A Basic NGO Coordination Guide

Welcome to a basic Guide on NGO coordination. This Guide is not meant to be a definitive “how
to” manual, but it focuses on issues and areas to consider when undertaking NGO coordination and
when setting up an NGO coordination body. It is an entry point into the world of NGO coordination
– an area of humanitarian response that is vast in practice, but that is also quite limited in terms of
documentation and available resources. The Guide is a contribution towards improving NGO
coordination so that the wheel does not have to be reinvented by those embarking upon such
coordination – whether they be local, national, or international NGOs.
NGO coordination is not an end in itself: it should be a means to an end, such as improving
humanitarian response in some way. NGO coordination generally complements existing
coordination mechanisms and should not seek to compete with them. It is meant to improve the
quality of the work of NGOs, not a way to “tell” NGOs what to do. NGO coordination generally
takes place because of a perceived need and often fills a gap that other coordination efforts do not
address.