Pacific Logistics Cluster
Pacific Humanitarian Team Workshop
December 2010
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What is the Logistics Cluster?
A Group of organisations working together to improve the
logistics response during emergencies
Pacific Humanitarian Team Workshop – December 2010
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The Global Logistics Cluster Support Cell (GLCSC)
Since 2007, the Logistics Cluster has had a dedicated Cell, based in the Logistics
Division of WFP Rome HQ, consisting in a team of multi-skilled logisticians drawn
from: WFP, ACF, CARE International, WVI, MSB, UNICEF and UNHCR
Main activities:
Provides field Clusters with strategy, policy guidance, mobilisation support and /
or surge capacity
 Advocate for and support preparedness / capacity building projects
 Promote the integration of services, systems and information
 Facilitate the exploitation of shared assets, aptitudes and competencies
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The Logistics Cluster in the field
 Important
 Does not provide services itself but rather coordinates services
provided by participating organisations, private companies…(the
Logistics Cluster is not a legal entity!)
 Does not attempt to run logistics on behalf of participating
organisations, but rather aims at strengthening their own logistics
through the provision of services.
 Keep in mind that Cluster support services are temporary. So
organisations should work on securing their own supply chain
from the onset of the emergency
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1. What was required
4. What Purchasing ordered
2. What engineering suggested
5. What was delivered
3. What administration approved
6. As maintenance installed it
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Some Synthesis and Lessons Learnt form past activations:
 Assets and coordination on the ground, scale of emergency, requirements of
humanitarian actors set the stage for scale and scope of the cluster’s activities =>
different emergencies = different set ups
 Key conditions for all circumstances: engagement of all actors, professional
information flow via meetings, Logistics Cluster website, clear designation of tasks
to the various actors
 Dedicated Logistics Cluster Officers (including NGO secondments) distinct from
staff managing WFP day to day operations
 Flexibility and engagement of all actors key to a successful Cluster
 Still need for further preparedness & consultation on SOP's
 Systems to be revised/enhanced
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Lessons Learnt – Samoa 2009
 The logistics meetings provided NDMO with a wider forum for information exchange and
planning, which strengthened their overall management and coordination of the disaster
response
 Issues discussed at the meetings helped to identify gaps in the logistics support structures
at a policy level, that will feed into revision of the National Disaster Management Plan
 Procedures and guidelines established for the handling of the HMNZS Canterbury assisted
NDMO in preparing for the arrival of future aid consignments
 The role of the Logistics Cluster was not widely understood within the humanitarian
community and the region as a whole. It is not simply to be “a provider of last resort” for
additional equipment and services
 NDMO’s breadth of responsibility for the operational functions of the disaster response
placed strain on their overall management of the emergency relief programme
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Pacific Logistics Cluster
Some background
• 2008 : creation of the PHT, recommendation for Logistics Cluster activation
and WFP to take on its role as Cluster Lead.
• 2009: First evaluation mission to determine potential role for WFP,
Deployment of cluster staff to support the Samoa Tsunami response &
participation in 2nd PHT annual workshop – the Pacific Logistics Cluster
project is written and proposed to donors
• 2010: missions to initiate Logistics Capacity Assessments, engagement with
other regional partners, contingency planning workshop in Tonga, Set-up of
Malaysia Regional cell & participation in 3rd PHT annual workshop
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Objectives
• Strengthen the logistics capability of NDMOs and other
humanitarian actors throughout the Pacific.
• Focus on Logistics preparedness, readiness and coordination
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Logistics Challenges : feedback from session with NDMOs
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Limited air/sea assets in country
Prioritization in use of assets
Lack of standard contracts
Requisition system in case of emergencies
Disorganized used of assets / lack of SOPs
Private resources are very expensive
Storage: Lack of facilities in forward bases
Items required for response are usually not available in quality
and quantity in country
• Customs clearance and Quarantine issues
• Few dedicated logistics staff
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Logistics Challenges : feedback from session with NDMOs
•
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Limited air/sea assets in country
Prioritization in use of assets
Lack of standard contracts
Requisition system in case of emergencies
Disorganized used of assets / lack of SOPs
Private resources are very expensive
Storage: Lack of facilities in forward bases
Items required for response are usually not available in quality
and quantity in country
• Customs clearance and Quarantine issues
• Few dedicated logistics staff
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Does the customs law have any provisions about?
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Simplified paperwork requirements for emergencies?
Waivers of duties, tariffs and fees (including storage fees pending clearance)?
Reduction of import, transit, or export restrictions in disaster settings?
Priority clearance for relief goods and equipment?
Pre-clearance procedures for relief goods and equipment or reduction of
inspection requirements?
Clearance outside normal business hours and at outside of customs offices, if
necessary?
Re-exportation of equipment and unused goods?
Does the DM or telecommunications law provide exceptions to
import/export restrictions?
Does it allow for speedy licensing or waiver of license requirements in
disasters?
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Logistics Challenges in the Pacific
• Special attention to be paid to the hire of daily laborers.
• Lack of standing arrangements with private logistics providers.
• Liaison / Coordination between national and districts levels could
be improved.
• High cost of facilities, transport & services in some countries.
• Few suitable maritime assets – dependence on military assets
• Limited warehouse capacities outside of main towns
• NDMOs have access to limited logistics resources and a lack of
experienced dedicated logistics staff
• Limited viable air assets under the control of the host government
• Customs procedures can be very time consuming and
bureaucratically heavy.
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Pacific Logistics Cluster
2011-12
• Deployment of personnel within the Pacific region to support humanitarian
organisations and NDMOs.
• Logistics Capacity Assessments
• Technical logistics trainings to be organized in pilot countries
• In the event of an emergency, based on request in country, surge capacity
can be deployed with a primary focus would be on Coordination and
Information Management
• Funding to secure for sustained activities
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Countries of focus 2011-12
Phase 1:
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Vanuatu
Fiji
Phase 2:
Samoa
Tonga
Niue Cook Islands
Tokelau
Phase 3:
Kiribas / Tuvalu
Nauru / Palau
FSM / Marshall
Islands
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The Regional Logistics Cluster Cell / Asia + Pacific
• Interacts with all of humanitarian actors in the region to ensure close
collaboration in humanitarian logistics.
• Ensures that the Logistics Cluster activities are fully integrated with and
complimentary to other on-going initiatives.
• Pursues options for joint trainings, secondments and staff exchanges, with
other humanitarian organizations.
• Prepare baseline information such as country specific Logistics Capacity
Assessments (LCAs)
• Promote the Cluster approach within the humanitarian community in the
region.
• Deploy to regional humanitarian emergencies as required.
• Based in KL Malaysia.
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Logistics Capacity Assessments (LCA)
• As part of preparedness activities,
the Logistics Cluster conducts
formal evaluations documenting
critical logistics information on
port/airport
capacities,
road
networks,
storage
facilities,
handling procedures, labour rates
and local transportation resources
in countries can be utilized for
planning
and
emergency
responses.
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Logistics Capacity Assessments (LCA)
• Supports for Contingency Planning activities;
• Preparation of Emergency Response Operational Plans;
• Improving resource requirements assessments at planning
stage of an emergency response;
• Reducing overall response time in the delivery process of relief
items;
• Increase access to all beneficiaries;
• Decrease cost of transportation at onset and over the course of
the operation;
• Provide detailed briefing material for relief staff unfamiliar to
the region.
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Logistics Training
In-house technical expertise on
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Port Operations
Contracting
Air operations
Warehouse Management
Tracking of relief goods
• Disaster Response simulations
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Coordination & Information Management
• The Logistics Cluster can facilitate meetings / collaboration in emergencies
with NGOs, UN agencies, civil society groups and military actors to improve
coordination, share crucial information in support of the NDMOs’ decisionmaking process.
• During emergencies the Logistics Cluster will as a focal point for the
collection, analysis and dissemination of logistics related data through
standardized documents including: situation reports, logistics bulletins,
meeting minutes, updates, information on customs procedures, maps on
infrastructure and specific reports to the entire Humanitarian Community
Responders.
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Information Management Key Products 1/2
Concept of Operations: In order to improve
coordination and to make the best use of available
logistics assets on the ground, a Concept of
Operations help actors to agree on a specific set-up
and can outline roles, responsibilities, and
procedures.
Standard Operating Procedures: Once the concept has
been endorsed by the actors involved, it is built into more
detailed documents such as the Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs). This document attempts to capture on
paper the plan to ‘operationalise’ the Logistics support for
the humanitarian assistance.
Information Management Key Products 2/2
Situation Reports: The Logistics Cluster Sitreps
are the main regular written summary key
logistics facts, events and issue. They should be
produced on a regular schedule determined by
the need on the ground.
Meeting Minutes: The meeting minutes’
intent is to represent, through bullet points,
the major issues touched during the logistic
cluster meeting
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Primary archive and publication mechanism for all
Logistics Cluster information products as well
as detailed information on logistics facilities
and activities
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Service Mindset training
• Interactive, e-Learning programme designed to improve the communication
and coordination skills of humanitarian logisticians and in turn improve the
quality of partnerships between humanitarian organisations and ultimately
the delivery of assistance to beneficiaries.
• Based on the results of an in-depth interagency consultation process that
combined input from expert logisticians from across the humanitarian
community, the SMT was created to provide the soft skills needed in today’s
changing humanitarian response environment.
• The training is divided into five core modules that each provides the
necessary tools, theory and exercises to guide logisticians through skills in
the areas of: meeting management, presentations, team leadership,
negotiation and most essentially Service Mindset.
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Service Mindset training
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LOG: Logistics Operational Guide
• Based on information from manuals from over 28 humanitarian
organisations, academia and the private sector.
• A single source of best practices
• Intended to be of use for all humanitarian logisticians, regardless
of the size of their organisation, or its area of expertise.
• Available in an offline and online version
• A dynamic tool: updated on a regular basis
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Logistics
Operational
Guide
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Thank You
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