Humanitarian and Security Coordination Support for the Pakistan Humanitarian Forum - PHF Secretariat Evaluation ECHO Grant, Result 1: Coordination and Advocacy

1. Introduction 1.1 A background to PHF

1.1.1 PHF 2003 – November 2010

Following the 2002 earthquake in Pakistan, a group of INGOs working on disaster response formed an informal network by the name of Northern Areas Earthquake Relief Operation (NAERO). The objective of the network was to coordinate emergency response and rehabilitation activities of INGOs in the affected areas. Based on the perceived value of this network a workshop was held in June 2003 to discuss the viability and importance of an informal coordination body at national level. The leading INGOs working in disaster response and development programmes participated in the workshop and agreed to form the Pakistan Humanitarian Forum (PHF). Since its initiation PHF has been mandated to collectively represent INGOs and interface with the Government of Pakistan and UN humanitarian agencies. Moreover, it seeks to strengthen the level of coordination, information sharing and advocacy efforts of the humanitarian sector. The key membership contact point for PHF is the most senior employee of each member INGO – usually the Country Director or equivalent. The Chair of the forum is elected annually from the membership base, from 2003 – 2010 the forum was Chaired voluntarily by a number of leading INGOs including World Vision, Islamic Relief, Church World Service, Oxfam GB and International Rescue Committee alternatively. In the period, prior to a formalized and funded Secretariat, the elected person took on the responsibilities of PHF Chair concurrently with the responsibilities of their contracted position – usually Country Director of a leading NGO. The organization of the PHF Chair held primary responsibility for funding the PHF secretariat and any supporting staff from their own budgets, with some support also coming from membership fees.

Over recent years PHF has become increasingly active, this is the response in part to the great need in Pakistan’s complex emergency environment, to communicate, coordinate and work together for greater impact. Issues of shrinking humanitarian space, fluctuating funding and humanitarian needs as well as deteriorating security and the increasingly political nature of humanitarian debate, have meant that agencies have needed to come together to coordinate and advocate jointly, with one voice, for a better working environment. However, with no independent funding the capacity of PHF to meet these needs was limited and stretched beyond its limits during emergencies where coordination, advocacy, security and representation requirements surge.

At the same time, the then NGO security forum had critical gaps in terms of capacity to: analyze events and trends; provide expert technical assistance and training; and interact, in a coordinated manner with security forces, actors in the government or wider assistance community. In response to the overstretch of the PHF Chair and the gap in NGO risk analysis and support, PHF, led by IRC as the then Chair, took forward discussions and assessments with the PHF membership in December 2009 and March 2010 to determine their interest in a) formalizing the secretariat and expanding its role in terms of coordination and advocacy and b) establishing a coordinated INGO-based mechanism for improved risk analysis and support. The 2010 Survey sought to establish: a) the most useful mechanisms for humanitarian coordination in Pakistan; b)the largest gaps in humanitarian coordination in Pakistan; and c) the highest priority services from a PHF secretariat.

Regarding humanitarian coordination the majority of members involved in the survey indicated that PHF was one of the most effective coordination mechanisms in Pakistan stating that the forum enabled INGOs to unite around key issues of common interest. Members appreciated the opportunity for advocacy, joint representation and information sharing. At the same time gaps in humanitarian coordination were highlighted – specifically in relation to humanitarian space and access as well as assessments, coordinated funding mechanisms and information products. In terms of looking forward members prioritized the following services:

1. Representation at policy/operational/media fora,
2. Security coordination, information and capacity-building1
3. Joint Advocacy
4. Interface with donors
5. Mediation between government agencies and PHF members

Other priorities included policy events and reports on key humanitarian issues and collection and dissemination of information. Based on the findings of the survey and the clear need for more power behind PHF to meet the coordination, advocacy and risk analysis and support needs of the PHF membership (INGOs), a decision was made to formalize the PHF Secretariat through independent funding to establish and staff the Secretariat with a dedicated Coordinator and Advocacy/policy Focal Point and to develop a Security Risk Analysis and Support arm to compliment the Coordination and Advocacy arm of PHF.