Birgitte Elsner

The Humanitarian Coaching Network

The HCN is a platform that connects humanitarian staff with a global cohort of volunteer professional coaches. Its aim is to provide an innovative way of supporting the wellbeing and development of humanitarian staff, particularly those serving in the most isolated and complex posts. Since its launch in 2013, the Network has enlisted over 300 coaches worldwide and is in the process of being made accessible to an increasing number of humanitarian agencies. Currently, the HCN entitles 4 hours of coaching to each participant over a period of 6 months. Staff of participating agencies register on The HCN website and are paired with a coach within approximately 7 business days. The pairing process takes into consideration the developmental priorities, seniority, expertise, location and language preference of the clients and matches their profile with a suitable coach. Once the pairing has been completed, the HCN gives full autonomy to the coach and the participant to design their coaching alliance in the way that best meets their needs, while continuing to provide support and supervision for the duration of the engagement. The generous offering of time and energy from the HCN roster allows the HCN to provide this range of services to large numbers of humanitarian and development staff at nominal cost. The proceeds go towards site maintenance, coordination, supervision and sponsoring organizations that lack financial resources for staff development and wellbeing.