INTER-AGENCY STANDING COMMITTEE IASC TRANSFORMATIVE AGENDA MISSION TO CHAD. Mission Report and Recommendations. 23 October 2012

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1 INTER-AGENCY STANDING COMMITTEE IASC TRANSFORMATIVE AGENDA MISSION TO CHAD Mission Report and Recommendations 23 October 2012 I. Background 1. The IASC Working Group (WG) was tasked with operationalizing the Principals Transformative Agenda, and specifically with ensuring that it is implemented at the field level. One of the priorities identified by the WG was to validate elements of the Transformative Agenda, to determine their applicability and relevance to various types of humanitarian response contexts. An initial field mission took place in April 2012 to South Sudan, and a decision was subsequently taken to also undertake a field mission to Chad and potentially to other locations as well. The field validations enable the IASC to learn how key elements of the Transformative Agenda are being implemented in different contexts, as well as to identify additional actions, to strengthen each respective humanitarian response operation. 2. The IASC mission comprised a team of experienced senior operations managers from UNHCR, WFP, SCHR, UNICEF, FAO and OCHA and was supported by the IASC Secretariat. The mission members concentrated on the following elements of the Transformative Agenda: i) leadership, ii) coordination; iii) strategic planning and monitoring and iv) accountability to affected people. Given the specific operational context, the issue of resilience was also given prominence and was the subject of a separate session with the RC/HC, a consultant attached to the RC office, and members of the country team 3. Preparation for the mission included a series of telephone conferences between the HCT and the mission team clarifying the objectives of the mission. Following these teleconferences, the HCT conducted a self-assessment against the various elements of the Transformative Agenda. The HC and several HCT members told the mission team that given the many concurring emergency situations they had had to deal with over past year, it was one of the first times that they had come together to spend time thinking strategically about how they are working together as a team in Chad. This helped prepare the group work when the mission arrived in Ndjamena. 4. During the mission, the mission team members walked the HCT through the Transformative Agenda and helped them to assess their progress against each of the elements in the Transformative Agenda, and to identify actions required to ensure full 1

2 alignment. Following initial discussions with humanitarian agencies and the Government in N Djamena, the mission team split in three groups and engaged in discussions with colleagues in sub-national hubs during a two day visit to Farchana in the east (refugee context) and Mao in the north (food security context). A third group meanwhile continued discussions with government and donor representatives in N Djamena. 5. The mission concluded with a half-day retreat in N Djamena during which the HCT validated the results of the assessment and decided to formulate an action plan. In essence, the mission has provided support to the HCT to kick start the implementation of key elements of the Transformative Agenda in their humanitarian operations. II. Context of Chad 6. Chad is adjacent to the unstable areas of Darfur and the Central African Republic and it shares a border with Libya. Chad represents a typical case of a contiguum in which a wide variety of recurring or prolonged crises co-exist such as floods in southern and eastern Chad, almost bi-annual cholera epidemics, a large and long standing refugee and displaced populations situation in the east, Chadians returning from Libya in the North, and Chadians fleeing violence in Niger in the West. In the Sahel region, the peak of the nutrition crisis has momentarily passed as rains have improved, and a better harvest is expected. However, food insecurity and severe acute malnutrition levels remain high. Chad is 183/187 in the 2011 Human Development Index. III. The applicability of the Transformative Agenda in Chad 7. The mission and the HCT found that all elements of the Coordination and Accountability pillars of the Transformative Agenda are applicable in Chad. Within the Leadership pillar, certain elements of the Transformative Agenda do not apply to Chad because it is not designated a Level 3 emergency. 1 However, the HCT fully acknowledged that exercising strong leadership is also essential in a non-level 3 emergency and, therefore, all the remaining elements of leadership in the transformative agenda are fully applicable and relevant. These elements are detailed in the leadership section of the action plan in annex. IV. The Current Application of the Transformative Agenda in Chad 8. Although the Transformative Agenda is being applied in Chad, several gaps in application were noted by the team in its discussions with HCT members, donors, government officials and by those interviewed in the two field visits. 9. These gaps, which are detailed in annex, include: Leadership by the HC: The HC/HCT have not put in place an information management system and lack a performance analysis tool, both of which could 1 These were the Inter-Agency Rapid Response Mechanism, empowered leadership of the HC during the first 3 months and the subsequent automatic funding allocations. 2

3 provide the HC/HCT with improved information and analysis to support their strategic decision making. Strategic Planning: The absence of a good strategic plan separate from the CAP, has led to a siloed, sectoral approach to the humanitarian response with an overemphasis on the appeal/project component of the CAP. There has also been very limited inter-cluster analysis of assessment data which has prevented the HCT from agreeing on a well-defined synthesis of humanitarian needs that would serve as the basis for the strategic plan. A properly informed and developed strategic plan would allow the HCT to develop strategies for preparedness in recurrent emergencies, transition to development and better thinking through a resilience lens. Clusters: Although the seven clusters in Chad have formal TORs, they serve more as mechanisms for information sharing than for strategic decision-making and guiding humanitarian action. Cluster Lead organizations in some cases lack funding for dedicated cluster coordinators, but even where resources were available, this did not always lead to better cluster coordination. Information flow within and among clusters has not been fully systematized. Vertical communication within clusters could be improved. Meetings at different locations and levels could be better harmonized. Accountability to Affected People: Many agencies incorporate principles of accountability to affected populations in the implementation of their programs. The HCT felt that the Task Team on Accountability should provide more clarity, improved tools and assistance in order to ensure that the different elements of the Operational Framework are well understood by government officials, NGOs, UN agencies and other actors and can be integrated across the board in the humanitarian response. 10. The mission and HCT jointly identified priority areas for improvement (inter-cluster coordination, strategic planning, performance monitoring) and agreed on a number on actions to be taken. While some actions will require an initial investment of resources and capacity building support, many of them can be achieved through strong and shared management commitment across the HCT and through the strategic use of existing resources. 11. Despite the constraints noted, many of the HCT s good practices are aligned with the Transformative Agenda as a natural outcome of good programming, a positive spirit towards coordination and experience in CAP preparation. In other words, application of the Transformative Agenda is a result of good practices, rather than an extensive knowledge of the Transformative Agenda. 12. It was further noted that the HCT and the clusters in Chad have established effective mechanisms to work together with the Government of Chad and to develop, where necessary, capacity to work closely together on humanitarian issues. Examples include 3

4 cluster co-chairing arrangements with the government; enhancing preparedness for recurrent emergencies (cholera); and developing conflict resolution mechanisms to deal with land disputes. The team found that all of these initiatives were extremely participatory, and helped to build strong national capacity for working hand-in-hand with the humanitarian community, but that more consistent investment to support these initiatives was required. 13. There is a consensus between the IASC mission, donor representatives, government and the HCT that in a risk prone and crisis-affected country like Chad, humanitarian assistance in these crisis countries needed to be complemented by resilience building activities. The HC is proposing to seek funding to test a resilience model in Chad 2. Supporting resilience means simultaneous short-term, medium-term and longer-term interventions and that multi-year, flexible funding mechanisms are needed. V. Follow-up to the Chad mission, further IASC missions and roll-out of the Transformative Agenda 14. While the primary purpose of the IASC Transformative Agenda mission to Chad was to validate the Transformative Agenda in a non-l3 environment, the team also helped the HC and HCT to assess applicability of and progress against Transformative Agenda benchmarks, and to develop an action plan for improving performance in a number of Transformative Agenda areas (please see annex). 15. The success of the Chad exercise can be attributed in large part to the interagency composition of the mission team and the thorough preparation of the HCT in Chad. It is the view of this team that system-wide implementation of the Transformative Agenda will not be achieved simply by agency Principals communicating the framework to their representatives in the field, or by organizations sending an individual or individuals to the field to support Transformative Agenda implementation. Despite the fact that there has been some communication with the field about the Transformative Agenda, there was relatively little understanding in Chad of what it is all about. This lack of understanding has also been observed by IASC members in other countries. HCs and Humanitarian Country Teams need to clearly see the commitment of IASC Principals to the Transformative Agenda, and perhaps one of the most effective ways to demonstrate this is by sending an interagency team of senior officials to work directly with the members of a Humanitarian Country Team on Transformative Agenda implementation. 16. The IASC Principals have recommended 4-5 Transformative Agenda validation missions in 2013 which would also serve the purpose of further rolling out the Transformative Agenda as a key element within an overall communication plan. The IASC Transformative Agenda Chad mission team recommends following the same approach 2 The Chad pilot will attempt to suggest that the best way to build resilience is to make simultaneous and complementary investments into human resilience (strengthening of livelihoods and economic opportunities at the individual, household and community level) and into institutional resilience (such as provision of essential services in health, education and rule of law). 4

5 and modalities used in Chad for further Transformative Agenda missions in different humanitarian contexts. These include : Team composition: Director/Deputy Director level officials from 3-4 UN agencies and at least one or more NGO or NGO coordinating body representatives, with support provided by the IASC Secretariat. Preparatory teleconferences with the concerned HC/HCT beginning at least one month from the start of the mission. HC/HCT self-assessment against the Transformative Agenda prior to mission team arrival days on the ground including plenary discussions with the HCT, group work, field visits (where possible), meetings with government officials and donors. Findings validated during an HCT retreat at the end of the mission and, where an action plan is elaborated with the HCT, modalities established to monitor and support the implementation of this plan 17. The results of the IASC Transformative Agenda Chad mission will be communicated widely among IASC partners. This may lead to requests from other HCs/HCTs for similar missions. Alternatively, IASC Principals may wish to identify a list of 5 or more priority countries, and to designate an HCT member in each of those countries to champion a Transformative Agenda self-assessment and advocate for an IASC Transformative Agenda implementation mission. In order to multiply the outreach of these missions, HCT members from other countries may be invited to join the teams. The results of these missions and subsequent periodic follow-up with the HC/HCT in the targeted operations - will allow the IASC to track progress against Transformative Agenda implementation, and to more clearly communicate these results to donors. It should be noted that an IASC Transformative Agenda Implementation mission will clearly help an HC/HCT to assess its progress against the Transformative Agenda, and that strengthening different aspects of Transformative Agenda implementation may require additional technical support. Drafted by: Lauren Landis (WFP), Rodrigue Vinet (FAO), Henrik Nordentoft (UNHCR), Akhil Iyer (UNICEF), Charles-Antoine Hofmann (SCHR), Andrew Wyllie (OCHA), Niels Scott (OCHA), Björn Hofmann (IASC Secretariat), in consultation with the HC/HCT in Chad 5

6 Documents reviewed and discussed during the mission: Transformative Agenda Chapeau and Compendium IASC power point on the Transformative Agenda IASC Principals and Working Group decisions Transformative Agenda Protocols Paper on Empowered Leadership System-wide activation of an L3 Coordination Cluster Coordination Reference Module Strategic planning and monitoring Draft paper on the humanitarian program cycle MIRA summary Accountability to affected populations Operational framework for accountability to affected populations Tools for accountability to affected populations Chad specific documents CAP 2012 Overview humanitarian coordination mechanisms in Chad HCT agreed ToRs for cluster activation and deactivation in Chad 6