Humanitarian Reform and the Cluster Approach: a Stronger More Predictable Humanitarian Response System

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Humanitarian Reform and the Cluster Approacha
Stronger More PredictableHumanitarian Response
System
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Session purpose

• Describe the cluster approach
• Identify the global cluster lead agencies and
  responsibilities
• Describe how the cluster approach is activated
• Will someone volunteer to summarize the key
  points at the end of this session?

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The ESC Environmental Advisors Universe
Humanitarian Reform
The Cluster Approach
ESC
Environmental Advisor
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Whose reform is it?

• Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)
• Composed of NGO consortia, Red Cross and Red
  Crescent Movement, IOM, World bank and UN
  agencies

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4 Pillars of Humanitarian Reform
HUMANITARIAN FINANCING
HUMANITARIAN COORDINATORS
CLUSTER APPROACH
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Pillar 1 Humanitarian Coordinators

• Effective leadership and coordination in
  humanitarian emergencies

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Pillar 2 Humanitarian Financing
Adequate, timely and flexible financing
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Pillar 3 The Cluster Approach
Adequate capacityand predictable leadership in
all sectors
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Pillar 4 Effective Partnerships
Between UN and non-UN actors Not so much a 4th
pillar as it is the foundation for the other
three pillars
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Aims of the Cluster Approach

• High standards of predictability, accountability
  and partnership in all sectors or areas of
  activity
• Responsibility to include all humanitarian
  partners
• More strategic and inclusive responses
• Better prioritization of available resources
• Strengthening humanitarian response

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What is a Cluster?

• A group of organizations providing services
  within the same theme, e.g. health or
  protection with ONE lead
• The cluster ensures overall inclusion of all
  partners, who can then divide into working or
  thematic groups (e.g. child protection or gender)
• Ensures cross-fertilization between organizations
  working within same theme despite different
  focus (e.g. child protection and SGBV)
• Ensures a collective agreement and planning for
  the overall direction of the response within a
  given theme
• Ensures a needs rather than capacity driven
  response What does this mean?

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Who are the Global Cluster Leads?

• Agriculture
• CCCM
• Early Recovery
• Education
• Emergency Shelter
• EmergencyTelecommunications
• Health
• Logistics
• Nutrition
• Protection
• WASH

• FAO
• IOM/UNHCR
• UNDP
• UNICEF and Save the Children
• UNHCR for IDPS from conflict, IFRC for disaster
  situations
• OCHA/UNICEF/WFP
• WHO
• WFP
• UNICEF
• UNHCR for IDPs from conflict, UNHCR/OHCHR/UNICEF
  for disasters/civilians affected by conflict
  other than IDPs
• UNICEF

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What is the difference between refugees and IDPs?

• Refugees are persons who have fled their home
  country out of a well-founded fear of persecution
• IDPs, internally displaced persons, are those who
  have left their homes, but not their home
  country. The term applies to situations of
  conflict or disaster.
• So what are Environmental Refugees?

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What are cross cutting issues?

• The Cluster Approach has identified several cross
  cutting issues
• Age
• Environment
• Gender
• HIV/AIDS
• Human Rights
• Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

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Responsibilities of field-based cluster/sector
leads (Terms of Reference)

• Inclusion of key humanitarian partners. Who are
  they?
• Coordination with national/local authorities,
  local civil society etc. How?
• Participatory and community-based approaches.
  Examples?
• Attention to priority cross-cutting issues (age,
  environment, gender, HIV/AIDS etc) What are the
  implications of environment being a cross cutting
  issue?
• Inclusion of early recovery strategy in sector
  plans. Example?
• Ensure capacity building. How?
• Needs assessment and analysis. What is your role
  in this?

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Camp Coordination Camp Management

• At the global level, CCCM is co-chaired by
• UNHCR for conflict-induced IDPs
• IOM for natural disaster-induced IDPs
• . the CCCM cluster applies to all types of
  communal shelter including
• Camp and camp-like situations 
• Settlements 
• Sites 
• Collective centres existing buildings hosting
  displaced persons
• 
  www.humanitarian
  reform.org

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Early Recovery

• What is Early Recovery?
• Recovery that starts early, at onset of crisis
• Application of development principles to
  humanitarian situations
• Establishes the foundations of longer-term
  recovery
• Generates/reinforces nationally owned processes
  for post-crisis recovery
• Early Recovery encompasses the restoration
  of basic services, livelihoods, shelter,
  governance, security and the rule of law,
  environment and social dimensions, including the
  reintegration of displaced populations. It
  stabilizes human security and addresses
  underlying risks that contributed to the crisis.

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Logistics

• In the field, logistics cluster operations are
  expected to
• Fill logistics gaps and alleviate bottlenecks
• Collect/share information assets
• Coordinate port corridor movements to reduce
  congestion
• Provide details of transporters and rough
  indication of market rates
• Provide guidance on customs issues
• Provide information on equipment and/or relief
  items suppliers

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Water, Sanitation Hygiene (WASH)

• The mission of the WASH cluster is to
• Compile WASH needs assessment data
  identification of priority areas,
• undertake joint assessment planning and
  implementation, and
• monitor key WASH indicators

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Activating the Cluster

• Three possible elements to activate the
  cluster approach
• In response to dramatic events or disasters
• To fill major gaps in humanitarian needs
• By initiative and guidance of the concerned
  HC/RCs in consultation with the Country Team
  members

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Relationships at country level
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ESC Personnel in an emergency

• Cluster coordinator - assigned by the cluster
  lead agency to coordinate the cluster in the
  emergency
• Technical specialist - supports the cluster
  coordinator and cluster as a whole and ensures
  that sound technical advise is adhered to in the
  operation
• Information manager manages the collection,
  analysis, and dissemination of data in support of
  the cluster
• Environment advisor

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ESC Personnel in an emergency

• Environment advisors Inter alia
• identify environmental partners,
• assess environmental impact,
• coordinate programme implementation,
• develop strategic plans,
• provide advice on environmental issues, including
  for post-emergency phases

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Case Study Java Earthquake 2006
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A shelter-driven emergency

• 303,300 houses destroyed or damaged beyond
  repair, another 200,000 were damaged and in need
  of repair
• Strategic planning ESC established Sphere-based
  shelter standards that were adhered to by cluster
  members.
• Technical working group for environmental issues
• The ESC was a successful cluster experience

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Assignment for Tomorrow

• Before you come to the workshop tomorrow
  morning it is essential that you have read
• Shelter and Nonfood Items Cluster, Tajikistan
  Compound Disaster Winter 2008 Draft Terms of
  Reference
• Emergency Shelter Cluster Shelter Environment
  Adviser Terms of Reference
• Emergency Shelter Cluster Emergency Shelter
  Policy with Regards to Environmental Issues
• These are in your workbook

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Feedback

• Please discuss what went well today and where you
  suggest improvements
• Nominate a representative to summarize your
  discussion and report it to the facilitators