available within 24 hours

To Promote early action and response to reduce loss of life

To Enhance response to time-critical requirements
To Strengthen core elements of humanitarian response in underfunded crisis

29 grants were allocated Jan-Sept 2010 to support rapid response to

new crises

2.

Under-funded crises

(1/3 of grant facility)

if no other funding source immediately available, including agencies own

unearmarked agency funds and earmarked donor grants. 14 such grants
were given Jan-Sept 2010 to bolster existing under-funded humanitarian
operations

3.

Loans

($50 million)
funding committed but not yet paid; or commitment very likely

Spent within 3 months for life-saving needs (no op costs)

Launched in 2006, CERF is managed by OCHA, (but cant
access) and only UN and IOM (International Organisation on
Migration) are eligible to apply; NGOs cannot apply directly

CERF Decision-Making Process

CERF funding decisions begin at the country level
Project proposals are submitted and reviewed by the
cluster members for approach, consistency and to
ensure that identified needs are prioritised
Decisions are guided by criteria on what constitutes
life-saving interventions
HC or RC
Country Team

CERF
Secretariat

Approved or
rejected by
ERC

Consultations OCHA

Consultation with Government.

Prioritisation of Needs.
Assessment

Consultations Agency HQ

Life-saving criteria
Funding situation
Humanitarian
response strategy
Country capacity

Life-Saving

Maybe, depending
on context

Not LifeSaving

Primary
Healthcare

De-mining

Infrastructure
Reconstruction

Therapeutic
Feeding

Livestock
Vaccinations

IM systems

Emergency
WatSan

General Food
Distributions

Micro-Credit

Shelter/NFI

Surveillance
systems

Preparedness
Plans

Protection

Psycho-social

Vulnerability
assessments

Global Nutrition Cluster

UNICEF is the Global Nutrition Cluster Lead
Agency
Currently more than 30 agencies are part of the
Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC)
At global level, the GNC focuses on coordination,
capacity development, emergency preparedness,
assessment, monitoring, surveillance and response
triggers and supplies.
GNC supports country clusters through:
rolling out a capacity development strategy;
strengthening and expanding a global roster to improve
surge capacity (e.g., rapid response capacity);
improving the material resourcing of nutritional
emergencies through establishing supply requirements;
producing practical tools to improve the consistency
and quality of response efforts

Pillar III: The Cluster Approach Aims

To close gaps, increase predictability, and
strengthen response capacity,
coordination and accountability
Better linkages with Government/national
authorities
More strategic responses
Better prioritization of available resources

At the Global Level

Originally IASC designated lead
agencies for 9 clusters in key
response areas
Global Cluster Leads are accountable
to the ERC for:
o Strengthening system-wide preparedness and
technical capacity to respond
o Ensuring predictable leadership and
accountability in designated area of work
o Establishing broader partnership bases
o Setting standards and policy

Designated Gap Areas or Clusters and

Lead Agencies

Technical

Cross-cutting

Water, Sanitation &

Hygiene (WASH)

UNICEF

Nutrition

UNICEF

Health

WHO

Shelter

UNHCR (conflict)
IFRC (natural disasters)

Education

UNICEF/SC-UK

Agriculture

FAO

Camp Management

UNHCR (conflict)
IOM (natural disasters)

Protection

UNHCR

Early Recovery

UNDP

Common Services Logistics

Telecommunications

WFP
OCHA/WFP/UNICEF

Responsibilities of Cluster Leads at the

global level
Each Lead Agency works with partners to:
Set Standards and policies
- Documentation and dissemination of best
practices

Develop response capacity

- Stand-by rosters & surge capacity
- Emergency preparedness
- Provide support to organizations working in the field
- Material stockpiles

Provide Operational Support

Advocacy and resource mobilization

At the Country Level

Country-level IASC designates Lead Agencies
Each Cluster Lead facilitates a process that
ensures a well-coordinated and effective
humanitarian response
Provider of last resort
ensure adequate and appropriate response
subject to access, security and funding
Ensure agreed priority needs are met
fill critical gaps

Cluster Leads at the country level are accountable

to the HC/RC

When? of the Cluster Approach

Contingency Planning & Preparedness

Responses to major new emergencies

(sudden on-set)

Rolled-out in on-going/protracted
emergencies, e.g., Somalia

Where? of the Cluster Approach

Eventually to be used in all countries

with Humanitarian Coordinators

Partnership =

Working together is
- relationship between groups
an
urgent
life-and- mutual cooperation &
death
issue
responsibility
- for achievement of specified
goal
Humanitarian
Platform
Geneva,world
July 2007
;Global
Partnership
is essential
in todays

issues are too complex for any one organisation

Key tools available through the

GNC

Harmonised Training Package for Nutrition in Emergencies

Toolkit for Nutrition in Emergencies
Factsheet: WHO Growth Standards in Emergencies
Initial Rapid Assessment Tool (developed with Health & WASH
Clusters
Funded updating of NutVal Software (WFP)
Funded development of Guidelines for Selective Feeding: the
Management of Malnutrition in Emergencies
Promote use of Sphere Minimum Standards and co-funded the
revision of the Nutrition and Food Security Chapter
Support for MAM :

literature review (CDC);

development of decision tool (tree);
design of product sheet;
development of Guidance Note

Updating of Cluster Coordinators training package

Development of Handbook (in progress: targets practitioners
within the nutrition cluster and other clusters; addresses 13
functional areas for cluster coordination

Building a stronger, more predictable

humanitarian response system
Partnership underpins
all humanitarian action
Strengthened sectoral
coordination
Stronger and more
accountable leadership
Flexible, adequate and
timely funding
No longer reform, but
the way we do
business!

What does this mean for YOU?

Change attitudes and
way you work

genuine partnerships and

accountability!

Build on achievements
- ensure, deliver better

product
IMPACT on vulnerable
populations

Improve preparedness
and contingency planning
Better linkages to
recovery and
development
Improve support to
governments and local
capacity development

PARTNERSHIP
PARTNERSHIP
PARTNERSHIP

Any questions?