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Contingency Planning

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

(UN-OCHA)

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Contingency Planning -

From a Culture of Reaction to One of Prevention…

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What is Inter-Agency Contingency Planning?

A management tool that ensures that adequate measures of preparedness are being taken when a crisis is anticipated.

On the basis of crisis scenarios, defines situations that appear exceptional but whose occurrence would exceed the response capacity of humanitarian actors.

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Why Plan Together?

Conduct a common analysis of potential emergencies and their humanitarian impact

Develop strategies and common approaches for responding to potential emergencies

Increase effectiveness of response to the crisis and available resources

Avoid both duplication of efforts and gaps in humanitarian response

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Modalities of Planning

Planning must be adapted to the country-specific context and take into account:• The capacity of government, local

actors and international agencies • The vulnerability of the population and

its capacity to adapt/respond to a crisis• Donor support

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Steps in the Planning Process

Analyse context of the crisis, identify scenarios and hypotheses on planning

Define a strategy and sectoral objectives (evaluate urgent needs and plan immediate response)

Set up coordination mechanisms Develop inter-agency services Establish links with development

objectives and exit strategy Establish response plan

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Context Analysis

Establish scenarios Main actors Early warning indicators and

monitoring arrangements Humanitarian consequences Gaps and constraints Main planning assumptions

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Coordination Mechanisms

Government coordination mechanisms Identify existing management / planning

mechanisms (e.g. clusters) Geographic and sectoral coordination International response mechanisms (e.g. UNDAC) Interagency services

- Information management- Security- Resource mobilisation (e.g. Flash Appeals, CERF)- Logistics- Media, advocacy, public information strategy

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Operational Response Plan

Immediate response: trigger factors Evaluate urgent needs and set up

arrangements Define sectoral plans according to

the evaluation of needs Resources and regional stocks Work plan and calendar of

intervention

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Where Are We Now?

2009 – all clusters revised their CPs 2010 – IASC CP “Chapeau” being

revised Next Steps – develop stronger

linkages with GoN in CP and shared process for CP

Ensure CP becomes more response orientated

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