UNICEF's GCCS Newsletter - Issue 13 - Q3 2024

Dear colleagues,

As we wrap up the humanitarian planning period and approach year-end reporting, we are pleased to share a series of webinars organized recently to support you though crucial steps. You will find the recording of a special session on UNICEF participation in interagency planning processes, organized in response to your questions about the HAC and conducted jointly with EMOPS HELS and EMOPS’s Director’s Office. If you are launching a CCPM exercise, you can also find our webinars in English, French, and Spanish, offering a step-by-step walkthrough of the new CCPM platform.

In this edition, we also share insightful data on cluster staffing across countries, latest news and tools on Cash and Voucher Assistance for humanitarian coordination and information on a new e-learning module focused on localization in humanitarian coordination, now available on Agora.

Enjoy the reading!

The GCCS Team

Webinar on UNICEF Participation in Interagency Planning Processes

On October 16, EMOPS hosted a webinar aimed at responding to questions on UNICEF’s Participation in Interagency Planning Processes. The webinar followed the dissemination of a position paper shared by EMOPS with country offices and addressed some of the nuances and complexities of supporting, influencing and aligning with interagency humanitarian planning efforts in the current context. This event was a continuation of discussions from previous Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) webinars, and was designed to provide clarity on how UNICEF teams can better navigate and engage with interagency dynamics.

Key discussions revolved around interpreting formal OCHA guidance, advocating UNICEF’s positions, and ensuring that the colleagues in country office have better clarity on how to ensure they address the CCCs even when the comprehensive response to children's needs cannot be fully integrated into interagency plans like the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plans (HNRPs).

The event also addressed frequently raised questions about how UNICEF’s programs and funding requests can fit into or extend beyond interagency plans, especially in cases of preparedness for climate or public health emergencies. A special emphasis was placed on the critical balance between meeting immediate acute needs and supporting nexus and longer-term recovery and resilience efforts.

This webinar not only reinforced UNICEF's commitment to its mandate but also served as a platform for knowledge sharing, equipping teams with the tools to navigate interagency processes more effectively.

Webinar: Essential training on how to use the new CCPM platform

The new Cluster Coordination Performance Monitoring (CCPM) platform was successfully launched in October as part of our brand-new website. The updated platform aims to provide country clusters with more autonomy and transparency in conducting their CCPM exercises rather than entirely depending on their global cluster focal points.

Key features of the new platform include the ability to launch surveys from country level, monitor response rates, track missing partner responses, and update scores based on workshop discussions for more streamlined and accurate assessments. In addition, the roles of different cluster members in cluster leadership roles will be mapped and survey responses from local actors will now be better disaggregated, both resulting in finer analysis linked to localization.

Training sessions on the use of the platform were held in October in English, French, and Spanish. The recorded sessions are available if you missed the live trainings. Remember that CCPM is mandatory for all countries with Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) and active clusters/Area of Responsibility in UNICEF-led and co-led sectors (Child Protection, Education, Nutrition and WASH).

We look forward to leveraging the insights gathered through the new platform to inform strategic decisions at the country, regional, and global levels. Thank you to all who participated and contributed to this important initiative. Please, contact us with any questions or suggestions to help us continually improve the platform.

Cash and Vouchers Assistance: latest news and tools for humanitarian coordination

As IASC advances to streamline, enhance, and localize approaches to Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), we are pleased to share the latest resources and updates:

• New IASC Guidance on Multipurpose Cash (MPC) developed by the Global Cash Advisory Group (GCA) for the use of MPC in HNRPs, alongside with Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA). The guide is available in English with plans to translate it to other languages. Webinars in French and English were organized to support its roll out. With the financial support from UNICEF, the CAG has also conducted a first review of the cash coordination model, with particular attention to resourcing, greater clarity on roles and alignment with coordination core functions.

• Strengthening Links Between CVA and Social Protection. The Social Protection Inter-Agency Cooperation Board (SPIAC-B), led by UNICEF, is working to operationalize the link between CVA and social protection. Look out for their full report in 2025, with a Geneva workshop planned for January to develop an advocacy strategy. Stay updated through the SPIAC-B Newsletter.

• CVA in Protection Programming: A New Practical Note. A practical note on  CVA in protection programming has been published by the Global Protection Cluster explaining how CVA can be used alongside other modalities within a case management plan to obtain outcomes in protection, including Child Protection. Presented to country level CP AORs on the 30th of October, the note received positive feedback and raised discussions on the need to further unpack CVA´s role in child protection.

• Innovative uses of Cash by UNICEF. Stay updated on UNICEF´s innovative use of cash assistance by following the global Humanitarian Cash Transfer newsletter.

New AGORA course! Localization in the Humanitarian Coordination System

What is localization in humanitarian action? And how is it different from localization in humanitarian coordination? To further advance localisation within humanitarian coordination mechanisms, the UNICEF led/co-led clusters and Child Protection Area of Responsibility have developed an e-learning module, now available on AGORA. This course is designed for cluster teams at both national and sub-national levels, aiming to deepen their understanding of localisation form a coordination perspective. It includes practical examples of localisation in Clusters and Areas of Responsibilities at the country level, along with tips for overcoming barriers that might hinder localisation efforts. Humanitarian practitioners will gain access to resources and suggestions for advancing localisation in humanitarian coordination.

Click on these links to access the English, French and Spanish versions of the course (Arabic version coming soon).