1. Joint Inter-Agency Profiling Service
Shelter Meeting 28 May 2010
Presented by: Sarah Elliott UNHCR

2. What is IDP Profiling?
IDP Profiling is the collaborative process of identifying internally displaced groups or individuals through data collection, including counting, and analysis in order to take action and advocate on behalf of the IDPs, to protect and assist them and eventually, to help bring about a solution to their displacement.
IASC Guidance on Profiling Internally Displaced Persons 2008
Core Data:
Number of persons disaggregated by sex and age
Locations
Additional Data:
Causes of displacement
Patterns of displacement
Protection concerns
Humanitarian needs
Potential group / individual solutions

3. When does IDP Profiling happen?
Some of the indicators of the need for IDP profiling could include and are not limited to:
Lack of baseline information
Lack of figures, disaggregated by sex and age
Many actors, different data and lack of agreed upon figures
Inflation or deflation of figures, and lack of an agreed upon update mechanism
Need for cross-sectoral overview of the situation
Need for figures for planning, assistance and advocacy purposes
IDP profiling could take place during all the phases of a displacement including:
Contingency planning
Emergency phase or sudden onset
Post emergency phase or protracted displacement situations
Return planning phase
Reintegration phase

4. Who is responsible for IDP Profiling?
Wherever appropriate, the national authorities should lead the profiling exercise with international agencies playing a supporting role if necessary.
Where the national government is unable or unwilling to assume its responsibility, it is the role of the United Nations Resident or Humanitarian Coordinator to initiate a profiling exercise in consultation with the country team.
The initiative may be taken, in consultation with the RC and /or HC where relevant, by field based managers, NGOs, Agencies, Cluster forum, inter-cluster forum or local comities.
The main point is that, at all times and in all locations, profiling should be a commonly agreed process among the various involved actors.
The profiling experience shows that most of the exercises has been conducted through the Protection or CCCM cluster where one or two Agencies and/or NGOs took the lead on the process.
JIPS can facilitate this process.

5. What is JIPS?
DRC, NRC-IDMC, OCHA, UNFPA and UNHCR have worked in a collaborative way to set up a Joint IDP Profiling Service (JIPS) that is hosted by UNHCR Geneva, funded by DRC, IDMC, UNHCR and ECHO, and supervised by the founding members in the form of a Steering Committee.
The aim of the JIPS is to assist humanitarian agencies (NGOs, UN and IGOs) to obtain, maintain and update reliable data on internally displaced populations, including undertaking profiling exercises and setting of profiling systems.

6. Why ask for JIPS assistance?
Benefits:
JIPS has Profiling Advisors that are ready to provide guidance in profiling related matters.
JIPS support could be provided:
Remotely: by assisting in the selection of the methodology, developing/reviewing forms, questionnaires, data management system, and reporting plan.
Through deployment of Profiling Advisor for a short period of time (2-3 weeks) to assist in any phase of the profiling exercise.
By referring the operation to a number of demographers, profiling experts and relevant institutions.
JIPS has compiled a number of documents and tools that could be used for the profiling exercise in your operations.
JIPS is ready to provide trainings related to profiling at field, country and regional level.

7. Why ask for JIPS assistance?
Limitations:
JIPS cannot conduct the whole exercise on your behalf.
JIPS cannot fund your operation but it can provide its expertise, assistance, deployment of experts for short periods.
You will need to coordinate the information flow within your cluster and to organize your standard operating procedures to support the system.
You will need to agree on who will carry out the exercise and who will own the data within your cluster. JIPS can facilitate this process.
Your operation will need the capacity to operate and maintain a database.

8. JIPS Contacts UNHCR HQ Geneva
Kimberly Roberson: Chief of Section/ FICSS/ UNHCR
William Chemaly: JIPS Coordinator/ IDP Profiling Advisor
Sarah Elliott: JIPS Training Specialist/ IDP Profiling Advisor
Thank you!