Iasc cluster approach evaluation, 2nd phase april 2010

Executive Summary
Introduction
Method
Background
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations

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68
Illustration 4
Contours of a “practice model”
WELL BEING 
OF THE 
AFFECTED
POPULATION
Collective  
responsibility of  
humanitarian actors
area zoomed in
Responsibility of  
donors (collective  
and individual)
Individual  
responsibility of  
humanitarian  
agencies
Presence, capacity  
and responsibility  
of development  
actors
Responsibility  
of the political  
actors
Responsibility  
of the affected  
state
Executive Summary
Introduction
Method
Background
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations

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69
Executive Summary
Introduction
Method
Background
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
EXTERNAL FACTORS
access to affected areas, access to funding (incl. for cross-cutting issues and development)
COORDINATION_(+)__PLATFORm'>INPUTS
provided by IASC, global clusters, OCHA, cluster lead organizations, 
cluster members
ACTIVITIES OF THE COORDINATION
(+)
 PLATFORm
Predictable 
leadership &  
preparedness
Guidance
Global  
cluster  
support
Staff time
Willingness 
to participate 
& share  
information
Identify and 
prioritize gaps 
and avoid 
duplications 
through 
coordinated 
needs 
assessments 
and information 
sharing
Avoid 
operational 
incoherencies; 
clarify, adapt 
and disseminate 
relevant 
standards and 
lessons learnt, 
strengthen peer 
accountability, 
promote cross-
cutting issues 
and engage in 
inter-sectoral 
coordination
Define exit 
strategies and 
preparedness 
plans
Link to 
development 
actors and 
governments 
and build local 
capacity 
Promote and 
use participatory 
approaches
Better 
geographic 
and thematic 
coverage 
& greater 
efficiency
Better technical 
response, 
including 
attention to 
cross-cutting 
issues and multi-
dimensional 
issues
Better 
preparedness, 
and 
connectedness 
to development
Stronger 
capacity of 
national actors
More 
accountability 
to affected 
population
Information 
management  
system
COORDINATION
(+)
 PLATFORm
Includes UN, INGOs, local NGOs, authorities 
Includes sectoral and inter-sectoral fora 
Respects Principles of Partnership and humanitarian principles 
Includes appropriate links to donors and funding mechanisms 
Links to / builds on / supports existing coordination fora 
Uses good facilitation techniques and tools and is action-oriented
EFFECTS
WELL BEING  
OF THE  
AFFECTED
POPULATION

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70
  8 Conclusions
127
  There has been much ado about the cluster approach since its formal introduction 
in 2005. Significant resources have been invested at the global, as well as country 
levels. Coordinator positions have been created and coordination experts have been 
trained at the global level. Important efforts have been made to clarify what the 
goals of the cluster approach are and how it is meant to function and to overcome 
many  humanitarian  organizations’  initially  intense  skepticism.  Clusters  have 
created guidelines, manuals, tools, strategies and work plans, as well as in some 
cases pre-positioned stockpiles. Staff members of UN agencies, NGOs and other 
organizations  have  invested  significant  amounts  of  their  time  in  meetings  and 
other  cluster-related  activities.  From  the  bottom-up,  OCHA  has  tried  to  define 
its role within the cluster approach and found many different ways of engaging 
with and supporting clusters. Evaluations have analyzed the cluster approach as a 
whole, the position of specific stakeholders towards it, as well as the operations of 
individual clusters.
128
  The critical question therefore is: Has it been worth it? The table below presents a 
summary of resources invested in the cluster approach, benefits and improvements 
the cluster approach has contributed to in the context of humanitarian reform, as 
well as current shortcomings of and challenges faced by the cluster approach. It 
is also important to note that the direct financial costs of coordination are borne 
by donors, whereas the costs resulting from the absence of coordination would be 
imposed on affected populations.
Executive Summary
Introduction
Method
Background
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations

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71
  Table 3
   Current costs, benefits, shortcomings and challenges related to the 
implementation of the cluster approach 
65
 
66
Costs of the cluster approach
·   Financial cost (over $ 57 million through global appeals; contributions from the core 
budgets of global cluster lead organizations; significant resources at country level; the 
sum amounting to less than 1% of total humanitarian aid)
65
·   Time invested by cluster coordinators and cluster members in participation, 
preparation, information sharing etc.
66
Functioning of the clusters
Current benefits and improvements
Current shortcomings and challenges
Stronger predictability and degree of 
leadership 
§ 22 ff
Variations in mainstreaming leadership 
role lead to inefficiencies in cluster 
coordination meetings, lack of focus and 
risk of bureaucratization 
§ 23 ff
Provision of global surge capacities, 
trainings, learning exercises and 
handbooks 
§ 31
Notice at country level of global support 
remains relatively low 
§ 29 ff
Coordination within clusters in most cases 
improved compared to earlier systems 
§ 44
Weak inter-cluster coordination is largely 
ineffective at organizing a response to 
multi-dimensional issues 
§ 36 ff
Interactions between clusters and 
financing mechanisms to date are mostly 
strongly positive 
§ 50ff
Coordination between the cluster 
approach and existing coordination 
mechanisms in country remains largely 
insufficient and sometimes leads to a 
multiplication of coordination mechanisms 
§ 44 ff
Clusters support CAPs and Flash Appeals 
and lead to improved planning processes 
§ 52
Negative examples highlight important 
risks when clusters and funding 
mechanisms are too closely intertwined 
§ 50 ff
65   The global appeals covered the period between April 2006 and March 2008. They focused on capacity 
building at the global level, especially the training of staff, the creation of stockpiles and the development 
of standards, guidelines, systems and tools. The global appeals amounted to an average of 0.74% of total 
humanitarian aid in 2006 and 2007. In-country, humanitarian actors in oPt, for example, received over $ 4.6 
million in 2009 for cluster coordination and clusters in DRC have included about $ 470,000 per cluster in the 
2010 appeal. In both cases, this corresponds to a little over 0.6% of humanitarian aid received by the country 
(source for financial data: Financial Tracking Service).
66   It is impossible to quantify the time spent on coordination with precision. Individuals regularly attending 
representing their organizations in one or more clusters typically stated that they spend around 25% of their 
time on coordination.
Executive Summary
Introduction
Method
Background
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Costs
Benefits and improvements 
vs.
shortcomings or challenges 
to date

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72
Direct results and activities
Current benefits and improvements
Current shortcomings and challenges
Stronger partnership between UN and 
INGOs and among INGOs 
§ 59
Risks to partnership arise where clusters 
take an active role in deciding about 
the allocation of resources and where 
clusters are too closely associated with 
peacekeeping forces or political actors 
involved in the conflict 
§ 59 ff
Designated space for information 
sharing and dissemination, which leads 
to an improved understanding of the 
humanitarian situation 
§ 70 ff
Information management and institutional 
memory remain a big problem 
§ 70 ff
Better sharing of the results of needs 
assessments 
§ 74 ff
Greater coherence in several important 
operational operational issue areas and 
increased adaption, development and 
dissemination of standards 
§ 80ff
Enhanced advocacy power of 
humanitarian actors 
§ 61
Enhanced capacity of the humanitarian 
system to learn through peer 
accountability, more technical and 
normative discussions at field level and by 
highlighting existing problems 
§ 64 ff, § 122 
Clusters do not use their potential to 
improve assessment methods