FUNCTION 6 – CONTINGENCY PLAN, PREPAREDNESS AND CAPACITY BUILDING

M6 – S1

Cluster Transition and De-activation

• Cluster de-activation is the closure of a formally-activated cluster supported by the transfer of leadership and accountabilities for the core functions of clusters

• Cluster transition refers to the process by which the transfer of leadership and accountabilities is assessed, planned and implemented over a period of time

Criteria for Cluster De-activation and Transition

The de-activation of clusters is a decision to stand-down one or several clusters because:

1. either the humanitarian needs in a particular sector have sharply decreased or ceased (e.g. when affected people have returned, reintegrated or relocated), or

2. there is increased capacity of national structures to meet the humanitarian needs according to humanitarian principles.

Cluster TransitionGuidance from the Reference Module for Coordination at the Country Level

Government Capacity

Government Engagement

Weak

Strong

Low High

Government Leadership Constrained

Government Leadership Desirable

Five Principles for Transition1. Process is led by HC and HCT – cluster, cluster partners

and national counterparts are of course involved2. Focus on ability to lead and be accountable for Cluster

Functions according to humanitarian principles 3. Based on assessment of National Capacity including

appropriate response and coordination mechanisms4. Informed by the context – deactivation in sudden onset

crises may be a more rapid process than in protracted crises

5. Guided by Early Recovery objectives – emphasise, reinforce and build local capacity

Key Government Linkages for Child Protection

Ministry of Social / Child Welfare

Provincial Social / Child Welfare Office

District Social / Child Welfare Office

National Disaster Management Authority

Provincial Disaster Management Authority

District Disaster Management Authority

Ministry of Interior / Local Government

Provincial Administrator/

Authority

District Administrator/Authority

Legislation: Children’s Act / National Child Protection Authority

Ministries & Child Protection

• Ministry of Women, Children, Social Welfare• Ministry of Disaster Management / Civil Protection• Ministry of Interior / Home Affairs• Ministry of Health• Ministry of Education• Ministry of Justice• Ministry of Labour

Key Questions

• Who is responsible for which aspect of the protection of children?

• Who has statutory power?• What is the coordination hierarchy (Central, provincial, district)?• What is the capacity for CPIE? How is it funded?• Where are policy decisions made and by who?• How do the respective Ministries link to the Disaster

Management Agency? Who take a leadership role in emergencies?

Uganda Child Protection Sub Cluster

Transition: Experiences and Reflections

Background

•Child protection was a Sub Cluster under the Protection Cluster of Humanitarian response to the armed conflict in northern Uganda from 2005.

•UNICEF led the Child Protection sub cluster alongside district local government staff (probation officers)

•Sub Cluster meetings fed into the Protection Cluster under leadership of UNHCR, Human Rights Commission and the government (Office of the Prime Minister).

CP Sub cluster Transition Process •Cluster approach in Uganda was undertaken in 2009 with findings providing basis for transition

•Transition involved identification of government office to handover

• Process initially proved difficult since the Protection Cluster functioned more through sub clusters

•CP sub cluster eventually was 1st to transition within the Protection cluster. UNICEF handed over sub Cluster to Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (Ministry with primary mandate for child protection).

Transition Process Cont’d•Key question during transition – How would agencies that had been part of the sub cluster continue working together under government leadership in absence of a joint work plan?

•The answer was to form a National Child Protection Working Group followed by designing a Child Protection Recovery strategy for Northern Uganda (2009- 2011).

•The strategy defined initial TORs for the National CPWG and provided basis for a joint work-plan.

•Initial CPWG plan was to ensure that the CP Recovery strategy was incorporated within the PRDP (government Program for Reconstruction and Development of Northern Uganda) under Prime Ministers office. However, Phase I of PRDP focused on infrastructure development.

Transition Process Cont’d

•CPWG had to find means of implementing the CP Recovery Strategy for Northern Uganda within its own means; and also advocated for inclusion of strategy components in the Government Social Development Sector Investment Plan.

•In the latter months of CPWG meeting in 2009, actors noted that issues tabled for discussion were not peculiar to northern Uganda; hence the collective decision to shift CPWG focus from only focusing on the conflict affected region to addressing National level child protection concerns.

Reflections on TransitionLessons learned from the transition!

•Considerations for capacity (staff and other resources) are important

•Assumption that the government would allocate resources for CP from the broader Northern Uganda Recovery strategy was wrong. A Plan B needed to be created

•Strengthened government (Primary Ministry) position in coordinating efforts of national level child protection actors through CPWG structure

•A broad range of child protection stakeholders joined the CPWG (UN agencies, Funding agencies, international NGOs, Government sectors and institutions with a child protection mandate). On Average CPWG meetings attendance is 30 agencies.

•CPWG agenda broadened beyond CPiE

•National CPWG as a multi-sectoral coordination mechanism for CP actors (state and non-state) has aligned well with the global and national shift of focus from segmented child protection interventions to a systems approach to child protection.

CPWG current structure and activities•Ministry of Gender Chairs the working Group and hosts its coordination office. •Coordination office facilitated under a public-private partnership between the government Ministry and CSO members in the working Group•Activities: Jointly work-plan developed by members through a consultative process covering a broad range of child protection areas i.e. capacity building of social welfare workforce; research and learning; review of child protection laws, policies and strategies; Resourcing for child protection and Instituting Accountability mechanisms.•CPWG Annual budget supported by both grants and resources mobilized locally from within member organizations

Looking Ahead…•Uganda concluded country mapping of child protection systems in 2013.•In reference to the Child protection systems mapping report and other evidence around children without appropriate care, CPWG developed its medium term (2014-2016) strategy framework.•Consultation process for developing the national child protection strategy has commenced and CPWG is earmarked to participate in this process.•National CPWG mandate will be further reviewed based on the provisions in the National child protection strategy to be drafted by end of 2014.

What is Preparedness? and Contingency Planning?

Emergency preparedness is the state of readiness to respond to emergencies in a given context. It refers to measures taken before an emergency to mitigate the impact.

Within that field, contingency planning is a process to develop a plan to respond to a specific situation when things could go wrong (i.e.80 000 – 100 000 displaced into XX district because of flooding)

What is Contingency Planning?

Contingency planning is a tool and a process to anticipate and solve problems that typically arise during humanitarian response:

Implement preparedness actions

Analyse potential emergencies

Analyse potentialimpact

Establish clear obj. & strategies

Example:

Due to unusual weather patterns, Abari islands are at risk of large-scale flooding this year.

Example:

Up to 1.5 million people would be displaced from their homes and 50% of domestic crop production would be wiped out.

Example:

Preventing abuse and exploitation.

Family tracing systems in place and working.

Ensuring sufficient support to vulnerable children and families.

Example:

Raise awareness of preventive measures.

Pre/post emergency supplies in risk areas.

Reinforce local social services/education.

Development of likely disaster scenarios based on risk analyses with estimates of numbers of affected people and types of impact

Capacity mapping of government and humanitarian agencies

Identification of roles and responsibilities for components of emergency response

Establishment of multi-sectoral and sectoral coordination mechanisms

Response matrices prepared by all sectors

Preparedness actions such as developing uniform assessment instruments, supply stockpiling and long term agreements, disaster management training

Contingency Planning

• Build on existing crisis management and contingency plans, structures and projects – avoid introduction of parallel contingency measures

• Clearly agreed objectives, response strategies, and action plans for possible and likely scenarios

• Application of international & national policy & standards• Ensure an inclusive process to identify risks, vulnerabilities,

consequences and possible rights violations• Identify gaps in information or projected response• Assess institutional capacities and partnerships in order to strengthen

key relationships• Ensure there is a mechanism to review and update plans

Contingency responsibility for the Coordination Group

• Dedicated leadership• Appropriate resources• Investment in planning process, not just

planning document

Commitment

• Effective leadership• Clear management and coordination• Prioritization of key issues• Appropriate delegation • Clear process and milestones• Continuous communication

Execution

• Engagement of all stakeholders • Inclusion of government in meaningful

role• Effective information sharing

Inclusion

Failure in any one area diminishes the quality of the contingency planning process and results.

• Taking action on planning recommendations

• Integration of contingency plans at sector and organizational levels

Follow up

SUCCESS CRITERIA

“It is better to plan when it is not needed, than not to have planned when it was necessary.”

Contingency Planning…

Let’s agree on our next steps…