1. Coordination in International Humanitarian Assistance: Cluster Approach
By: Shandiz Moslehi

2. Disaster Health Management & Risk Reduction Training Course (DHMR)
DHMR curriculum is developed by a joint collaboration between School of Public Health and National Institute of Health Research of Tehran University of Medical Sciences through a grant awarded from International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) and technical consultancy of World Health Organization (WHO) that took place on October 2008.
DHMR-5 Course is organized by:
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Department of Disaster Public Health at the School of Public Health
Department of Health in Emergencies & Disasters at the National Institute of Health Research
Ministry of Health & Medical Education, I.R.Iran
Disaster & Emergency Management Center

3. Introduction Public Messaging Spontaneous Disaster Volunteers
Volunteer Management

4. Public Messaging
Public messages should address if and when spontaneous volunteers are needed and where they should go.

5. Any public information message about spontaneous volunteers should address the following points:
If volunteers are needed
When and where they should come
What type of work the volunteers are most needed for
What volunteers need to bring with them
What volunteer conditions are like

6. Group Work 1
Please draft a public message for spontaneous volunteer for the different scenarios.

7. Spontaneous Disaster Volunteers
In the event of a disaster, volunteers are often needed to aid disaster victims, rebuild communities, educate the public and prepare for future disasters.
Ideally, volunteers would affiliate with organizations prior to a disaster and be able to fill needed roles as necessary.

8. Researchers have identified six different groups of people that tend to converge.

9. Volunteer Management Create a Plan for the Volunteer Program
Recruit and Place Volunteers
Orient and Train Volunteers
Supervise and Recognize Volunteers
Evaluate the Volunteer plan

10. Statistics
Based on 2014 report of Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
17 countries are affected;
568 aid organizations are participating for Humanitarian Assistance (HA);
and there is a large gap between funded and requested fund programs.

11. It is estimated that 102 million people are in need of HA while it was 81 million in December 2013.
Also global financial requirements to cover humanitarian needs are US$17.3 billion compared with 2013 which was US$12.9 billion.
$17.3 billion compares with $6 billion HA expenditure in 1996 shows a level of brilliant assistance funds. Such increases in the level of HA funds are leading to increase the importance of effective allocating .

12. Humanitarian Principles:
As per UN General Assembly Resolution 46/182 (19 December 1991), humanitarian assistance must be provided in accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality.
Humanity: Human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found, with particular attention to the most vulnerable in the population, such as children, women and the elderly. The dignity and rights of all victims must be respected and protected.

13. Neutrality: Humanitarian assistance must be provided without engaging in hostilities or taking sides in controversies of a political, religious or ideological nature.
Impartiality: Humanitarian assistance must be provided without discriminating as to ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political opinions, race or religion. Relief of the suffering must be guided solely by needs and priority must be given to the most urgent cases of distress.

14. Humanitarian Actors Donors National government agencies
Local relief structures and community based organizations
Red cross and red crescent movement
NGOs
Military
UN agencies
Private sector

15. Donors They should be guided.
Based on need assessment and staff availability.

16. National Government Agencies
They should:
Deal with emergency
Coordinate all HA
Distribute help
Monitor all HA
Organized agreed standards
* The primary role is ensuring that the need of affected population is met.

17. Local Relief Structures and Community Based Organizations
First responders are always local population.
CBOs:
Know overall context
Good communication
Know what’s going on
Know what’s needed
* CBOs remain after disasters.

18. Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
They support public authorities.
In natural and man-made disasters
Health services
Promotion of humanitarian values …

19. NGOs They are Non-Governmental Organizations.
They work due their missions and resources.

20. Military National or International OSLO Guideline Out of uniform
No carry arms

21. UN Agencies
OCHA
UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
WFP United Nations World Food Programme
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
WHO World Health Organization
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund
Which one is the chief coordinator in IHA?

22. Private Sector Vehicles, Airplanes, Employees, …
They prefer to give money of food instead of food!
They work more in natural disasters.

23. Introduction to Cluster Approach

24. Humanitarian Reform
A process launched by the international humanitarian community in 2005 to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian response through ensuring greater predictability, accountability and partnership.

25. The key elements are:
(1) the cluster approach;
(2) a strengthened Humanitarian Coordinator System;
(3) more adequate, timely, flexible and effective humanitarian financing; and
(4) the development of strong partnerships between UN and non-UN actors.

26. Why a cluster approach?
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator in 2005 found significant gaps in humanitarian response, such as:
Poor coordination
Insufficient accountability
Inconsistent donor policies …

27. The cluster approach was adopted by the IASC.
The aim was to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the humanitarian response in crises; to increase predictability and accountability in all the main sectors of the international humanitarian response.

28. IASC
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) is an inter-agency forum of UN and non-UN humanitarian partners founded in 1992, to strengthen humanitarian assistance.
The overall objective of the IASC is to improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected populations.

29. Full members of the IASC are the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (HABITAT), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization(WHO). Standing invitees of the IASC are the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the American Council for Voluntary International Action (InterAction), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response and the World Bank.

30. What is the cluster approach
What is the cluster approach? The cluster approach is a way of organizing coordination among humanitarian actors to facilitate joint strategic planning. At country level, it: 1
establishes a clear system of leadership and accountability for international response in each sector, under the overall leadership of the humanitarian coordinator; 2
provides a framework for effective partnerships among international and national humanitarian actors in each sector

31. What is the Aim of Cluster Approach?
The aim is:
to ensure that international responses are appropriately aligned with national structures
to facilitate strong linkages among international organizations, national authorities, national civil society and other stakeholders.

32. At the global level, the aim of the cluster approach is to strengthen system-wide preparedness and technical capacity to respond to humanitarian emergencies by ensuring that there is predictable leadership and accountability in all the main sectors or areas of humanitarian response.

33. When should it be used? It is used in countries
where a Humanitarian Coordinator has been appointed and
should be used in any country faced with a sudden major new emergency requiring a multi-sectoral response with the participation of a wide range of international humanitarian actors.

34. Cluster Approach at Country Level
Cluster Approach at Country Level aims:
To improve strategic field-level coordination and prioritization
Assessment of needs for human, financial and institutional capacity
Emergency preparedness and long term planning
Securing access to appropriate technical expertise

35. Advocacy and resource mobilization
Pooling resources and ensuring of efforts through enhanced partnerships
To strengthen the accountability of Cluster Leads to the Humanitarian Coordinator for different aspects of the humanitarian response where this is lacking

36. IASC Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) Global Level
Emergency Relief Coordinator + OCHA
Global Clusters
NGO Consortia
Humanitarian Country Team (HCT)
National Level
Humanitarian Coordinator +OCHA
In Country Clusters

38. Health cluster

39. The purpose of the Health Cluster
A mechanism for participating organizations to work together in partnership to harmonize efforts and use available resources efficiently within the framework of agreed objectives, priorities and strategies, for the benefit of the affected population(s).

40. Health Cluster functions at country level
1.Coordination mechanisms and inclusion of key actors within the Health Cluster and inter-cluster 2. Relations with other key stakeholders 3. Needs assessment, situation monitoring & analysis, including identifying gaps in health response 4. Strategy development & gap filling 5. Contingency planning

41. 6. Application of standards
7. Training and capacity building, including emergency preparedness
8. Monitoring and reporting
9. Advocacy and resource mobilization

42. When do we use the cluster approach?
In the event of a sudden major new emergency requiring a multi-sectoral response with the participation of a wide range of international humanitarian actors, the cluster approach should be used from the start in planning and organizing the international response.

43. Membership of the Health Cluster
The Health Cluster at national level should normally include:
organizations providing or supporting health services in the affected areas – UN agencies (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA), other international organizations, the national Red Cross/Red Crescent society, international and national NGOs, and representatives of key private-sector health service providers; and
the main health-sector donors and other important stakeholders.

44. What is expected of the Health Cluster Coordinator
Enable cluster partners to be more effective by working together
Facilitating all cluster activities and maintaining a strategic vision
Ensure that needs, risks, capacities and opportunities are assessed at all stages of the humanitarian response
Work with cluster members collectively and individually to identify gaps
Ensure coordination with other clusters in all activities relevant to public health

45. What can the health cluster do
Preparedness planning:
Risk analysis (hazards and vulnerabilities)
Capacity analysis, building and mapping
Contingency/response planning and testing
Hazard monitoring, forecasting, early warning
Information management and communication

46. Principal cluster activities during the different phases of emergency response
Sudden-onset
crisis:
First 24 to 72 hours
Slow-onset crisis:
First 1-2 weeks
Preliminary contacts, activation of the inter-agency contingency plan (if any)
First health cluster coordination meeting(s)
Establishment of a health coordination office and database
Collection of pre-crisis information
Planning the initial rapid assessment

47. Establishment of emergency health information system (field reporting)
Phase 2
Sudden-onset
crisis:
First 4 to 10 days
Slow-onset crisis:
First month
Establishment of emergency health information system (field reporting)
Definition of standards and protocols
Regular health coordination meetings:
up-dated working scenario, resource inventory and gap analyses
agreement on up-dated, gender-sensitive response priorities and actions
Formulation of health sector strategic plan

48. Phase 3
Sudden-onset
crisis:
≈ 4 to 6 weeks
(disaster) to up to
3 months (conflict)
Slow-onset crisis:
≈ 2–3 months
Continuation of regular health coordination meetings (e.g. weekly)
Development of health crisis response strategy
Planning scenario (identified health problems and risks)
Overall objectives, strategies, health cluster action plan
Implementation and monitoring of initial response
Resource mobilization
Frequent up-dating of resource inventory and gap analyses
Establishment of technical working groups, as/when needed

49. Phase 4
(continuing
humanitarian
response &
progressive
recovery)
Continuation of regular health coordination meetings (e.g. bi-weekly)
Periodic up-dating of the planning scenario, and gap analyses
Maintenance of HIS and surveillance
Real-time or mid-term evaluation of sector response
Updating of strategic/action plan with increasing focus on recovery
Contingency planning for possible changes in the situation

50. Key Points
The cluster serves as a mechanism for coordinated assessments, joint analyses, the development of agreed overall priorities, objectives and a health crisis response strategy, and the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation and impact of that strategy.

51. The cluster should enable participating organizations to work together and with local health authorities, harmonize efforts, and use available resources efficiently within the framework of agreed objectives, priorities and strategies.

52. Participating organizations are expected to be proactive partners in assessing needs, developing strategies and plans for the overall health sector response, implementing agreed priority activities, ensuring attention to priority cross cutting issues and adhering to agreed standards, to the maximum extent possible.

53. The organization of the cluster, and relationships with national authorities, depend on the context.

54. Thank you
Thank You