Coordination in the Humanitarian Sector

Humanitarian coordination has been a heavily discussed, analysed and criticised subject for over 25 years. Its very definition, the actors responsible, how it is delivered and ultimately how lessons are learnt for the next disaster response are all continuously subject to debate. Consequently such integral discussions go straight to the heart of the sector¿s ability to achieve effective coordination when it really matters. It is widely acknowledged that if the Haiti earthquake and Pakistan floods of 2010 had occurred simultaneously the outcomes would have been even more devastating than they already were. Coordination, amongst other things lies at the crux of this. This study examines a range of literature from the previous 25 years discussing key issues surrounding coordination and extracts the inherent weaknesses in the system. These results are then tested against three key informant interviewees¿ comments and the report concludes by identifying the repetitive nature of the barriers to coordination and what they are, and the need for a step change to enable the sector to prepare for the increasing complexity, scale and frequency of disasters in the future.