Coordination techniques

The preceding section described WHAT the coordination activities are. This section discusses HOW to achieve them. Useful techniques are listed below and then described in more detail:

facilitation skills

consensus building

preparation of memoranda of understanding

identification of each organization's comparative strengths and mandates in order to establish a division of labor

maintenance of a "communications loop"

decision making in plenary meetings

appropriate inclusion of partners in the process

timely action, especially during the emergency phase

follow-up and fellow-through on coordination decisions

provision of personnel incentives to coordination

management of the news media

Facilitation skills

The essence of coordination is working together. Later in this section barriers to coordination are identified which inhibit individuals and organizations from working together. The leadership of a coordination body as well as all other participants will benefit from the application of specialized facilitation skills in such activities as negotiation, conflict management, participatory team planning, effective presentations, meeting management and process monitoring and evaluation. Many of the following techniques are also a part of this range of skills.

Consensus-building

Achieving consensus among organizations on policy, program, and resource issues is crucial to coordination. Organizations must meet, discuss and negotiate mutually acceptable agreements for each operation concerning:

· geographical areas of operation (which may evolve over time)
· individual services or contribution to a joint programme of services
· population or set of clients each will work with according to their mandate or expertise
· standards of assistance and methods of delivery

Part of the process of creating a consensus is participatory decision making. Participating organizations will be most committed to those decisions, plans and programs in which they have had a voice and which meet their own interests.

Often only the most basic and generally acceptable principles are agreed to, with the result that coordination in substantive terms has often not been achieved.

Creating consensus may be especially difficult, however. "When the number of humanitarian actors is great and highly diverse, and the more complex the emergency, consensus is usually reduced to the lowest common denominators."⁴ That is to say that often only the most basic and generally acceptable principles are agreed to, with the result that coordination in substantive terms has often not been achieved.

Q. As a facilitator, what would be your meeting-management technique when you find there are several medical relief agencies competing to work in the same community?

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ANSWER A possible answer would include a range of activities such as: 1. break down the medical tasks into their components to see if the comparative advantage of each organization correlates with those tasks and then make work plans accordingly; 2. you might suggest the agencies with the least experience and knowledge in this particular community move to a different community; 3. see if some agencies would merge their operations

Memoranda of understanding

An agreement to implement the results of the consensus, which may include the preparedness plan and plan of operation, should be part of the memoranda of understanding among the organizations. These memoranda can mitigate potential inter-agency conflict by clarifying objectives, expectations, roles, policies, responsibilities and commitments, and will provide a record for those who are not party to the initial agreements.

In agreeing to a memorandum of understanding, the process is as important as the product.

In agreeing to a memorandum of understanding, the process is as important as the product. During the process, organizations develop relationships and become more knowledgeable about each other. When the document is finished and signed, it can serve as a point of reference for solving disputes and orienting participating member staff in case of turnover. Memoranda of understanding may need to be reviewed and/or updated periodically when the players and/or the context change.

Prototype memoranda of understanding, which can be adapted to new situations, should be developed to avoid having to identify and negotiate details during an emergency - when organizations' efforts should be focused on life-saving measures. Examples of prototype memoranda exist between UNHCR and WFP regarding provision of food aid as a function of the size of the emergency population.

Q. How would you describe a model process for writing a Memorandum of Understanding for two agencies working in a complex emergency?

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Identification of each organization's mandate and comparative strength in order to establish a division of labor

The comparative advantage of an organization depends not only on their mandate, but also on actual expertise, capacities and resources on the ground.

Coordination is more effective when it establishes a division of labor among organizations based on the mandate and comparative strength of each organization in meeting the needs of the emergency. The comparative advantage of an organization depends not only on their mandate, but also on actual expertise, capacities and resources on the ground.

An inter-organizational needs and resources assessment is essential to identify the resources, capacities and comparative advantages of the organizations involved in an emergency. For example, a small NGO may lack staff, funding and status, but may be the only agency with experience in a certain region or with a certain population.

Q. What would you do as a facilitator if an agency in the coordination body had a mandate that significantly over-reached its operational capacity?

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ANSWERS Possible answer. As always, the most important issue is: will the affected population receive the support it needs. If the agency is not able to deliver the "promise" of its mandate, you must guide the agency into options that either increase its capability or limit its scope of operations.

Maintaining the "communications loop"

All organizations in a coordination body need to take responsibility for staying in touch with the body and for sharing pertinent information in a timely manner. A facilitative role in supporting good communication may be through pro-active requests for information and its dissemination to others who need to know. The mechanisms for sharing information need to be adequate to quickly disseminate critical information that becomes available between regular meetings.

Q. What are some practical techniques to encourage organizations to stay in touch during emergency operations?

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ANSWERS Possible answer. The coordination body could send daily/weekly e-mail or fax updates where there is e-mail or fax capability. Sub-working groups could meet between regular meetings. The coordination body could maintain a facility where agency staff can meet informally or socially.

Decision making in plenary meetings

Inevitably, difficult and potentially divisive issues arise in a crisis. When it is obvious that a "floor fight" may occur at a coordination meeting between particular parties, those responsible for the differences of opinion may need to resolve these differences away from (and in preparation for) the plenary forum. Otherwise a divisive spirit between a few organizations may spread and lead to a breakdown of the whole coordination effort.

Appropriate inclusion of partners in the process

Appropriate membership in the coordination body is vital to its success. Small organizations with little resources to offer, or organizations whose mandate and policies are at odds with the coordination body's objectives, may impede successful coordination.

Q. Do you agree with this recommendation, or would you include all legitimate organizations that want to participate in the coordination body? Why?

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Timely action, especially during the emergency phase

Coordination should not be the cause or the excuse for delays in responding to an emergency. To avoid delays, participating organizations need to agree to arrangements established before the emergency. Their preparedness planning needs to include putting in place stocks, staff, and other resources that are ready-to-go in order to plug into an operation as it begins.

Follow-up and follow-through on coordination decisions

The coordination body needs to have adequate staff and commitment to follow-up and to follow-through on decisions taken by the body. Coordination will flounder and dissipate without determined follow-up, weakening the response.

Q. What does this mean in practice? Give an example.

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ANSWER Possible answer. Distribution of minutes of meetings within a day or two of the meeting. Identify plans of action for each decision taken along with the party responsible for its implementation, then monitor the plans of action to ensure actions occur on the agreed time line.

Provision of personnel incentives to coordination

As noted earlier, organizations must value coordination as a prerequisite to participating in a coordination effort. This value must permeate the organizations' personnel policies as well. Successful participation in coordination by staff must result in rewards in the personnel system, not penalties.

Q. How would you describe a personnel policy that would reward coordination?

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ANSWER Some policies could include: write in coordination activities in job descriptions, include success at coordination in staff performance evaluations, place the topic of coordination on the agenda for staff meetings, identify objective criteria for staff engaging in coordination.

Management of the news media

Who speaks for the operation?

The issue of media management in the context of coordination for a complex emergency is that of "who speaks for the operation?" Organizations may tend to compete for media coverage. However, the media needs access to a coherent message. Therefore, when the media is looking for information about an emergency, the coordination body should have an agreement on who will be the official spokesperson. There must be an understanding on the ground rules for each organization's engagement with the media. Coordination will obviously be enhanced when a spirit of collaboration, and not competition, is communicated to the media. This requires agreements among all agencies on how to portray themselves and their activities in relation to the overall operation.

The following are recommendations for managing the media on behalf of a coordinating body:

1. Organizations' staff shall include information professionals responsible for providing the media with timely and accurate information.

2. Organizations' personnel should not comment on or make political judgments on issues which do not fall within their area of responsibility. Policy issues or topics of a sensitive nature should be referred to a senior officer. Senior officers should provide guidance to field personnel on any issue which is sensitive due to its political nature.

3. The personnel of the organizations in the coordinating body should understand that in times of crisis or conflict the media are the natural allies of humanitarian principles, sharing an interest in the plight of the victims. Through the media, the humanitarian assistance organizations can bring to the world's attention the scope of the emergency, explain the obstacles faced by their personnel, and encourage donor generosity.

4. Every effort should be made to provide logistic support to the media, who, like humanitarian assistance staff, are often trying to carry out their missions under difficult or dangerous circumstances.

Sources: Colin Scott, Larry Minear, and Thomas G. Weiss, 1996, The New Media, Civil War, and Humanitarian Action, Boulder, Lynne Riener Publications.