Working with Governments

1. Working with Governments Philippines • History • Super Typhoons hit Philippines mid November 2006 • Cluster approach adopted on 27 December 2006 • Government welcomes approach • NGOs not consulted on approach • Confusion in UNCT over how many clusters to adopt. • Government formally announced that clusters are to be used as the basis of all coordination and contingency planning. • Analysis • Government response and coordination mechanisms were already in place. • No major opposition from government on establishment of clusters, although some line ministries were skeptical of parallel structure to their own • We were weak in engaging the NGOs in the consultation process, which delayed their engagement. • Number of clusters needed was small (max 4-6), an agencies assumed they had to adopt 11 clusters. • Deployment of OCHA in the field as well as capital could have improved deep-field cluster coordination, as some sectors remained different from capital sectors. • Messages that worked with the Government Best Practice / Lessons Learned • Government co-lead cluster meetings • Oxfam deputy lead for WASH • 6 week deployment of an Inter-Cluster Coordinator boosted confidence in the clusters • There is a need to ensure that guidance is properly disseminated, and that all OCHA staff are fully versed on latest policy developments. Tips and ResourcesIASC Cluster/Sector Leadership Training • The cluster approach will help coordinate most of the international response • Clusters can also support contingency planning for future disasters Inter-cluster Coordinator, Philippines.

2. More Tips and Good PracticeLeadership in clusters • Collaborative leadership • Collaborative leaders create an enabling environment for participation, problem-solving and decision-makingwhereby cluster participants share responsibility and feel ownership for collective outcomes. A collaborative leader focuses on, and will draw cluster members’ attention to those concerns, interests, activities and/or desired outcomes that they share and which can’t be addressed effectively, nor satisfactorily, through independent action. To promote collaboration, cluster/sector leads will need to: • adopt a collaborative mindset; committing himself/herself to a collaborative process • be inclusive and communicate openly with all key humanitarian actors • early on, establish a practical way for the group to arrive at solutions and decisions • facilitate the group process, but refrain from directing others • create different ways and levels for cluster participants to be involved • facilitate networking, info sharing and relationship-building among cluster members • build & communcate a group identity, joint purpose or vision of what’s possible together • ensure clusters provide added-valued support and services to cluster participants • maintain your neutrality and encourage mutual accountability by focusing on problem solving, airing of differences and learning from experiences rather than on a destructive practice of “fault finding”, “criticising” and “blaming” each other for underperformance • use consensus management for joint strategy, decision-making, problem-solving, etc. • Consensus building and consensus management • Consensus building in clusters requires that cluster participants share information, air and discuss differences, and work together to analyse problems and find mutually acceptable solutions. After a decision has been reached, all cluster participants should feel that their viewpoint was heard and understood, and that they heard and understood the viewpoints of others in the group. They will support it because it was arrived at in an open and fair way. Yet reaching such a consensus is admittedly difficult, if not impossible, in “standing-room only” cluster meetings attended by representatives of thirty, forty or more agencies. In such large unwieldy groups, proven methods do exist to manage consensus, such as forming a “Strategic Action Group (SAG) consisting of a representative sample of all stakeholder groups, established by the Coordinator through a managed self-selection process.”3 For more on “Strategic Action Groups” please refer to the session information sheet prepared on “Facilitation and Consensus Building”. • Use active listening, facilitation and negotiation skills • Ask open-ended and probing questions to draw people out. In meetings, re-state major points and summarise differing perspectives – and note any areas of agreement. Listen for common ground to identify and build on areas of agreement. Summarize: organize, integrate key points of dialogue. Listen and uncover interests, rather than on positions. Encourage brainstorming and explore various options or potential solutions – separate idea generation from idea evaluation. Arrange for translators to facilitate communication with local NGOs. • Employ good meeting management and facilitation skills. For more on these skills, refer to the session information sheet on “ Coordination Meetings.” • Key reference material • “Role of the Facilitator” and “Techniques for Honouring All Points of View” handouts from the Emergency Field Coordination Training course, available electronically on the CSLT course CD. Tips and ResourcesIASC Cluster/Sector Leadership Training CSLT update 10-Aug-07 Page 2 3 The concept of SAGs is presented in “Information & Coordination Management Applications for Clustres: lessons from Indonesia and Pakistan” by James Shepherd-Barron and Neil Bauman of B3 Associates dated 31 January 2007.

3. More Tips and Good PracticeLeadership in clusters • Relational, teambuilding and facilitative roles of cluster/sector coordinators • As a cluster lead/sector coordinator in the field, you play an important relational, teambuilding and facilitative role that can help transform an ad hoc group of cluster participants, each with their own agendas, into a high performing collaborative work team focused on collective goals and outcomes. The following are tips for playing each of these roles: • Relational / teambuilding role • Through word, behavior or deed, create a positive work environment that promotes teambuilding, team spirit, trust, professionalism, learning, integrity. • Care for the team. Demonstrate and practice healthy work habits and stress management (to sustain team member energy, motivation and enthusiasm over long periods of time). • Influence, encourage and motivate team members as needed • Gain team commitment and ownership of the team’s strategy, priorities and work plan • Facilitate / mediate team disputes, or delegate this responsibility to others better apt to deal with them, when these disputes are hindering the operation or undermining the performance of the team. • Empower others to take leadership. • Involve others in the decisions which affect them, as time and process permits. • Model active listening and open communication • Behave and act in ways that build trust (see “Building Trust” tool) • Lead the team in assessing how it is doing. Establish a work climate which encourages continuous learning and corrective performance improvement based on spontaneous and planned peer feedback, team reviews and problem solving (rather than a system of accountability based on sanctions, punishment or assigning blame). At appropriate times, invite feedback on your own performance sector lead/cluster coordinator. • Facilitative role • Conduct efficient and inclusive meetings. • Help the group decide on a structure and process for the meeting –support ground rules • Regulate the flow of discussion - drawing out quiet people and limiting “talkers” • Clarify and summarise points, test for consensus and formalise decisions • Help the group in dealing with conflicts. • Suggests and clarifies the process steps and objective • Synthesizes / summarizes ideas, discussions and agreements • Remains content neutral – does not make decision on behalf of the group. • Ensures balanced participation, encourages less vocal group members and “controls” interventions by the most vocal • 85/15 rule: Facilitator speaks 15% of the time - group speaks 85% of time • Asks someone else to be note-taker, so you can focus on group process and dynamic • Reminds group members to have one conversation at-a-time and to listen to the speaker • If group is “stuck”, or in “conflict”, facilitator acknowledges it and either poses question or suggests process to get unstuck • When you are not neutral on an issue, or are party to a conflict in the group, invite another cluster participant to facilitate Tips and ResourcesIASC Cluster/Sector Leadership Training CSLT update 10-Aug-07 Page 3 CSLT 2-6 July 07

4. More Tips and Good PracticeLeadership in clusters Getting “stuck” groups “unstuck” Invariably the cluster group will become “stuck” at some point in its work. A “stuck” group is one that feels unequal to the task, is mired in conflict and disagreement, is exhausted, or is just plain unsure of how to move forward. An “unstuck” group is one where group member communicate openly, ideas flow, action is taken, team members work and coordinate to achieve a common purpose or goal. As cluster lead/sector coordinator you are in a prime position to help the group become unstuck. Things that you can do to help get the team unstuck include: • Use a relational and facilitative leadership style in your dealings with the group. This in itself can prevent some of the dynamics and situations which lead to groups getting stuck in the first place • Make the group responsible for its own success by inviting the group to assess itself. Do this casually at the end of a meeting (How are we doing? How can we improve?) or use a simple survey such as the following: Tips and ResourcesIASC Cluster/Sector Leadership Training • Facilitate conflict management process in the group (see below) • Ask the group for help and ideas on how to get unstuck – facilitate this discussion • Practice smarter meeting management (see handout) • Meet with participants one-on-one. Ask for feedback. Give Feedback • Facilitate conflict management process in groups • Remain calm and respectful – avoid demonising any difficult members. • Focus on the problem – not the personalities. Be specific about what you are resolving • Begin negotiating with the points of agreement • Explore underlying interests and common concerns & goals. • Model active listening skills • Make choices available. Involve cluster participants in generating choices. • Avoid premature voting, or giving in too easily when stakes are high. • Break larger groups into smaller groups. • Take breaks to defuse tensions and use them as opportunities to caucus individually • Build relationship with key stakeholders outside of meetings • Lobby and work out agreements with key stakeholders prior to meetings • Trust the process to yield a solution • Caucus with individual stakeholders outside of the group processes and meetings • Resolve disagreements outside of meetings. CSLT update 10-Aug-07 Page 2