4th Pacific Humanitarian Team Annual Meeting
17-21 October 2011
Holiday Inn, Suva, Fiji
BACKGROUND NOTE
Pacific Humanitarian Team Regional Workshop and Simulation Exercise
The objective of the 5-day workshop is to strengthen disaster preparedness and response capacity
of PHT partners by: reviewing recent global, regional and national developments in humanitarian
action, providing all PHT partners an opportunity to review and exercise preparedness and
response capacity in a two-day simulation exercise, and develop work plans and next steps for the
coming year based on the cross-cutting and sectoral gaps identified at all levels (regional and
national).
Introduction
In terms of disasters 2011 has so far been a fairly quiet year in the Pacific, with the main disaster
events being drought conditions in the central Pacific and damaging cyclones affecting southern
Vanuatu and the Ha’apai group in Tonga. However, people living in the Pacific were reminded that
living in the Pacific Ring of Fire comes with great risk, as several large disasters happened around the
Pacific Islands: the Christchurch Earthquake, floods in Brisbane, Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Yasi in
Cairns and the great Japanese earthquake and tsunami of March - all causing immense suffering and
damage.
With these events still fresh on our minds, there is a continued urgency to better prepare for
disaster events. The Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT), together with national partners, has been
active in preparedness, with further development in the organisation and activities of the seven PHT
regional clusters since the inception of the Pacific Humanitarian Team in 2008.
The PHT sectoral coordination is based on the Cluster Approach, an IASC global standard for the
organisation and coordination of international humanitarian assistance. Since 2009, the PHT clusters
(WASH, Health and Nutrition, Emergency Shelter, Logistics, Emergency Education, Early Recovery,
Protection) have been operational in some shape or form in more than 15 disaster events in the
Pacific and have continued to meet regularly with a view to preparing for effective response.
Update 2011
Based on needs identified in previous regional meetings, several tools were reviewed and updated.
Some of these tools have already been put in place, such as the Humanitarian Action Plan, a
4th Pacific Humanitarian Annual Meeting – Background Note
framework which allows for common disaster planning. Work on Initial Rapid Assessment templates
has been piloted and lessons have been drawn from this. A draft TOR for an Evaluation of
Humanitarian Action following future PHT major emergency response, and a gender checklist for
humanitarian responders in the Pacific, are ready for use as well.
Given the importance of engendering disaster response and recommendations from last year’s PHT
meeting, the gender capacity building project (GenCap) has been extended for the Pacific and
national gender focal points have been invited to the PHT 2011 workshop.
Some of the key achievements of the PHT clusters in the last year have been:
Health
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UNICEF & WHO coordinated in several emergencies including TC's Vania and Atu in
Vanuatu and the Morovo Lagoon fish kill in Solomon Islands;
WHO communicated health data and messages to Pacific governments and partners for
several months following the Japan triple disaster in March;
The Pacific Health Ministers listed DRM among their top priorities at their biennial
meeting hosted by SPC & WHO, with UNFPA and UNICEF in June;
A Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) review completed mapping of
Pacific gaps and needs for future MHPSS training in disasters;
WHO received 10 International Emergency Health Kits in September for deployment to
most vulnerable PICs;
Environmental health guidelines for "Living with Volcanoes" in Vanuatu were completed
The PHT Health Cluster was activated for the Tuvalu drought response last week
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Emergency Logistics
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WFP implemented logistics coordination Project implemented in Papua New Guinea,
Vanuatu and Solomon Islands with the following outcomes:
- Preparation of a Logistics Capacity Assessment
- Production of a Logistics Contingency Plan together with NDMOs offices and
humanitarian actors to support National Disaster Management Plan
- Logistics Cluster Emergency Response raining conducted with all major stakeholders
Distribution of a Pacific Logistics Cluster Toolkit comprising all reports and assessments,
training tools, a Logistics Operational guide and DM documents
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WASH
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Cluster coordination training workshop and WASH cluster/sector coordination meetings May
31st - June 3rd, 2011, Lami, Fiji
Finalization of Initial Rapid Assessment form on WASH Vanuatu (lead by NDMO)
Drought management planning in Kiribati
Drought response Tuvalu
Protection
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Regional high-level conference and technical workshop (first week of May 2011) for NDMOs
and others on internal displacement related to humanitarian disasters and climate change
4th Pacific Humanitarian Annual Meeting – Background Note
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Pacific Protection Toolkit CD available, on-line, and distributed continuously
Technical assistance for the development of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) with
protection issues for NDMO in Solomon Islands
Preparedness work at the community level in Fiji together with the Department of Social
Welfare with respect to protection issues and capacity in disaster management plans,
evacuation shelters etc. (visits to communities in the islands, and Nadi flood simulation
exercise)
Protection related response after the cyclone in Vanuatu together with OCHA and
particularly GenCap
Support to UNICEF joint WASH , protection, nutrition, education -workshop (June 2011) on
capacity development in the area of child protection
Publication of the UNOHCHR discussion paper, Protecting the Human Rights of Internally
Displaced Persons in Natural Disasters – Challenges in the Pacific.
Education in Emergencies (EiE)
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Pre-positioning of EiE stocks in country (Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji) and regionally (in
Brisbane) with the procurement of local stationary supplies suited to the Pacific
Ministries of Education (MoE), UNICEF and Save the Children collaboration on finalisation of
Education Needs Assessment template
MoE, UNICEF and Save the Children collaboration on National EiE Policy and Preparedness
Plans
Pilot EiE Monitoring and Evaluation tool
MoE, UNICEF and Save the Children conducting Front Line Responder Trainings
MoE, UNICEF and Save the Children development of School Preparedness Plans
Finalisation of draft ToR for Pacific Education Cluster at PHT 2011 meeting
Shelter
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Some potential shelter partners and Government counterparts were identified
Progress has been made on mapping of prepositioned NFI stocks and international standards
are being promoted
Standard ToRs and principles from other emergencies were shared for consultation with key
partners
A regional shelter training was conducted in Melbourne with participation from Pacific Island
countries
Pacific shelter solutions from earlier emergencies are being mapped and Pacific staffing
requirements are currently being assessed.
Early Recovery
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Establishment of inter-agency Early Recovery cluster for the Pacific, first meeting held
Approval of TORs for this cluster
Draft work plan for ER cluster
4th Pacific Humanitarian Annual Meeting – Background Note
Food Security & Agriculture
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FAO is currently actively exploring the establishment of a regional Food Security cluster that
would be the 8th PHT cluster
Inter-cluster coordination
The PHT Inter-Cluster Coordination Group was formed as a direct consequence of the adoption of
the terms of references and has met on a number of occasions, both in preparedness mode and
response mode (e.g. for TC Vania and Tuvalu drought).
The Terms of Reference (ToR) of the PHT, which identifies the strategic and operational decision
making bodies, their responsibilities, membership and level of representation have been formalized
and adopted by the main PHT organisations. It is in the process of being recognized at the global
level.
Responses 2011
In response to the tropical cyclones Vania (January 2011) followed by Atu (February 2011), and at
the request of the Government of Vanuatu, OCHA Pacific and the PHT supported needs assessment
and coordination work with national authorities and non-government partners. This included
participating in the field assessments, organizing meetings and briefings with donors and key
partners on strategy, and tracking donor inputs. This was also an opportunity to test new tools, such
as the multi-sector rapid needs assessment template and the Humanitarian Action Plan. These tools
were found to be useful in supporting national authorities to plan for and implement a timely and
effective response in conjunction with PHT partners.
Following on-going drought conditions due to La Nina in Kiribati, PHT partners UNICEF, WHO, OCHA
and SPC/SOPAC liaised from December 2010 onwards with the Government of Kiribati to undertake
an analysis of the drought conditions. This analysis then provided information for drought
management planning in February and March 2011.
Following emergency declaration due to drought conditions in Tuvalu, PHT bi-lateral partners New
Zealand, Australia, USA, UK and the Red Cross, SPC and UN organisations worked closely in Fiji and
Tuvalu to address short and medium term needs and assist in assessments.
Current Research and Initiatives
Analysis of Disaster Response Training
OCHA has undertaken an analysis of training initiatives, specifically examining the humanitarian
system in the Pacific, its gaps and how training and capacity development can strengthen
preparedness for response in PICs. An independent consultant carried out this analysis from
December to March (which included four country visits as well as input received from an advisory
panel consisting of IFRC, WHO, ADRA, TAF/OFDA, SCF, AusAID, NZL Aid Program, UNHCR and the
NDMOs of Solomon Islands and Samoa. After consultation, the analysis is currently in final draft
form and a presentation will be made during the PHT 2011.
4th Pacific Humanitarian Annual Meeting – Background Note
Joint proposal to strengthen DRM coordination and gender mainstreaming
On many occasions Pacific NDMOs and government have recognized the need for increased national
coordination for preparedness and response, as well as wider DRM policy and practice. Recent
experience has shown that the quality of disaster preparedness and response improves greatly when
it (a) is led by national disaster preparedness and management organizations; (b) makes full use of
the different capacities, knowledge and perceptions of both women and men; (c) is coordinated
among national and international actors and (d) is supported by well-prepared cluster lead agencies.
Consultation in 2011 with disaster management officials, cluster lead agencies, members of the PHT,
government women’s machineries, civil society organizations and donors has informed the
identification of humanitarian and disaster reduction coordination gaps, and consequent
development of a joint proposal to strengthen coordination and gender mainstreaming in Pacific
DRM.
The purpose of the proposed programme is to improve the timeliness, effectiveness and
predictability of humanitarian response, as well as overall coordination of disaster risk management
in the Pacific. It will do this by strengthening the capacity of national disaster actors and national
coordination mechanisms, as well as regional coordination clusters where necessary by placing
coordination advisers in key coordinating organisations. This work will be done with a particular
focus on increasing inclusiveness, collaboration, diversity and gender balance among stakeholders.
The proposed support to target countries aims to strengthen inter-agency coordination at the
national level, including National DRM Platforms, and to establish mutually supportive linkages with
the regional clusters and PHT.
Pacific humanitarian preparedness, response and disaster reduction systems will be strengthened by
providing dedicated human resources for coordination and gender equality to critical DRM bodies.
Coordination Advisors will be allocated to National Disaster Management Offices in selected Pacific
countries and will provide practical organizational development support and capacity building.
Coordination advisors will also be provided to those PHT cluster lead agencies who identify
themselves as being unable to provide the degree of country-level support required in national
emergencies. The programme will also embed more inclusive and gender-aware disaster
preparedness and management practices at both national level and between participating
countries. The number and selection of NDMOs and clusters supported will be determined in
consultation with funders.
Coordination Advisors will support the improved “quality” of disaster work by broadening national
and inter-island networks to become more representative and inclusive of a wider range of
participants, and by initiating activities which proactively contribute to greater equality. Resources
will also be provided to increase the capacity and ability of non-traditional disaster actors and
development actors to meaningfully participate in national and inter-island planning and activities.
The overall programme will be managed jointly by a Programme Manager who is senior advisor with
humanitarian coordination and gender experience. The Programme Manager will be based in the UN
Resident Coordinator’s Office in Fiji. A session on the joint proposal is dedicated on Friday.
Guidance from global policy and practice for PHT development
The Inter-agency Standing Committee (IASC), as well as many individual organisations, research
institutes and academia continue to provide valuable research, policy and operational guidance and
lessons learned. Here we would like to highlight two such recent reports as they can provide
guidance to the PHT: the (draft) IASC Operational Guidance for Cluster Lead Agencies on working
with National Authorities and a Framework on Cluster Coordination Costs and Functions.
4th Pacific Humanitarian Annual Meeting – Background Note
Guidance for Cluster Lead Agencies on working with National Authorities
To achieve sustained capacity increase for disaster response and risk reduction, emergency
preparedness has to become an integral part of the development agenda of countries and regional
partners. There is growing recognition that continuous investments in preparedness activities need
to be made “system wide” by local and national governments, and national non-government
partners, as well as supported by international humanitarian and development partners. It is in this
key action area that the cluster approach can support.
The cluster approach is now the standard mechanism used by international humanitarian actors for
responding to large-scale complex and natural humanitarian emergencies requiring a multi-sectoral
response. Clusters support and/or complement wherever possible the efforts of national authorities
in key sectors of preparedness and response. Pacific NDMOs stressed the need for the PHT and its
clusters to be flexible and supportive of national coordination arrangement in the 2010 workshop.
As a result, PHT clusters work closely with their counterparts in the Solomon Islands on training,
preparedness and capacity development initiatives. In Vanuatu, humanitarian and government
partners are establishing national clusters supported by the regional PHT clusters. In Samoa, strong
sectoral planning for disaster management, overseen by NDMO, allows clusters and individual
agencies to identify entry points for support.
Globally this coordination opportunity is well recognized and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
(IASC) has issued (draft) operational guidance for cluster lead agencies on working with national
authorities1. This guidance highlights a number of relevant issues for the PHT, such as:
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The Resident or Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC), Cluster Lead Agencies and OCHA are
responsible for consulting national authorities regarding existing capacity and coordination
mechanisms for humanitarian response. A mapping of existing arrangements should be part
of any ‘preparedness’ activities carried out in the region/country including the establishment
of a ‘Contingency Plan’ for the country (if one exists). Wherever possible, international
humanitarian actors should then organize themselves to support or complement existing
national response mechanisms rather than create parallel ones which may actually weaken
or undermine national efforts. Where appropriate and practical, government leads should
be actively encouraged to co-chair cluster meetings with their Cluster Lead Agency
counterparts.
Some clusters such as Logistics, may lack a formal government counterpart and will
therefore function differently from clusters such as Health and Education which typically
have long-established government counterparts and numerous partners. Protection and
Early Recovery may also function differently when there is no single government
counterpart but rather, a number of line ministries and other partners that need to be
consulted.
In coordinating a response, Cluster Lead Agencies/clusters should work closely with national
authorities to jointly develop priorities and strategies for the sector, and to monitor
programmes and initiatives to ensure they continue to meet changing needs.
Whenever possible, Cluster Lead Agencies should ensure that the activities of international
humanitarian actors within and across clusters build on and strengthen the capacities of
national authorities, as well as national NGOs, community-based organizations, affected
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Operational Guidance for Cluster Lead Agencies on working with National Authorities, IASC (draft 15 June
2010)
4th Pacific Humanitarian Annual Meeting – Background Note
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communities and other local actors. To the greatest extent possible, funding documents
should reflect the associated costs.
To this end, Cluster Lead Agencies should promote capacity-building initiatives, which may
include the provision of technical assistance, local governance training, and support for
national authorities to meet their obligations under international and national law.
In countries prone to disasters, efforts should be made to build disaster management
expertise into all relevant line ministries and sectors (health, education, water, sanitation,
hygiene, emergency shelter etc.) and to incorporate this into contingency planning and
preparedness measures.
Links between prevention, preparedness, relief, rehabilitation and development: To the
greatest extent possible, Cluster Lead Agencies should ensure that the coordination
mechanisms of the cluster approach and the activities of cluster partners contribute to
national emergency preparedness efforts and to the longer-term development process.
Framework on Cluster Coordination Costs and Functions
Another relevant document for guidance of the PHT is the recently published ‘Framework on Cluster
Coordination Costs and Functions in Humanitarian Emergencies at the Country Level', which resulted
from a series of meetings between donors and global cluster lead agencies2. The framework
provides an indication of where some key humanitarian donors and the global cluster lead agencies
currently stand on issues including:
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The essential services a cluster should provide at country level;
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The way clusters should scale up or down according to need;
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The responsibilities of Cluster Lead Agencies and partners within a cluster;
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How coordination costs should ideally be funded in unforeseeable humanitarian emergencies
and in protracted/recurrent emergencies, with reflections on some of the challenges
involved in both contexts;
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The particular challenges NGOs face in meeting the costs of cluster coordination.
Some of the relevant recommendations from this report are:
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Effective cluster and inter-cluster coordination are widely recognised as an essential part of
any humanitarian response that is accountable to affected populations.
As a basis for a more coherent sectoral and overall response, essential outputs and services
should include, at a minimum:
o collective, coordinated assessment, analysis and planning by the cluster to identify
and address gaps, establish priorities, and avoid duplication, as well as monitoring
and evaluating the implementation of the sector strategy and results;
o ensuring the effective use and transfer of information for and between cluster
members, between clusters, and within other elements of the coordination
architecture;
o ensuring the quality of response, including the promotion of appropriate standards
and delivery of services; and advocacy. The cluster should also engage in intercluster coordination activities and ensure due attention to cross-cutting issues.
Wherever possible and when established, cluster coordination mechanisms should
complement and aim to strengthen any existing national/local humanitarian management
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Framework on Cluster Coordination Costs and Functions in Humanitarian Emergencies at the Country Level,
OCHA (May 2011)
4th Pacific Humanitarian Annual Meeting – Background Note
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and coordination systems. The aim is not to set up parallel structures which compete with or
undermine existing ones, but rather to support and build on existing capacity to enhance the
overall response.
Donors have a particular part to play in expressing the value they assign to the INGO role in
taking up coordination functions. Donors should encourage all partners to actively engage in
clusters when shaping emergency proposals and making funding decisions.
While agencies seek assurances that all coordination costs will be covered, from the donor
perspective, full predictability on this is not possible. Where the costs of cluster coordination
are largely unforeseeable due to the size, scale and/or unpredictability of a humanitarian
emergency, funding for cluster coordination activities should come from a combination of
additional contributions to projects and activities in the Flash Appeals, or their equivalent,
and – where there is scope in such budgets to cover sudden needs – from available, often
unearmarked, funding for annual/core budgets.
Donors recognize that partners assuming a coordination and leadership role will have
additional financial needs. Donors will also explore mechanisms to fund NGOs directly for
coordination roles and thus avoid potential dependency upon ‘pass through’ funds.
For the majority of donors, use of mainstreamed funding in foreseeable, protracted and
recurrent crises remains the primary expectation. Donors would expect Cluster Lead
Agencies to prioritize cluster and cross-cutting issue activities in their annual programmes
and budgets, and allocate core (and often unearmarked) funds to them. For this reason,
some donors have increased allocations to unearmarked funds. Donors suggest agencies
that are reliant on project-based budgets to include coordination roles in large project
proposals, as well as to consider how project overheads could also be used to mainstream
cluster coordination costs.
Suva, 17 October 2011
4th Pacific Humanitarian Annual Meeting – Background Note