IASC Guidance on Cluster Transition and Deactivation

IASC Guidance on Cluster Transition and Deactivation is endorsed by IASC OPAG on behalf of the IASC, in line with agreed endorsement protocols. This guidance clarifies the steps, roles and responsibilities involved in a transition and deactivation process, supporting transition planning from humanitarian to development efforts.

These materials are based on HC and HCT requests for guidance, including lessons learned from the Iraq transition, and related recommendations from the Emergency Directors’ Group (EDG) and the Operational Policy and Advocacy Group (OPAG). This guidance is also in line with findings of the recent IASC IDP Review recommending that roles and responsibilities of clusters in transition/stabilisation be spelled out and transition be considered earlier in the response.

The package of guidance contains the following documents:

1. [Doc 1] Guidance on Cluster Transition and Deactivation for Country-Level Clusters & Cluster Lead Agencies
   1. deactivation decision-making and criteria;
   2. responsibilities in deactivation and transition processes;
   3. practical actions to plan and implement cluster transition; and
   4. considerations for coordination after cluster deactivation, and for handover to contextually appropriate coordination structures.

The guidance builds on existing IASC policy, guiding practical processes to plan individual cluster transition and deactivation. Its contents include:

[Docs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Annexes A-E: These contain guidance on additional actions on transitions, templates for transition strategies, risk analysis and communication plans, as well as examples of cluster transition and coordination structures after cluster deactivation.

1. [Doc 6] Summary of the Guidance: A three-page visual summary suitable for any audience.
2. [Doc 7] Considerations for RC/HCs and HCTs on Cluster Transition and Deactivation: A one-page document of considerations for leading response-level coordination system transition planning.
3. [Doc 8] HC-HCT Transition and Deactivation checklist: A two-page checklist for HCs/HCT members that outlines the roles and responsibilities during transition processes within the IASC, including HCs, HCTs, Cluster Lead Agencies, Cluster Coordinators and Global Clusters.

File(s)

IASC Guidance on Cluster Transition and Deactivation.pdf
2_Annex B - Example template for a Transition Strategy.pdf
3_Annex C - Example template for Risk Analysis (1).pdf
4_Annex D - Example template for Communication Planning.pdf
5_Annex E - Examples of cluster transition.pdf
6_Summary Guidance on Cluster Transition and Deactivation.pdf
7_HC-HCT Transition and Deactivation Key Considerations_one pager.pdf
8_HC-HCT Transition and Deactivation Checklist.pdf