OCHA and Deloitte team up to strengthen humanitarian leadership

(New York, 17 October 2012) When disasters strike, effective humanitarian leadership is critical in saving lives. Over the last three days, Humanitarian Coordinators from more than 20 countries participated in an innovative leadership summit at Deloitte University in Westlake, Texas.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Deloitte Leadership Summit for Humanitarian Coordinators, a collaboration between OCHA,
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL), and Deloitte LLP (Deloitte), is designed to strengthen the leadership of Humanitarian Coordinators—the United Nations most senior officials in countries experiencing humanitarian emergencies. It is the Humanitarian Coordinators who coordinate life-saving assistance to people in need, and lead the humanitarian community’s work in a timely, effective and efficient manner. “Stronger and more strategic leadership is vital. By joining forces with DTTL and Deloitte and building on our organizations’ respective skills and scale, we can strengthen the humanitarian sector’s ability to prepare for and respond to crises,” said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos.

The Summit was held at Deloitte University, a new leadership centre designed to help leaders disconnect from their day-to-day environment, reflect and learn valuable leadership lessons from each other. “In a crisis situation, effective humanitarian leaders can make a difference in reducing loss of life and destruction of livelihoods so that communities and economies can recover more quickly,” said Dave Pearson, DTTL Chief Sustainability Officer. “It’s during periods of crisis that leaders emerge, and can have the greatest influence. We believe in preparing our people, and clients, for these moments through custom leadership development experiences.

The Summit was designed in collaboration with Kaisen Consulting, a team of business psychologists who regularly collaborate with Deloitte’s global leadership practice. It drew on demonstrated psychological research regarding how senior leaders learn. “This was a highly personalized development programme underpinned by the real experiences my peers and I face in the field,” said Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen. “The innovative curriculum at Deloitte University developed and delivered by leadership psychologists and business consultants, sharpened my abilities to efficiently assess the big picture and create a shared purpose, which will help me influence, motivate, and inspire partners.”