Visión general

The HPC is a component of the Transformative Agenda (TA) that strives to improve accountability to affected populations by ensuring that the delivery of assistance is a result of effective and timely planning. It is a process though which all humanitarian actors cooperate to achieve collective results. The HPC is composed of a coordinated series of actions that help the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) prepare for, manage and deliver humanitarian response. The HPC seeks to meet the needs of affected populations by clearly defining the complementary roles and responsibilities of the different organizations involved in a response. It redefines the way in which international humanitarian actors engage - with each other, with national and local authorities, and with people affected by crises - to achieve more effective, efficient, predictable and transparent outcomes.

Descripción

The HPC consists of six elements, with one step building on the previous and leading to the next:

1) Emergency Preparedness and Response (ERP)

Preparedness measures put in place prior to a crisis. It involves anticipating emergencies that are likely to occur and establishing components of the response in advance. The ERP stresses that preparedness is a continuous process that needs to understand risk and design relevant actions. The approach is comprised of three elements: i) risk analysis and monitoring; ii) minimum preparedness actions and iii) contingency planning.

2) Needs Assessment and Analysis

Needs assessments provide the evidence base upon which humanitarian response is designed. The intended result of a joint assessment and analysis is a harmonized situation analysis that provides the information needed to develop common strategic objectives, operational planning and enable inter-sectoral and inter-agency planning.

The Multi-Cluster/Sector Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) is a joint assessment tool that can be used in sudden onset emergencies, including IASC System-Wide L3 Responses. It serves as a precursor to cluster/sectoral needs assessments.

In protracted crises, the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) describes the impact of the humanitarian crisis, provides and explains an estimate of which population groups have been affected, analyses their situation and gives an overview of the operational environment. The HNO captures both the current situation and the projected evolution of needs during the planning cycle. Developing an HNO is a process by which the humanitarian community collaboratively analyses existing humanitarian information and reaches a shared understanding of the most pressing issues and of the likely evolution of the situation, in order to inform the country team's strategic response.

In protracted crises, the HNO can be used instead of or subsequent to a MIRA.

3) Strategic Response Planning

Response planning enables the humanitarian community to more effectively respond to the needs of the affected population. The process is led by the HCT and defines activities, identifies needed resources and helps ensure that all stakeholders are working towards a common goal. The decisions made in response planning guide the collective response by setting strategic objectives and developing a harmonized approach to achieving these goals.

A Flash Appeal is used in sudden onset crisis or in the event of a significant and unforeseen escalation in protracted crisis. It includes analysis of the scope and severity of the humanitarian crisis and sets out priority actions as well as preliminary requirements for the response. The duration of the appeal is determined by the HCT in order to effectively estimate resource requirements.

The Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) articulates the shared vision of the humanitarian community of how to respond to assessed needs of the affected population and serves as the basis for implementing and monitoring the collective response. In situations where a flash appeal was developed, the HRP is usually completed 30 days after the issuance of the flash appeal and builds on the initial planning set out in the appeal. In protracted crises, HCTs commonly develop their HRPs on a yearly basis. The duration of the HRP is decided by the HCT.

The Humanitarian Response Plan has two interlinked parts:

• A country or context with a narrative, overall strategic objectives and indicators.
• Cluster response plans, with cluster-specific strategic objectives, planned outputs activities and targets.

The process is sequential; the country strategy guides the cluster response plans as part of the ongoing program cycle. It seeks to achieve strategic, coordinated evidence-based humanitarian action as part of the Transformative Agenda (TA).

Note: The HRP takes the place of the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP). In sudden onset scenarios a Flash Appeal is launched within the first week covering the initial stages of the response while the HRP is drafted on more substantial evidence and analysis.

4) Resource Mobilization

Resource mobilization pertains to fundraising for the humanitarian response. In some cases pooled funding mechanisms are used to fund interventions in line with priorities set out in the response plan. Under the HPC, there are two components of resource mobilization:

• Financial Tracking: The Financial Tracking System (FTS) is an online database managed by OCHA that consolidates information on humanitarian funding needs and international contributions. The goal of the FTS is to improve resource allocation decisions and advocacy by clearly indicating to what extent people in crisis receive humanitarian aid, and in what proportion compared to needs. By highlighting who is funding what where, the FTS contributes to accountability and transparency for humanitarian action.
• Pooled Funds: OCHA manages two types of pooled funds for the rapid provision of assistance in humanitarian emergencies. 1) Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), a global pooled fund that provides rapid initial funding for life-saving assistance at the onset of humanitarian crisis (Rapid Response Grants), and critical support for poorly funded, essential humanitarian response operations (Underfunded Emergencies Grants); and 2) Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPF) that provide funding to NGOs and UN/IOM agencies for their response to critical humanitarian needs. The Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) is an example of a CBPF.

5) Implementation and Monitoring

Response monitoring is a continuous process that tracks the humanitarian assistance delivered to affected populations compared to targets set out in the humanitarian response plan (HRP). It is a key step in the programme cycle as it seeks to provide humanitarian actors with the evidence they need to take decisions and adapt short and long-term strategies. It also ensures that stakeholders involved in the response are accountable to the affected population, national authorities and donors. The data gathered through monitoring is made public through a Periodic Monitoring Report (PMR).

The PMR is an internal management tool intended to help HCTs systematically review whether sufficient progress is being made in reaching strategic and cluster objectives. It is designed to aid in identifying challenges to meeting objectives and to provide an evidence base for taking decisions about the direction of the response. In addition, the report provides a structure to analyse changes in context and needs, provides an update on funding received versus requirements, and identify constraints and gaps.

6) Operational review and evaluation

Operational Peer Review (OPR) is an internal, inter-agency management tool which serves as a course corrector and to identify areas for immediate corrective action. OPR is designed to help the humanitarian country teams HCT determine whether adjustments or improvements are necessary.

For L3 emergencies, an OPR is a mandatory phase in the HPC and should be conducted within 90 days of the L3 declaration. In other responses, an OPR may be triggered upon the request of the HCT. The output of the OPR process is designed to assist decision-making and corrective action by the HC and HCT, as such the report is internal, to be shared with the HC/HCT, the Emergency Directors Group and IASC Principals. The Inter-Agency Humanitarian Evaluation (IAHE) is an independent assessment of whether collective results achieved in response to an emergency meet the objectives stated in the Strategic Response Plan and the needs of affected people. IAHEs are triggered automatically by the declaration of a Level-3 system-wide emergency and are conducted within 9 to 12 months from the L3 declaration. The Emergency Relief Coordinator may also launch an IAHE of a sudden-onset emergency affecting multiple sectors or at the specific request of the HC/HCT or other primary stakeholders.

IAHEs follow agreed norms and standards and emphasize independence of the evaluation team, process and methodology, usefulness, and transparency. The Terms of Reference, the final Evaluation Report, and responses to the recommendations by the HCT and IASC Principals are shared publicly and posted on IASC, OCHA and ALNAP's websites.

Rol de la OIM

IOM should be engaged at all levels of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC) implementation:

• At the HCT: For the development of the overall strategy for the response.
• At the Inter-Cluster Working/Coordination Group: If IOM is cluster lead, IOM should lead the development of the Cluster strategy and coordinate with other clusters as necessary and through this group.
• At the Cluster meetings: Where IOM is a cluster partner, IOM should be present in these meetings to ensure that IOM's proposed interventions are included in the overall country strategy.

Contactos

For general guidance on the HPC contact: prdcore@iom.int.

For more information about CERF contact IOM SLO New York: iomslonyhumanitarian@iom.int.

For more information about FTS contact: DRD@iom.int.

The DOE RTS in the region can also provide updates and guidance on the process.