Coordination

The systematic utilisation of policy instruments to deliver humanitarian assistance in a

cohesive and effective manner. Such instruments include: strategic planning; gathering

data and managing information; mobilising resources and assuring accountability;

orchestrating a functional division of labour in the field; negotiating and maintaining a

serviceable framework with host political authorities; and providing leadership. Sensibly

and sensitively employed, such instruments inject an element of discipline without

unduly constraining action (Larry Minear, Study on the First Gulf Crisis, 1992).

Coordination can be by command, in which strong leadership is accompanied by some

sort of authority; by consensus, in which leadership is essentially a function of the

capacity to orchestrate a coherent response and to mobilise the key actors around

common objectives and priorities; and by default, in the absence of a formal

coordination entity involves only the most rudimentary exchange of information and

division of labour among the actors (Antonio Donini, UN coordination in Afghanistan,

Mozambique & Rwanda, 1996) There can be three levels of coordination: among

organisations, among functions, and within programmes. Observed that money is

important for coordination to be effective, and that in fact governments have the

obligation to establish and maintain frameworks for coordination. Also observed that in

practice, coordination is effective when structures are agreed first, reinforced by

dynamic leadership (Marc Somers; EFCT course material on the mechanics of

coordination, 2000).