Coordinating Collaborative Supply Chain Efforts: A Focus on Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh

Abstract

Much has been discussed about the importance of collaborative efforts among humanitarian organizations. However, collaborative efforts can fall short without effective coordination (i.e., alignment and direction). We focus on explaining the effects of coordination in refugee camp operations, a particularly complex and multi-layered humanitarian effort. We collect and analyze interviews from eight professionals from seven international humanitarian organizations involved in managing the 34 camps operating in Southern Bangladesh, housing over one million Rohingya refugees. We find that responsibility for coordination of collaborative efforts is contingent on the scope and level of effort taking place. At the dyadic project level, collaboration is often managed by the NGO with better knowledge or resources. At the network level, collaboration among a broad set of NGOs is often facilitated by a major NGO. At the system level, (i.e., a network of networks) coordination is handled through the host government (local or national). Results confirm and extend past studies on coordination in humanitarian supply chains.