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This document forms part of the 4th edition of the UNHCR Emergency Handbook and was generated from the digital
Emergency Handbook system.

Camp coordination, camp management (CCCM)

Key points
Clarify to partners (including national authorities and other stakeholders) that the CCCM
sector does not advocate necessarily for the creation of camps. Its aim is to support
displaced populations in communal settings to realize their rights by coordinating the
delivery of services and protection while seeking solutions.
Take the following steps before an emergency occurs to ensure the CCCM response is
efficient and effective:
o Request and provide CCCM training and capacity building for all relevant stakeholders.
o Review whether activation of the CCCM cluster is called for.
o Ensure that CCCM roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, agreed, understood, and
widely disseminated.
o Include the financial resources that partners need to perform their camp management (and
camp administration) responsibilities.
Adopt a participatory approach with an age, gender and diversity lens from the start to
encourage resilience and self-sufficiency among persons of concern, and avoid
dependence.
Provide CCCM operations with dedicated IM support.
Monitor cross cutting issues (gender, environment, HIV/AIDS, etc.) continuously to ensure
these issues are addressed.
Prepare a long term strategy as early as possible. It should include plan for camp closure,
solutions, and exit/handover.

1. Overview
‘Camp coordination, camp management and governance' (CCCM) refers to standardized coordination
mechanisms that may be applied both to refugee operations (through the Refugee Coordination Model)
and IDP operations (through the CCCM Cluster). CCCM mechanisms ensure that services are delivered
efficiently and that populations of concern are protected in camp or camp-like settings. (‘Camp or
camp-like settings' typically include collective, transit and reception centres. Recent initiatives have
explored extending the application of camp management methodologies to ‘outside camp' scenarios,
including urban displaced and host communities.)

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Along with the wider humanitarian community, UNHCR does not advocate the creation of camps. It
considers them to be temporary measures of last resort. CCCM supports other sectors in seeking long
term solutions, while trying in the interim to uphold standards, and the rights and dignity of affected
populations, effectively and efficiently.

The standard CCCM model involves three coordination mechanisms, plus representative community
governance structures for persons of concern. Each has specific roles and responsibilities. To avoid
confusion and gaps in camp-based responses, it is important to clearly distinguish and agree the roles
and responsibilities of particular actors. The three standard roles are:

Camp Administration (CA). This role is usually assumed by national or local authorities. It involves the
overall supervision of a camp response, including security of the persons of concern.

Camp Coordination (CC). This role is usually assumed by UNHCR in refugee emergencies and in
complex (conflict-related) emergencies. It involves overall strategic and inter-camp operational
coordination, covering issues such as setting strategy, setting standards, contingency planning, and
information management.

Camp Management (CM). This role is usually assumed by a NGO partner or by national or local
authorities. Where capacity is limited, UNHCR may also support or take on this role. It involves
coordination of a camp's services and maintenance of infrastructure.

In addition to these key functions, it is important to form representative committees of persons of

concern at camp level. These enable persons of concern to exercise their right to participate and
influence the design and delivery of humanitarian programmes at all stages.

For a more detailed description of roles and responsibilities, see the Camp Management Toolkit.

2. Protection objectives
CCCM supports the following protection objectives in camp-like settings:

To promote a Rights based approach. Coordinated camp-based interventions should support

persons of concern to realize their rights.

To establish a community-based approach. Community governance structures and participatory

mechanisms ensure that women, men, boys and girls of all ages and diverse backgrounds contribute
to their own protection.

To promote non-discrimination. CCCM promotes full and equal respect for the rights of all persons,
recognizing that individuals have particular needs, and face particular inequalities and risks.

In an emergency, the sector ultimately seeks to make rapid steps towards realizing the right of all
individuals and communities in camp-like situationsto participate and enjoy life with dignity.

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3. Underlying principles and standards
CCCM is inherently cross-sectoral. It requires working in close partnership with other actors and
organizations. Key standards apply in all humanitarian interventions in camps.

Key Guiding Principles

Do no Harm. All camp-based interventions should be monitored and evaluated to ensure that they do
not cause harm to persons of concern.

Humanitarian Principles. The principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence must
guide all camp-based interventions.

Principles of Partnership. A results-based approach that promotesequality, transparency,

responsibility and complementarity is essential, both to sustain trust and ensure that camp-based
humanitarian partnerships serve the needs of persons of concern effectively.

Key standards
The following key standards need to be monitored during emergency interventions:

Sector specific standards set out in the Digital Emergency Handbook (Shelter, WASH, distribution
standards, etc.).

Sphere standards set out in the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian
Response. These have been collectively agreed by the broader humanitarian community, and
include indicators that quantify the minimum standard required to enjoy the right to life with dignity.

Additional standards
More specific standards are cited in the Camp Management Toolkit:

Camp Coordination and Management Gender Checklist (IASC, Gender Handbook, 2008). Contains
useful standards and tips for mainstreaming and applying a gender lens to CCCM operations.

Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards Handbook, (LEGS), 2009. Covers the needs of
displaced populations with livestock; includes health, WASH and other considerations.

4. Protection Risks
Numerous protection risks exist in camp environments because displaced populations are often
traumatized, and their social structures and coping mechanisms have often been damaged, putting
specific groups and individuals at risk. Below is an incomplete list of common protection risks that
camp-based populations face.

Attacks on civilians by parties to the conflict. This risk is particularly pronounced in camps that are
located close to borders or that are believed to harbour parties to a conflict.

Presence of armed elements. Arms may be hidden in shelters and other camp locations. Armed
groups may exploit persons of concern or use camps for child recruitment.

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 Conflicts with host community. This is a common problem when persons of concern consume shared
resources or are perceived to enjoy a better standard of living or do not participate in community
dialogues. Environmental degradation and poor waste disposal practices may also be sources of
tension.

Sexual and Gender Based Violence. The incidence of sexual violence and domestic violence require
particular attention in camp-settings. Aggravating factors include the availability of alcohol, and lack
of economic opportunities. Women and girls are often at high risk if they have to leave camps to find
cooking fuel or other resources.

Abuse, neglect and exploitation of children. This is common following family separation and if social
support mechanisms break down.

Crime. Includes theft, violence and other social disturbances. Crime is likely to be worse where law
enforcement is inadequate and judicial remedies are unavailable or ineffective.

Lack of birth and death registration. Persons of concern may be unable to obtain birth and death
certificates if local authorities request fees to deliver them or are located far from camps.

Unrepresentative participation. ‘Winner takes all' elections may prevent minority groups from
expressing their views, unless affirmative measures are put into place. In some settings, though
women are entitled to stand for election to governance and committee positions, they may be unable
to participate because of domestic or childcare responsibilities.

Discriminatory access to basic provisions and services. Persons of concern, especially persons with
specific needs, may be excluded from access to water, food, shelter, or health services. This can
occur even if initial distributions have been equitable. Continued monitoring is therefore essential.

5. Other risks

Some national authorities dislike ‘camps'. Alternative titles include ‘site' or ‘settlement'.

Seasonal variations and other natural hazards generate a range of risks. Latrines and shelters may
be damaged or flooded if fluctuations in rainfall were not considered sufficiently when a camp was
constructed. Spontaneous camps may lack a camp management coordinating body that can highlight
and address issues that threaten the camp's viability.

Fire is a serious risk, especially in crowded unplanned camps, but also in planned camps where
construction is not well regulated and firebreaks are not maintained. Camp managers should ensure
that camp volunteers are equipped and trained to deal with fire risks.

Erosion and environmental degradation. Poorly maintained drainage, waste disposal systems and
deforestation can cause serious environmental degradation, harm the health, and create safety risks
as well as conflict with host communities. Establish monitoring and maintenance systems and regular
sensitization programmes to reduce the incidence of such problems, which are costly and difficult to
resolve.

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 Variation in level of services available. Differences in the services available in camps can create a
pull factor towards camps perceived to treat residents more favourably. This can cause tensions
between camp residents and humanitarian actors. Such issues need to be managed with care; good
two-way communication and coordination are important.

Camp coordination in displacement settings can be a challenge, especially in new crises, if resources
are limited, programmes are unfunded, or few organizations are equipped to undertake camp
management responsibilities. A well-coordinated response needs operational resources to support
camp management partners.

Information management capacity is critical to effective camp coordination. In L3 emergencies a

dedicated CCCM information management officer should be appointed.

6. Key decision points

How to implement the response?

Within the first months of a new emergency context, the CCCM sector should address the following key
concerns:

Governance structures. Establish (initial) camp governance committees as soon as possible, to

create a representative body for liaison with humanitarian actors. It is important that the
representation reflects age, gender and diversity. These structures should include representatives
from host communities and local authorities as appropriate.

Information management. With information management (IM) colleagues, develop a centralized IM

system. Disseminate IM products regularly. In the initial stages of an emergency, information is
transferred much more coherently if products are harmonized across camps and partners.

Coordinate and monitor service provision. Identify gaps and duplications in service provision and
encourage partners and sectors to make appropriate changes, to ensure that minimum standards are
attained.

Establish local standards. While the aim is to achieve Sphere and UNHCR standards, initially you
may need to set interim targets, if resources and capacity are constrained. It is best to standardize
such targets as soon as possible, across partners and camps, to provide predictability and limit
possible sources of conflict.

Establish predictable two-way communication systems. Establish effective two-way communications

with persons of concern and the broader humanitarian community. Create complaints mechanisms
and improve accountability to persons of concern.

Develop strategy. Camp managers, camp coordinators and camp administrators need to be involved
in the development of overall strategy and strategies for specific camps. Initially, it may be enough to
agree key strategic objectives, though they should be fleshed out as soon as possible. In refugee
contexts, this implies contributing to specific components of UNHCR-led refugee response strategy.
In IDP operations, it implies developing a specific CCCM cluster strategy and response plans that
align with the country's Strategic Response Plan.

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 Camp closure. Camp closure needs to be considered during camp design and should continue to be
analysed during the care and maintenance phase, to ensure that, at the end of a camp's life cycle, its
transition or closure is efficient, dignified and adequately financed.

Contingency planning. Camp managers need to prepare for sudden changes in the situation (fire,
flood and other natural hazards, new population movements), as well as forced or abrupt closure.

Solutions. Identify and press for short term or durable solutions that will improve the quality of life of
persons of concern.

Cross cutting issues. Make sure that cross cutting issues are considered. These include gender,
environment, and HIV/AIDS, and issues that may attract less attention, such as the need to increase
resilience and self-reliance.

CCCM capacity-building. At the start of a new emergency, humanitarian partners, government

officials and persons of concern may have a limited understanding of CCCM roles, responsibilities,
tools and methodologies. Providing training during the preparedness phase or at the start of an
emergency is therefore essential, particularly if staff turnover may be high. CCCM training also
creates opportunities for dialogue between actors, and can help to establish and codify roles and
responsibilities.

Participation. It is important to apply an age, gender and diversity (AGD) lens, and to adopt a
participatory approach throughout all phases of the humanitarian programme cycle and a camp's life
cycle. This implies establishing feedback and complaint mechanisms.

Protect by being present. Camp managers help to protect persons of concern by regularly interacting
with persons of concern, holding informal dialogues, and noting issues, challenges and concerns that
may not be revealed by more formal mechanisms.

Key decision points

During the preparedness phase, country operations should ensure that the roles and responsibilities of
camp management are well understood by staff and partners. Consult the CCCM unit in the Division of
Programme Support and Management (DPSM) at headquarters if you need assistance or clarification.
The Contingency Plan should clearly state who will take specific responsibilities in relation to camp
management and coordination, and should indicate the trigger or threshold at which these roles will be
assumed. Deviations from standard roles and responsibilities with respect to camp administration,
coordination and management should be clearly documented, because they can become a source of
contention. If aspects of CCCM capacity are lacking during the preparedness or response phase of an
impending emergency, request expert support from HQ, via a rapid response mechanism.

In IDP contexts, it is important to take clear decisions on activating the CCCM cluster. Past
experience indicates that it is better for the CCCM cluster to be activated early and subsequently
deactivated than to advocate for activation at a later date.

With respect to spontaneously settled unplanned camps, clear decisionsneed to be made on how to
approach displacement. Even if sites are considered unviable and services are not provided, displaced

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populations may refuse to leave, because of safety or other concerns. In such circumstances, CCCM
should at the least establish communications, provide information, and monitor basic conditions, sharing
this information with other sectors, until a better alternative can be found.

7. Key steps
Preparedness. The steps below should be taken when it appears that an emergency is likely to occur in
the near future.
1. Raise awareness of CCCM roles and responsibilities. Inform staff, partners and government
actors about the value of CCCM and the contribution it makes to an emergency response. If possible,
run information and capacity building sessions before an emergency starts.
2. Contingency Planning. CCCM interventions should be included in contingency plans. These should
state the roles and responsibilities that specific actors will assume. In complex IDP emergencies, steps
should be taken to consider activating the CCCM cluster and to evaluate support for alternatives to
camps.
3. Monitoring site evolution; pre-emergency staff evaluation. Where capacity is lacking at national
level, consider requesting support from CCCM experts at HQ, to help with strategy, planning and
advice.

Emergency phase. The following steps should be taken once the threshold for CCCM is triggered (as
set out in contingency plans).
4. Develop a strategy. Include key objectives of the camp response and plan operational activities.
Initially the framework may be basic but it should ideally consider camp closure, advocacy for durable
solutions, and a vision for exit or handover at the earliest opportunity.
5. Contribute to site identification and planning. Camp managers, with experience of long term camp
care and site maintenance, should be involved in site identification and planning, to identify protection
concerns in camp design and to liaise with the camp community, enabling persons of concern to voice
their concerns and preferences.
6. Establish a camp governance committee. This group may be appointed quickly at the start of an
emergency, but should be turned into a representative elected body as soon as the emergency has
stabilized. Such committee should include local authorities and representatives of the host communities
as appropriate.
7. Build stakeholder capacity. CCCM trainings should be conducted as early as possible, so that
partners, government actors and camp committees clearly understand their roles, responsibilities and
expectations and how the sector functions. Such training should include protection considerations to
ensure that all activities are designed and implemented with protection in mind. Involvement of
(community-based) protection colleagues is therefore important.
8. Establish coordination mechanisms. Set up meetings, information sharing and referral
mechanisms for service providers and camp committees. Map links with other clusters and sectors.
Agree cross-cutting issues, and prepare and formally share this information.
9. Set up an information management system. Establish an information management system to track
service provision, monitor gaps, and follow progress towards key indicators. IM products (3Ws, site
profiles, trends analysis) should be produced regularly and disseminated widely at predictable intervals.
10. Establish two-way communication with the camp population. Frequent, predictable two-way
communication between camp-based populations and the broader humanitarian community helps to

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create trust, accountability and participation. A complaints mechanism should be created.
11. Conduct regular audits. Gender, environment, HIV/AIDS, and other cross-cutting issues need to
be monitored regularly in all camp designs, programmes and service provision, to ensure they are taken
into account.
12. Monitor camp-based activities for gaps and duplication. Key indicators should be monitored
regularly to identify service gaps and duplication. Where gaps exist, work with partners to fill them.

8. Key management considerations

If emergency responses are to be effective and efficient, CCCM mechanisms need to be planned,
established and budgeted as early as possible. Where expertise in the country operation is lacking,
seek assistance from the CCCM Unit/DPSM at HQ. This is particularly important in IDP contexts, where
the activation of the CCCM cluster is considered. CCCM roles and responsibilities need to be discussed
and clearly delineated in writing, especially when they deviate from the standard CCCM framework.
Identify and train potential camp management NGO partners and national authority partners as early as
possible, ideally during contingency planning.

The scope of a CCCM response also needs to be made clear. In particular, will interventions be limited
to planned camps, or will support be offered to improve informal and spontaneously settled sites
(‘unplanned camps') or possibly transfer populations to other locations. Even if it is decided that formal
camps are not to be established, CCCM can play a vital role by establishing regular communications
with persons of concern, advocating alternative solutions, coordinating the response, monitoring of
informal sites, and pressing for minimum standards should the displacement become protracted.

Staff with CCCM expertise should be identified as early as possible. Ideally one person should be
appointed full time to coordinate the camp-based response, supported by IM capacity. Individuals may
be sourced from a variety of backgrounds and professional streams, but they should possess strong
skills in communication, problem solving and leadership, and should be creative in addressing the
unique challenges that arise in camp contexts.

9. Resources and partnerships

Staff
The need for CCCM staff will vary considerably, according to context, complexity, scale, and resources.
It is essential to agree and appoint clearly identified focal points for each specific CCCM function, and
define their responsibilities. One individual should be responsible for overall camp coordination,
supported by a deputy, a CCCM training officer, an IM officer, and national field officers. In IDP
contexts, particularly in L3 emergencies, a full time CCCM cluster coordinator should be appointed,
supported by a full time technical officer and full time IM officer. All staff should be familiar with CCCM
concepts and methodologies, or should participate in a CCCM training as soon as possible.

Partners
Successful camp management operations require capable and knowledgeable partners and government
counterparts. Ideally these should be trained and prepared before an emergency occurs. UNHCR may

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consider funding camp management partners. Camp management is often most effective when paired
with other service delivery projects (distribution, shelter, etc.).

Material resources
Camp-basedoffices, meeting rooms, furnishings and supplies, vehicles, and communication equipment
are the basic material requirements of camp management. Warehouse space, a tool bank, maintenance
supplies, and firefighting equipment are also required. IT equipment (including computers, printers and
internet capacity) are also essential to support partners and national authorities.

Financial resources
Adequate financial resources are essential. The following elements should be taken into consideration:

UNHCR staff for coordination. As noted above.

Camp management implementing partners. In some cases, staff or resources may be needed to
assist national authorities to undertake their camp administration functions.

Care and maintenance. This includes minor repairs, environmental protection, garbage disposal,
firefighting, tool banks, and other matters related to emergency care and maintenance. These may
be a component of camp budgets or dispersed centrally; but flexibility should be built in to deal with
unforeseen challenges.

Camp committees. Camp committees may be financed (under the supervision of camp managers) to
identify, design and implement small scale sectoral projects that are needed by persons of concern
and host communities.

Camp Closure. Resources should be earmarked for camp closure and rehabilitation, so that sites
can be returned to their original state.

10. Links
CCCM Cluster Website
Online Camp Management Toolkit
The Sphere Project

Need help?

CONTACT CCCM Unit at UNHCR HQ, Geneva. It sits in the Field Information Coordination Support
Section (FICSS) of the Department of Programme Support & Management (DPSM). Via:
globalcccm@unhcr.org

Annexes

UNHCR, Camp Management Toolkit, 2008

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 UNHCR, Collective Centre Guidelines, 2010

UNHCR, Camp Closure Guidelines, 2014

CCCM Cluster, Case Studies, 2014

CCCM Cluster, Urban Displacement & Outside Camps (UDOC) Desk Review, 2014

Version and document date

Version: 1.4
Document date: 28.05.2019

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