OCHA: Inter Cluster and Field Coordination in Meta

The long-running armed conflict in Colombia continues to cause violence, infractions of international humanitarian law and violations of human rights. Displacement, landmine contamination, sexual violence and the recruitment of minors by armed groups are widespread.

The international humanitarian community has a role to play in providing support to national and local authorities, as well as in providing complementary assistance to the displaced people that are forced to leave their homes each year. According to official data, between 1985 and August 2015 about 7 million people were victim of displacement in Colombia and between January 2013 and August 2015, 474.000people were forcibly displaced.

Taking into account the multidimensional causes of violence, coordination should be deepened between development, human rights and humanitarian actors in order to create an integrated response to the protection needs of the victims of urban violence. 2016 OCHA budget (about USD 3.0 million) will require innovation from OCHA to maintain a steady presence in the field and in Bogota and its capacity to coordinate with members of HCT, HLT (Humanitarian Country Team and Humanitarian Local Teams) and clusters, resorting for example to the employment of national UNVs.

The support to the inter cluster coordination through the UNV has physically started on 20.01.2014. This function will continue in Bogota as OCHA’s budget limitations will continue in 2016 and it will be complemented (new)  in the form of a field coordination support to OCHA in Meta, as the great East faces humanitarian, peace construction and early recovery challenges.

Support the humanitarian system in Colombia led by OCHA in order to ensure a coherent response to emergencies through an efficient coordination of the field offices network and the functioning of the humanitarian coordination mechanisms (HCT, Inter-Cluster, Clusters) and in particular at local level with HLT.

Support the humanitarian architecture in Meta, to assure the provision of strengthened coordination services as well as timely humanitarian information and increased humanitarian response.

• Overall field offices (9) and related humanitarian local teams.
• Humanitarian Country Team: 17 NGO+11UN agencies
• Directly:     Inter Cluster Group (GIC), Clusters
• Indirectly:   Local Humanitarian Teams (9)
• Members of the humanitarian architecture in Meta (NNGOs, INGOs, UN Agencies, Donors, State Institutions)

UNV for intercluster coordination (in Bogota):

• Create an added value in the implementation of coordination mandate (OCHA).
• Ensure an efficient and smooth daily support to all field office in terms of preparedness and response
• Support the overall functioning of the Humanitarian Arquitecture in Country through better coordination (information sharing, joint planning and common actions): the humanitarian architecture still needs to be strenghtend, especially in accountability mechanisms with the affected communities
• Create an added value for the SDC-HA country program.
• Enhance the cooperation and dialogue with UN agencies on country office level (Bogotá).

UNV for field coordination in Villavicencio (Meta):

• A functioning HLT, inclusive of national and international NGO, meeting regularly and raising awareness on the humanitarian situation in Meta trough enhanced information management products.
• Efficient monitoring of emergencies in the department, including through timely, thorough and interagency Needs Assessments;
• Ensuring coordination and monitoring with pooled funds.
• A strengthened relationship with local authorities (departmental and municipal authorities and victim´s unit, UNGRD, Ombudsman office and local).

Expected results:  

OCHA:According to specific ToRs.

For the two UNV positions:

UNV Intercluster coordination

UNV: Field Coordination in Meta

Results from previous phases:  

Through SDC supported UNV for inter cluster coordination:

• Improved field support to HLT in terms of overall response coordination.
• Increased accountability and monitoring of the humanitarian response Plan (HRP) of the Humanitarian Country Team
• Formulation of the HRP 2016 based on inputs from local humanitarian teams (EHL), all clusters and technical groups, the HCT (EHP)
• Improved information flow, communication between cluster and with the EHP in key topics for a coordinated response, for example between the ERF Review Committee and the clusters.

• With both the UNGRD, which provides natural disaster response, and UARIV, which provides IDP response.
  
• 5 clusters at national level (protection, food security and nutrition, emergency shelters, health, WASH), 2 sector technical groups (education in emergencies and early recovery).
  
• With local coordination hubs (EHL) in nine locations throughout the country, additionally, with 7 Protection Working Groups exist at local level.
• The HCT and Inter Cluster Group meet on a monthly basis. The Information Management Working Group supports the humanitarian architecture at the technical level and meets on a monthly basis.
• OCHA will promote coordination with the interventions financed by pooled funds that are administrated by OCHA (Country Based Pooled Funds – CBPF - and Central Emergency Response Fund –CERF.
• Furthermore OCHA will facilitate the complementarity and synergies with interventions carried out by the members of the humanitarian architecture in Meta (Local Humanitarian Team).

Phase 3 15.02.2016 - 31.03.2017   (Completed)