8 Things You Should Know About Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs)
By Albert Phillip-Burger
Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs) play a crucial role in coordinating international humanitarian responses. Whether you’re new to the humanitarian system or an experienced NGO leader, understanding how HCTs work can help you engage effectively.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. A quick recap on the HCT
The HCT is the most senior inter-agency leadership body in a country’s humanitarian response. It brings together UN agencies, NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, and sometimes donors, under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) (who is often “double-hatted” as the Resident Coordinator (RC) too).
The HCT’s collective goal? A timely, principled, and effective humanitarian response that alleviates suffering and puts protection at its centre.
2. Decision-making is their core function
While sharing information and coordination are important, HCTs are decision-making bodies. HCTs should have regularly reviewed action plans, clear responsibilities, and mutual accountability. NGOs should remind the HC and fellow members that decisions—not endless PowerPoints and papers—are what drive impact. Regular two-way feedback between NGOs members and HCs is essential to maintain accountability and influence. We know feedback is hard to give well and even harder to receive, but without candid conversations about expectations versus performance, it’s likely that challenges and resentments will build.
3. NGO representation is critical—and collective
NGOs at HCTs represent the wider humanitarian NGO community, not just their own organisations. This collective voice ensures the interests of national and international NGOs are reflected.
4. Collective outcomes require collective commitment
HCT members contribute as part of a collective, not just as individual organisations. While discussions may focus on sectors or areas outside one’s direct mandate or operational areas, members are expected to engage constructively for the broader response.
Furthermore, collective decisions made at HCT only matter if they lead to action. This means ensuring internal coordination with NGO Forum members ahead of HCT meetings and being transparent with HCT members when decisions require further consultation.
5. Size matters
For the HCT to be effective, it needs to remain manageable in size—ideally around 20 members. This fosters trust and strategic dialogue. NGO representatives should be senior leaders (Country Directors) and selected through transparent, agreed processes.
6. Localisation should be front and centre
National NGOs are vital members of the HCT. International NGOs are encouraged to make space for local actors, aligning with commitments to localisation. Ensuring meaningful participation, not just presence, is part of this shift. Going back to the representation point – it is critical that national NGOs also represent collective interests.
7. Donors at the table? It depends.
Whether donors participate in HCT meetings is up to the HC. NGOs often welcome donor presence for transparency and advocacy but should also weigh the impact on open discussion. Some HCTs adopt hybrid approaches, like separate donor-inclusive meetings (HCT+).
8. Key HCT deliverables
The impact of a HCT depends on its ability to turn decisions into action. This includes an annual HCT Compact and performance review, focusing on protection, accountability to affected populations (AAP), prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), and addressing gender-based violence (GBV). NGOs should advocate for these processes if they are overlooked.
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Want to know more? Explore our resources!
ICVA have put together comments on the standard HCT Terms of Reference to help NGO representatives engage more effectively and ensure NGOs have a strong, unified voice in humanitarian coordination.
You can access the webpage with quick links here: https://www.icvanetwork.org/humanitarian-country-team/.
If you want to know more about how coordination structures work at country level, you can also access our guide to “Understanding and Influencing the IASC system at country level” or contact the team at coordination@icvanetwork.org
Here you can find a list of relevant resources:
This paper is a practical guide for NGO Country Directors on how to effectively engage with Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs)—the top inter-agency leadership body coordinating humanitarian response in a country. Drawing on ICVA’s experience across more than 30 countries, the paper explains the HCT’s roles and responsibilities, highlights key requirements for NGO participation, and offers commentary on standard HCT Terms of Reference.
You can access this paper by clicking here.
This report provides an overview of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) coordination system at the country level, focusing on how NGOs can engage effectively. Coordination is essential in humanitarian responses to avoid duplication, fill gaps, and improve overall efficiency and accountability. The IASC system, while led by the UN, is intended to be inclusive of NGOs and structured around three core mechanisms: the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG), and clusters.
You can access this paper by clicking here.
This report explores how NGOs and civil society are adapting coordination models in response to growing challenges in conflict- and climate-affected contexts. Drawing on case studies from Syria, Nigeria, Sudan, and Myanmar, it highlights lessons from locally led and non-traditional approaches to aid delivery where traditional systems face constraints.
Key recommendations focus on context-driven coordination, agile response, people-centred access, and smarter financing to strengthen principled humanitarian action.
You can access this paper by clicking here.
This paper provides an overview of the dynamics within Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs), drawing on insights from over 30 NGO Forum Coordinators working in various humanitarian and nexus settings. The findings reveal significant gaps in areas such as trust, healthy conflict, and commitment within these teams. Addressing these issues could greatly enhance the effectiveness and outcomes of humanitarian responses for affected populations.
You can access this paper by clicking here.
