The Cluster Approach: Another Incident Response System
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Disclaimer: I wrote this paper 5 years ago. Introduction In 2005, inspired by issues with recent humanitarian responses, the United Nations commissioned an independent assessment of the global humanitarian response system. The information produced by this assessment, the Humanitarian Response Review (HRR), was used to guide and support reform of the humanitarian system. The central intent of this reform was to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of humanitarian response across the globe in part by increasing predictability and accountability, and strengthening relationships between government, non-government (NGO), and international organizations (Streets, et al., 2010; Inter-Agency Standing Committee, 2006). A component of this reform was the introduction of the cluster approach as a system of coordinating humanitarian responses. In alignment with the overall intent of the reform, the adoption and introduction of the cluster approach by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) in 2005 was intended to strengthen humanitarian responses through increasing capacity, providing predictable leadership, building partnerships, increasing accountability, and closing other gaps identified by the HRR (Inter-Agency Standing Committee, 2006). Since the introduction of the cluster approach, it has continuously evolved in response to unique conditions posed by incidents and the needs of humanitarian actors (Streets, et al., 2010). Throughout this period, considerable strengths and shortcomings of this approach have been identified, though it has been asserted the true potential of the cluster approach has yet to be realized (Binder & Grunewald, 2010).
The Cluster Approach: Another Incident Response System
…
The Cluster Approach: Another Incident Response System
Disclaimer: I wrote this paper 5 years ago. Introduction In 2005, inspired by issues with recent humanitarian responses, the United Nations commissioned an independent assessment of the global humanitarian response system. The information produced by this assessment, the Humanitarian Response Review (HRR), was used to guide and support reform of the humanitarian system. The central intent of this reform was to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of humanitarian response across the globe in part by increasing predictability and accountability, and strengthening relationships between government, non-government (NGO), and international organizations (Streets, et al., 2010; Inter-Agency Standing Committee, 2006). A component of this reform was the introduction of the cluster approach as a system of coordinating humanitarian responses. In alignment with the overall intent of the reform, the adoption and introduction of the cluster approach by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) in 2005 was intended to strengthen humanitarian responses through increasing capacity, providing predictable leadership, building partnerships, increasing accountability, and closing other gaps identified by the HRR (Inter-Agency Standing Committee, 2006). Since the introduction of the cluster approach, it has continuously evolved in response to unique conditions posed by incidents and the needs of humanitarian actors (Streets, et al., 2010). Throughout this period, considerable strengths and shortcomings of this approach have been identified, though it has been asserted the true potential of the cluster approach has yet to be realized (Binder & Grunewald, 2010).