Iasc cluster approach evaluation, 2nd phase april 2010

Executive Summary
Introduction
Method
Background
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Clusters can undermine 
ownership

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61
felt that the cluster approach facilitated the involvement of governments.
108
  This problem was recognized relatively early on
58
 and some efforts have been made 
to  improve  the  situation.  Thus,  for  example,  the  global  Inter-Agency  Standing 
Committee is currently (spring 2010) finalizing operational guidance for cluster 
leads on working with national authorities. To date, however, these efforts have 
had  limited  success.  Governments/authorities,  for  example  in  the  oPt,  are  still 
infrequently  consulted  or  involved  in  decisions  to  implement  clusters.  At  the 
WASH Cluster in Haiti, meetings were organized at the same time as relevant 
national  meetings,  making  participation  impossible.  Even  where  clusters  are 
systematically trying to implement co-chair arrangements with government or local 
authority officials, these attempts have rarely resulted in the active participation 
of authorities. Their engagement often remains formalistic and their commitment 
low  due  to  a  lack  of  capacity  and  political  will,  at  times  undermining  cluster 
meetings. In part, this is because in most case study countries except Myanmar, 
clusters either lack exit strategies or develop them too late and therefore neglect 
the importance of government involvement. 
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  Positive examples regarding the involvement of government authorities in clusters 
in an appropriate manner include: 
 
•   
An  increasing  number  of  clusters  work  closely  with  relevant  authorities  to 
develop or endorse standards (cf. section 5.5).
 
•   
Several clusters have developed close working relationship with their government 
counterparts,  such  as  the  ministries  for  education,  health,  or  women.  This 
includes  for  example  the  Protection  Cluster  and  its  Sub-Clusters  in  Uganda, 
the Education Cluster in Chad and the oPt, the Health Cluster in Haiti, DRC, 
Myanmar, Uganda and Chad, the WASH Cluster in Chad and the oPt and the 
Nutrition Cluster in DRC.
 
•   
In  Myanmar,  clusters  have  created  an  entry  point  for  discussing  sensitive 
protection issues with the government. 
 
•   
In  Myanmar,  clusters  have  strengthened  regional  and  national  response 
capacities, due to the involvement of the regional body ASEAN.
58   Phase 1 of the cluster approach evaluation, for example, found that the involvement of national NGOs and 
CBOs were among the “most disappointing findings regarding the cluster approach” (p. 16) and that efforts 
to build national capacity and involve governments in contingency planning “remain limited” (p. 21).