Interagency Contingency Planning and Emergency Preparedness:Challenges and Lessons Learnt

V. Harutyunyan M.D.Head of Health / Merlin

Global Nutrition Cluster Annual MeetingGeneva, 9 – 11 July 2013

Contingency Planning and Emergency Preparedness: definitions

Contingency planning is a management tool used to analyse the impact of potential crises and ensure that adequate and appropriate arrangements are made in

advance to respond in a timely, effective and appropriate way to the needs of the affected population(s). (IASC)

Emergency preparedness consists of all activities taken in anticipation of a crisis to expedite effective emergency

response. This includes contingency planning, but is not limited to it. (HPN paper No59)

Relevance of the Issue

EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database

Relevance of the Issue

Commonly accompanied by food scarcity (Sphere 2011)

Disaster Data: A Balanced Perspective. Cred Crunch issue 31. March 2013

Relevance of the Issue

Uppsala Conflict Data Program

Nutrition in disaster prone and conflict affected countries

• GAM is above 10% in 54% of conflict affected and 25% of disaster prone countries

GAM >10% Stunting >40%

Haiti, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Chad, Eritrea, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Yemen,

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, India, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Yemen

Childinfo.org, UNICEFUppsala Conflict Data ProgramEM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database

Overview of Nutrition Cluster Contingency Planning Status (process)

Coordination Arr. Cluster Partner Contacts

Preparedness Actions

Standby Capacities

• 23 humanitarian nutrition coordination groups, including 21 NC-s currently active: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, CAR, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Ethiopia, Guinea, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Pacific Region, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Yemen

• Sources of data: UNICEF, OCHA, individual NC web sites, Google search

• Criteria: documented CP, indicative elements of CP, timelines of developing CP

Overview of Nutrition Cluster Contingency Planning Status (results)

6

17

Contingency Plan

Yes No

1

5

Developed within 1 year

Yes No

33

Scenarios / Risk ana-lysis

Yes No

2

4

Response Strategies

Yes No

2

4

Coordination Arr.

Yes No

2

4

Cluster Partner Contacts

Yes No

33

Preparedness Actions

Yes No

2

4

Standby Capacities

Yes No

Challenges• Resistance to conduct Contingency Planning• Increasing number of actors, diversity of approaches

and formats• Complexity of inter-cluster contingency planning • Uneven technical and operational capacities of cluster

partners• Rapid staff turnover, loss of institutional memory• Ambiguity of roles and responsibilities • Weak involvement of government• Limited CP guidance, capacity to facilitate CP• Underfunding

Recommendations / Lessons Learnt• Advocate with the HCT, Donors, cluster partners and

governments in support of CP/EP• Give greater attention to the process of CP• Provide leadership to the CP process and encourage

others to do the same• Integrate CP within response planning cycle

Make CP a participatory, multiagency exercise to:

Secure partners’ buy-in and

support

Mobilize technical and operational capacity of

the cluster

Build Capacities

Enhance quality of humanitarian

response

Increase NCC legitimacy and

teamwork within the NC

Recommendations / Lessons Learnt• Advocate with the HCT, Donors, cluster partners and

governments in support of CP/EP• Give greater attention to the process of CP• Provide leadership to the CP process and encourage

others to do the same• Integrate CP within response planning cycle• Make CP a participatory, multiagency exercise• Agree level of detail in advance, keep it simple• Ensure clear allocation of roles with regard to the CP• Regularly test and update CP

Discussion• What challenges have you faced with enhancing

preparedness of nutrition cluster / sector to respond to new emergencies?

• How you have addressed them?• What GNC can do to facilitate / improve country level

Nutrition Clusters contingency planning?