Case study 7: Coordination challenges and joint responses in crisis contexts
Coordinating support for Ukraine and Lebanon
Core issue
Limited coordination between donors and implementing partners can lead to duplication, inefficiencies, and increased administrative burden, particularly in crisis contexts where rapid support is required.
Context
In crisis and post-crisis environments, media support often involves a large number of donors, implementing organisations, and local partners operating simultaneously.
While this can mobilise significant resources, it also creates risks of fragmentation, including:
overlapping or duplicative interventions
gaps in coverage and support
increased administrative and reporting burdens for media organisations
Coordination mechanisms are often introduced to address these challenges, but their effectiveness varies depending on design, participation, and incentives.
What happened
This case illustrates both the potential and limitations of coordination mechanisms in crisis contexts.
In Ukraine, donor coordination structures established following the 2014 Euromaidan events, and further developed in response to the 2022 full-scale invasion, have aimed to align funding priorities, share information, and reduce duplication.
These mechanisms have included:
shared mapping of projects and funding streams
regular information-sharing meetings
collaboration between donors, implementing organisations, and local actors
In Lebanon, following the 2020 Beirut port explosion, media support organisations and donors established a joint coordination mechanism and a Media Recovery Fund to align funding and respond to urgent needs.
These approaches have enabled:
joint fundraising and resource mobilisation
coordinated allocation of support across multiple priority areas
stronger alignment with local needs through collaboration with national actors
However, across both contexts, consultations and sector analysis highlight persistent challenges:
coordination often remains focused on information sharing rather than joint strategy
donor participation can be limited or inconsistent
competition for funding can reduce incentives to share information
coordination mechanisms can add to administrative burden if not streamlined
Why this matters
This case illustrates that coordination is widely recognised as essential but is difficult to sustain and operationalise effectively.
Consultations and sector evidence highlight that:
without coordination, duplication and inefficiencies increase
poorly designed coordination mechanisms may have limited impact beyond information exchange
sustained coordination requires incentives, resources, and clear leadership
In crisis contexts, these challenges are amplified by urgency, scale, and rapidly changing needs.
Implications for practice
Move beyond information sharing to support joint planning and strategic alignment
Ensure coordination mechanisms are adequately resourced and sustained over time
Align donor incentives to encourage collaboration rather than competition
Reduce administrative burden by streamlining reporting and funding processes
Prioritise local actor participation and leadership in coordination efforts
Most relevant for
Senior management and strategy leads: Defining coordination priorities and aligning funding approaches across actors
Heads of Mission / Ambassadors: Supporting coordination at country level and engaging with other donors and stakeholders
Programme and project managers: Aligning programmes with existing initiatives and reducing duplication
Policy officers / thematic specialists: Ensuring coherence between interventions and supporting system-level approaches
Linked principles
Principle 5 – Improve coordination of support
Principle 3 – Take a whole-of-system approach
Evidence base
Consultation inputs highlighting coordination challenges and practices in crisis and transition contexts
Evidence from coordination mechanisms in Ukraine and Lebanon and GFMD research and analysis on coordination of media assistance
Coordinating Media Assistance and Journalism Support Efforts - Ukraine and Lebanon
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