Topic One: The IASC and the global humanitarian coordination architecture: How can NGOs engage?
Topic Two: The humanitarian coordination architecture at country and regional levels
Topic Three: NGO fora and consortia – from local to global
Topic Four: OCHA and NGOs in humanitarian coordination
Topic Five: The New Way of Working: What is it? What does it mean for NGOs?
Topic Six: NGOs in government-led and refugee coordination contexts
At the end of this learning stream, NGO staff who have participated in all events will:
Target Audience
On 31 May 2017, ICVA and PHAP organised the first online session of humanitarian coordination learning stream. This session examined the current global humanitarian architecture, what is the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and how can NGOs engage in the various IASC coordination mechanisms. It also explored the current coordination structures, and the way for NGOs to engage in such structures, with a special focus on how the country-level and global-level mechanisms coordinate and feed into each other.
Participants were provided with an overview of IASC humanitarian coordination mechanisms at the country, regional, and global levels, followed by an opportunity for questions and answers.
Listen and watch this brief introduction video on topic one.
This webinar recording provides an overview of IASC humanitarian coordination mechanisms at the country, regional, and global levels.
Click on this briefing paper to access a summary of the content discussed throughout topic one.
Click on this document to read the webinar follow-up question and answers.
Read the interview with Kirk Prichard.
Curious to learn more on the overall IASC and the global humanitarian coordination architecture? Click this document to find out more information.
On 22 June 2017, ICVA and PHAP organised the second online session of the humanitarian coordination learning stream. The session explored the coordination mechanisms available at country level and the existing regional structures. This involved looking at the function of various country level humanitarian coordination structures and actors and highlighting the strengths and limitations of these structures.
Participants were provided with recommendations on how NGOs can better engage in these coordination mechanisms, and will also have an opportunity to ask questions.
Listen and watch this brief introduction video on topic two.
This webinar recording explored the coordination mechanisms available at the country level and some of the existing regional structures.
Click on the briefing paper to access a summary of the content discussed throughout topic two.
Follow up Q & A on topic two.
Humanitarian coordination expert interview.
On 20 July 2017, ICVA and PHAP organised the third session of the humanitarian coordination learning stream. This session emphasised the importance of understanding how the NGO fora and consortia function as well as how NGOs can engage in these structures. Participants were provided with examples of good practice of NGO-led fora and consortia, highlighting the challenges and opportunities to engage for both local and international NGOs. Guest experts explored their added value, and answered live questions from participants throughout the session.
Listen and watch this brief introduction video on topic three.
This webinar presents examples of good practices of NGO-led fora and consortia. It highlights the challenges and opportunities to engage for both local and international NGOs.
This briefing paper summarises discussions from the third session of the humanitarian coordination learning stream, which emphasised the importance of understanding how the NGO fora and consortia function and how NGOs can engage in these structures. The session provided examples of good practice of NGO-led fora and consortia, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for both local and international NGOs.
NGO fora expert interview.
Check out responses to the questions from participants.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) aims to achieve greater coherence, complementarity, and efficiency of humanitarian response by mobilizing and coordinating humanitarian actors through different coordination mechanisms. NGOs undertake a vital role in these various structures.
On 14 September 2017, ICVA and PHAP organised the fourth online session of the humanitarian coordination learning stream. This session focused on NGO challenges and opportunities to engage with OCHA in an effective and meaningful way. Participants were provided with an overview of OCHA’s main focus areas, highlighting the different NGO engagements with OCHA country offices in different regions, and exploring lessons already learnt by NGOs.
Listen and watch this brief introduction video on topic four.
This webinar recording highlights NGO challenges and opportunities to engage with OCHA in an effective and meaningful way.
Follow-up questions and answers.
A briefing paper on OCHA and NGO’s in humanitarian coordination.
In his report on the World Humanitarian Summit “One Humanity: Shared Responsibility”, the former UN Secretary-General proposed an Agenda for Humanity that would help to meet people’s immediate humanitarian needs – while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability. This “new way of working”, adopted by eight UN humanitarian and development entities aspires to: work towards collective outcomes across the humanitarian and development community; Wherever possible, those efforts should reinforce and strengthen the capacities that already exist at national and local levels; whilst ultimately working towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
On October 5 2017, ICVA and PHAP organised the fifth online session of the humanitarian coordination learning stream. This session focused on the New Way of Working, unpacking overall goals, what changes are needed across the sector, how these changes impact NGOs, and how can NGOs influence this process.
Listen and watch this brief introduction video on topic five.
This webinar recording is on humanitarian coordination focusing on the New Way of Working.
Follow-up questions and answers.
Expert interview with Fabrizio Hochschild
ICVA briefing paper on the “new way of working”
The humanitarian coordination learning stream has so far covered how NGOs engage and how NGO fora and consortia function in the international humanitarian coordination architecture at the global, regional and country levels.
The UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/46/182 of 1991 states that “in a natural disaster and other emergencies occurring on its territory… the affected State has the primary role in the initiation, organization, coordination, and implementation of humanitarian assistance within its territory.” The increasing capacity of many governments to lead humanitarian coordination efforts, coupled with the growing critique of relying on an internationally led approach to humanitarian coordination means that NGOs are engaging even more with governments to provide humanitarian assistance.
Moreover, in the light of the refugee crises that we are currently witnessing around the world, another coordination model has become increasingly important for humanitarian practitioners and NGO staff: the Refugee Coordination Model (RCM). It provides a framework for humanitarian response in the context of a refugee crisis and links with broader humanitarian coordination structures and the IASC cluster system.
On 9 November 2017, ICVA and PHAP organised the sixth and last online session of the humanitarian coordination learning stream. The event focused on how NGOs engage and interact with government-led coordination mechanisms and on NGOs role in the Refugee Coordination Model.
Learning Objectives:
Listen and watch this brief introduction video on topic six.
This webinar recording is on how NGOs engage and interact with government-led coordination mechanisms and on NGOs role in the Refugee Coordination Model.
Follow-up questions and answers.
Note on the Refugee Coordination Model
Briefing paper
ICVA is a global network of non-governmental organisations whose mission is to make humanitarian action more principled and effective by working collectively and independently to influence policy and practice.
International Council of Voluntary Agencies
NGO Humanitarian Hub,
La Voie-Creuse 16, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland
Email: secretariat@icvanetwork.org
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The ICVA is not responsible for the accuracy of the translation.
