Coordination of Disaster Response Preparedness Activities
Print this pageIt should be noted that a lot of information on coordination is already provided in other parts of this Toolkit, such as contingency planning or institutional and legal frameworks and is also available on other website. A key website for information on the coordination approach that the international humanitarian community is promoting, the cluster approach, is HumanitarianReform.org. This page is divided into:
Coordination in the preparedness phase: an overview
In order for coordination between the various actors in the response to a humanitarian crisis to be effective, it needs to take place and properly performed in the preparedness phase. For the humanitarian community, one of the key tools in helping to ensure proper coordination in the preparedness phase between the various actors, are the IASC Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines. They provide guidance to the international humanitarian community to "organize itself to support and complement national action" recognizing the fact that "governments hold primary responsibility for providing humanitarian assistance to people in need".
Governments have usually created various different coordination structures. The role of the international community, including humanitarian actors, is to support and complement and where possible enhance national action. This support should be provided in a coordinated manner as underlined by the IASC Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines, the Humanitarian Reform approach as well as the Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance (para. 9.2), amongst others.
Following the Humanitarian Response Review of 2005 (see also HumanitarianReform.org), the cluster approach was proposed as a way of addressing gaps and strengthening the effectiveness of humanitarian response through building partnerships and improving coordination. Moreover, the cluster approach ensures predictability and accountability in international responses to humanitarian emergencies, by clarifying the division of labour among organisations, and better defining their roles and responsibilities within the different sectors of the response. It is about making the international humanitarian community more structured, accountable and professional, so that it can be a better partner for host governments, local authorities and local civil society.
At the country level, coordination structures take on various different forms. UN agencies, often together with their partners, might have created a Disaster Management Team (DMT), sometimes with more technical level working groups created that report to the DMT and that are in charge of ongoing preparedness activities (these are often called technical working groups, emergency technical teams or otherwise). The Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines actually recommend the establishment of "on-going, technical level working groups on preparedness and contingency planning" (p.13) at the country level. - Field coordination mechanisms are also often called IASC Country Teams, Humanitarian Country Teams or otherwise. The name usually changes with respect to membership. Whereas a DMT is generally rather UN centric, the latter mentioned coordination structures are more broad based including NGOs, the Red Cross Movement, the Government, donors and/ or others, in line with the spirit of the Humanitarian Reform.
Resource material
Contingency Planning page of this Toolkit.
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Resource material on the Cluster Approach and the Humanitarian Reform: HumanitarianReform.org where you will find the IASC Guidance Note on Using the Cluster Approach to Strengthen Humanitarian Response, 24 November 2006 and the Generic Terms of Reference for Sector/Cluster Leads at the Country Level and many other guidance documents and tools.
UNDMTP, The Role and Responsibilities of the United Nations Disaster Management Team, 2002. This document is one of a series of training modules prepared with inter-agency efforts for the UN Disaster Management Training Programme (DMTP). It is designed to inform members of the United Nations Disaster Management Team (UNDMT) about their roles and responsibilities in the several important aspects of preparing for and responding to disasters and emergencies. The module is also meant to be useful to HQ staff at all levels for reference and insight on their interaction with other international actors involved in preparedness and response at national and international level. In addition, the module aims to improve the co-ordination and inter-action of all actors within and without the UN Systems during all phases of the emergency/crisis and disaster management. The module covers the fundamentals of what a UNDMT is and does and how it relates to other coordination mechanisms. It includes the standard Terms of Reference of a UNDMT.
Civil Military Coordination: UN-CMCoord is the essential dialogue and interaction between civilian and military actors in humanitarian emergencies that is necessary to protect and promote humanitarian principles, avoid competition, minimise inconsistency, and when appropriate pursue common goals. The focal point for UN-CMCoord in the UN system is the Civil-Military Coordination Section (CMCS) of OCHA (Geneva). CMCS provides the international community with a range of services including: common training, support for exercises, internationally agreed guidelines, operational capabilities in the form of deployable UN-CMCoord Officers, and the mobilisation and coordination of military and civil defence assets (MCDA). It can be contacted via email at cmcs@un.org or fax at +41 (0) 22 917 03 63. Further contact details can be found here.
- Guidelines on National Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction, UN/ISDR, 03.2007, Geneva (also in Spanish and French): This document provides guidance to establish or strengthen National Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction (National Platforms for DRR). The Guidelines define a National Platform for DRR as "multi-stakeholder national mechanism that serves as an advocate of DRR at different levels. It provides coordination, analysis and advice on areas of priority requiring concerted action". The Guidelines seek to provide "some experience-based general orientation on how to form, run andsustain National Platforms for DRR". For further information, see PreventionWeb.net or UNISDR.org
The Flash Appeal is a tool for structuring a coordinated humanitarian response for the first three to six months of an emergency. Flash Appeals present an early strategic response plan and specific projects within 5-7 days of the onset of the emergency. Flash Appeals present a good opportunity to present preparedness projects to donors - especially if the disaster is a cyclical event, and/or the affected area has been determined as a high disaster risk. For more information on Flash Appeals and their procedures, see HumanitarianAppeal.net where you will also find a training tool kit.
The Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) has, since its inception, become the humanitarian sector’s main tool for coordination, strategic planning and programming. As a planning mechanism, the CAP has contributed significantly to developing a more strategic approach to the provision of humanitarian aid. As a coordination mechanism the CAP has fostered closer cooperation between governments, donors, aid agencies, the Red Cross Movement and non-governmental organisations. Disaster Preparedness projects could be considered for inclusion in a CAP document if they meet the CAP critieria established by the Humanitarian Coordinator. For more information on the CAP and their procedures, see HumanitarianAppeal.net where you will also find a training tool kit.
Contingency Planning page of this Toolkit.
-
Resource material on the Cluster Approach and the Humanitarian Reform: HumanitarianReform.org where you will find the IASC Guidance Note on Using the Cluster Approach to Strengthen Humanitarian Response, 24 November 2006 and the Generic Terms of Reference for Sector/Cluster Leads at the Country Level and many other guidance documents and tools.
UNDMTP, The Role and Responsibilities of the United Nations Disaster Management Team, 2002. This document is one of a series of training modules prepared with inter-agency efforts for the UN Disaster Management Training Programme (DMTP). It is designed to inform members of the United Nations Disaster Management Team (UNDMT) about their roles and responsibilities in the several important aspects of preparing for and responding to disasters and emergencies. The module is also meant to be useful to HQ staff at all levels for reference and insight on their interaction with other international actors involved in preparedness and response at national and international level. In addition, the module aims to improve the co-ordination and inter-action of all actors within and without the UN Systems during all phases of the emergency/crisis and disaster management. The module covers the fundamentals of what a UNDMT is and does and how it relates to other coordination mechanisms. It includes the standard Terms of Reference of a UNDMT.
Civil Military Coordination: UN-CMCoord is the essential dialogue and interaction between civilian and military actors in humanitarian emergencies that is necessary to protect and promote humanitarian principles, avoid competition, minimise inconsistency, and when appropriate pursue common goals. The focal point for UN-CMCoord in the UN system is the Civil-Military Coordination Section (CMCS) of OCHA (Geneva). CMCS provides the international community with a range of services including: common training, support for exercises, internationally agreed guidelines, operational capabilities in the form of deployable UN-CMCoord Officers, and the mobilisation and coordination of military and civil defence assets (MCDA). It can be contacted via email at cmcs@un.org or fax at +41 (0) 22 917 03 63. Further contact details can be found here.
- Guidelines on National Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction, UN/ISDR, 03.2007, Geneva (also in Spanish and French): This document provides guidance to establish or strengthen National Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction (National Platforms for DRR). The Guidelines define a National Platform for DRR as "multi-stakeholder national mechanism that serves as an advocate of DRR at different levels. It provides coordination, analysis and advice on areas of priority requiring concerted action". The Guidelines seek to provide "some experience-based general orientation on how to form, run andsustain National Platforms for DRR". For further information, see PreventionWeb.net or UNISDR.org
The Flash Appeal is a tool for structuring a coordinated humanitarian response for the first three to six months of an emergency. Flash Appeals present an early strategic response plan and specific projects within 5-7 days of the onset of the emergency. Flash Appeals present a good opportunity to present preparedness projects to donors - especially if the disaster is a cyclical event, and/or the affected area has been determined as a high disaster risk. For more information on Flash Appeals and their procedures, see HumanitarianAppeal.net where you will also find a training tool kit.
The Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) has, since its inception, become the humanitarian sector’s main tool for coordination, strategic planning and programming. As a planning mechanism, the CAP has contributed significantly to developing a more strategic approach to the provision of humanitarian aid. As a coordination mechanism the CAP has fostered closer cooperation between governments, donors, aid agencies, the Red Cross Movement and non-governmental organisations. Disaster Preparedness projects could be considered for inclusion in a CAP document if they meet the CAP critieria established by the Humanitarian Coordinator. For more information on the CAP and their procedures, see HumanitarianAppeal.net where you will also find a training tool kit.