Systems thinking in humanitarian response : visualization and analysis of the inter-agency standing committee's architectures for "The Cluster Approach"

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to examine the "The Cluster Approach" -- the humanitarian response coordination strategy adopted by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) following the 2005 'Humanitarian Response Review' -- through the lens of systems thinking and develop potential system architecture representations to explore how the coordination mechanism can enhance complementarity, partnerships, and collaboration among humanitarian actors. The qualitative analysis of "The Cluster Approach" through system architecture principles strongly suggests, that indeed, the framework -- as currently envisioned by the IASC and the humanitarian community -- can be described and illustrated as a structured and architected system. In addition, the analysis demonstrates that the system architecture visualization can help (1) validate the existing framework and (2) design new variants to improve and strengthen the formal and functional relationships while leveraging the underlying organizational platform of the IASC's constituent membership. The analysis also suggests that visualizing the elements of the system as well as the interrelationships among response organizations, actors, and the transactions between these through system architecture principles -- reasoned and guided by holistic thinking -- can be useful and consequential to manage complexity and reduce ambiguity of the IASC's humanitarian system. Finally, extensions of this research to (1) design critical coordination priorities, (2) incorporate more architectural flexibility to manage exceptions, and (3) improve situational awareness of actors to adjust behaviors can hopefully lead to more effective and socially meaningful humanitarian response efforts.