Strengthening the system for
Persons with Specific Needs
Review of UNHCR urban refugee programme and
Implementing Partners’ system for Persons’ with Specific
Needs and Age, Gender, Diversity Mainstreaming and
action points for further strengthening of the system.
By Samantha Chattaraj, Deployee from HelpAge
International to UNHCR Kenya
Background
 Global agreement between UNHCR
and HelpAge
 Past deployment in UNHCR RSH
 System’s approach on PSN
Definitions
Persons with Specific Needs (PSN) generally imply
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persons with disability
persons with important medical condition
single household representative,
unaccompanied or separated child and
child/adolescent at risk
older person at risk (including unaccompanied
older persons and caregivers of children)
woman at risk
other minorities/diverse/indigenous groups at
risk
Implications
 PSN are intrinsically connected with each
other; and the vulnerability of one can put
another at risk
 Causal effects and inter relations among all
PSN should be analysed and established in
programme planning
 Mainstreaming the concerns of PSN has a
direct impact on Age, Gender, and Diversity
Mainstreaming (AGDM)
AGDM
Global analysis of AGDM in 2010-11
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Only 33% UNHCR actions globally reported to have “fully” met the
organizational standards for AGDM
Targeted actions for adolescents (16% reported ‘full’ achievement)
Developing partnerships for prevention and response to sexual
exploitation and abuse (16% reported ‘full’ compliance)
Inclusion of older persons and persons with disabilities (22%
reported ‘full’ compliance)
Implementation of the Guidelines on Determining the Best
Interests of the Child (26% reported ‘full’ compliance)
Women’s representation on people of concern’s management and
decision making structures (26% reported ‘full’ compliance)
Feedback to persons of concern on PA results and action (27%
reported ‘full’ compliance)
Current system
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PSN codes are available with units identified for referral.
The staff from registration unit have been trained to identify vulnerability of asylum
seekers/refugees and code accordingly on proGress database
The system allows various units to update proGress on identified PSN.
The system calls for the referral units to check proGress.
UAM cases are flagged for BIA/BID and CSU initiate the process.
For other PSN, especially for women, OP and PwD at risk, no systematic approach.
Inter unit referral between RSD and resettlement.
In UNHCR “focus” objective there is provision for targeted support to PSN.
PDU and CSU have special desk days to meet various PSN and other PoC.
FA provided to 100 cases annually.
Implementing Partners have their own systems of identifying PSN through their
community volunteers and case workers.
At URPN, child protection and gender based violence theme groups especially cater
to children at risk (and their families) and GBV cases (and their families). The
challenges faced by other PSN are not explicitly covered by any theme groups but
have great potential to be mainstreamed in CPTG, GBV, legal aid and livelihood
theme groups.
Data flow and identification
 The caseload of PSN as per the
various codes in use by UNHCR in
Nairobi is 7281 (14%)
 Approximately 14,000 single
parents, child headed houses, OP
caregivers, unaccompanied children
and women/OP living alone
PSN/AGD scoring
- Adaptation of IASC gender marker sheet for
gender mainstreaming
- PSN/AGD marker could be a tool to analyse
a whether or not a humanitarian project is
designed well enough to ensure that
women/girls and men/boys will benefit
equally from it.
- GIZ and HIAS at present address the needs
of PSN/AGD most effectively as per their
sub agreements
Partners response on PSN
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There is a lack of consolidated/compiled baseline with
qualitative analysis of PSN and AGD in the urban context in
general.
At present, PSN are identified through parallel mechanisms
by the community volunteers (GIZ, HIAS, DRC)
HIAS mentioned using aspects of HRIT tool for identifying
vulnerable cases to standardize the identification of
vulnerable cases.
At present, apart from the BID cases that are being referred
to HIAS, no other referrals for PSN as a group are
systematic between UNHCR and IPs
At present PSN are viewed only as vulnerable cases needing
support implying dependency (only response, no
prevention)
Partners are familiar with AGDM framework at a macro level
but have not received any details on how to attain it within
their scope of work
Core protection issue
 Getting counted/identified
 Access to information and services
(prioritization)
 Diminishing community support
 Representation and participation
Recommendations
 Consolidated baseline on PSN such as women at risk,
children at risk, older people at risk.
 Prioritize PSN in various strategies (child protection, GBV,
Livelihoods, Education).
 Sensitize and build capacity of stakeholders on PSN
 Mainstream PSN/AGD through PSN/AGD marker
 Include PSN criteria in SOP/tools/MnE for understanding
and identifying vulnerabilities across age, gender and
diversity.
 Setting up an effective and realistic referral system to
identify and prioritize PSN across all interventions.
 Mainstream AGDM and PSN in the Urban Refugee
Protection Network and thematic groups.
Referral system at a glance
Identified Persons with Specific Needs
- CSU and PDU refer the identified cases to IP and URPN thematic groups as per sectoral
activities
- RSD fast track PSN cases
- IP and other URPN agencies assess referred cases in a standardized way to verify
vulnerabilities and provide assistance (FA, livelihood, mobility aids, education support, shelter
etc – see attached document)
- Monthly feed back on action taken to be recorded
- Monitoring and Evaluation framework to track progress on PSN as per agreed indicators through
various thematic groups’ strategies (child protection, livelihood, education etc).
- Resettlement receives PSN cases for consideration