Collective Responsibility: The Perceptions, Expectations and Realities of NGO Coordination in Humanitarian Leadership

NGOs are widely recognized as key actors in an effective, efficient and accountable emergency
response because they are frontline implementers for the majority of humanitarian operations. As
such, the appropriate engagement of NGOs within humanitarian leadership is a critical component
for success. Despite numerous evaluations of the cluster approach noting the value of NGO
engagement, there is lack of qualitative data on the NGO role within humanitarian leadership
structures. This research attempts to fill that gap.
Through this study, InterAction examined the perceived and expected value of NGO engagement on
and contributions to Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs). Additionally, the research explored how
NGOs leverage and lend their experience to the HCTs to improve the efficiency of humanitarian
action. InterAction plans a second phase of research to examine other aspects of the architecture,
notably clusters.
The report also includes findings on challenges faced by all HCT members –for example, the extent
to which a staff member of an independent operational organization can represent his/her peers.
The recommendations within this report aim to strengthen a common understanding of the role that
NGOs can fulfill on HCTs, as well as to reiterate expectations of the HCTs themselves.