Surge capacity
The Global Protection Cluster also makes strategic use of deployments of experienced professionals to establish field protection clusters in new emergencies or to support already existing clusters improve their response capacity. In addition, the GPC can also facilitate access by field operations to complementary deployment schemes maintained under various established partner arrangements.
Please contact the GPC Help Desk if you are facing protection capacity problems and you would like to receive further information on the appropriate use of the following stand-by arrangements and deployment schemes:
Danish Refugee Council Standby Roster - DRC maintains a roster of more than 200 individuals to deploy in both emergency and non-emergency situations. Roster members are generally at the P2/P3 level. As part of this standby agreement, DRC facilitates the services of a protection officer to work within the Global Protection Cluster Support Cell.
Norwegian Refugee Council - NORCAP - maintains emergency standby capacity, for deployment within 72 hours, with over 800 members in the areas of protection and child protection. Roster members are generally at the P2/P3 level. NRC also contributes an education deployment scheme.
Protection Standby Capacity Project - ProCap - is a collaborative project between members of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). Through the deployment of senior P5 protection officers for 6 months, ProCap provides UN Country teams with strategic expertise, operational policy, planning, coordination and other guidance. Many have led clusters in complex emergencies and natural disasters and have proven to be valuable resources in the establishment of protection coordination mechanisms, the development of IDP strategies, monitoring frameworks and advocacy strategies, and capacity building and training.
Gender Standby Capacity Project - GenCap - is a collaborative project between members of the IASC which builds the capacity of humanitarian agencies at the country level in order to mainstream gender equality, GBV prevention and response programming. Advisors are usually hosted by the Humanitarian Coordinator’s office and work on behalf of all agencies.
United Nations Volunteers - UNVs programme maintains a roster of more than 6,000 qualified candidates in 105 professional categories including protection and community services. UNVs usually work at the P2 level.
RedR Australia Standby Roster - maintains a roster of specialists in protection, child protection and gender-based violence.
Irish Aid Standby Roster - administers a standby roster whose 64 members include profiles in protection and emergency programme support.
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Standby Roster - administers a roster of several hundred experts including protection officers.
International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) Resettlement Development Scheme - brings skilled people from a variety of NGO, government, and other backgrounds to work with UNHCR and learn about the resettlement programme and emerging challenges. Deployees are recruited by ICMC and deployed to UNHCR Field Offices. The number of deployments under this scheme has grown to roughly 130 per year.
Displacement Solutions HLP Registry - makes available a registry of housing, land and property rights (HLP) specialists for prompt deployment to field operations, was well as technical expert support to the Global Protection Cluster in the area of HLP.
Handicap International Specialist Support - has provided disability specialists for technical support to operations, as well as support to the Global Protection Cluster and national protection clusters on inclusive assistance, disability rights, physical and social accessibility, health and rehabilitation.
IRC Surge Protection Capacity Project - a joint-initiative with UNHCR. With an active roster of more than 340 individuals, IRC enhance UNHCR’s staffing capacity in the areas of general protection, statelessness, local integration, prevention and response to gender-based violence and IDPs, with deployments up to 11 months. The project provides staff at the P2/P3 level and is intended to address temporary and sudden increases in staffing needs.