Sustainability & Recommendations

Sustainability plan

CATEGORY	SUSTAINABILITY ELEMENTS
PARTNERSHIPS	A phased approach to the project is used to coordinate protection delivery with civil society organizations, faith- based organizations, government institutions, UN agencies and communities. Partners that are likely to continue providing SGBV/CP case management services are consulted regarding their capacity related to information management and their interest in engaging in Network activities with their current staff. The RSSN focuses on current members with capacity and will slowly expand to include other interested actors and institutions depending on geographic area and service coverage.
ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY	National level focal points for the RSSN receive continued technical support from the RLU in the form of RSSN presentation, training materials, regional training opportunities and missions based on available regional level funding.
EVALUATION	Through mixed methods of evaluation, various elements of the project will be considered, including self-evaluation of Safe Spaces conducted by members, capacity-building assessments, safety audits and review of key indicators
ADAPTATION	Allow for varied levels of engagement within the Network, recognizing that not all members and institutions will be able to move forward at the same time with different speeds. Even though many training materials and SGBV/CP CM/IM tools are standardized, flexibility is built into the Network with adapted and contextualized training events.
MANAGERIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT	The RLU SGBV/CP in the Americas Bureau takes the lead to provide regular updates and ensure support for the RSSN as a regional best practice. The initiative counts with the support of the UNHCR’s Division of International Protection (DIP), the Americas Bureau Director and other Senior Managers. The RSSN was developed in the context of the implementation of the Brazil Declaration and Plan of Action 2014, and the New York Declaration 2016. The RSSN is a strategy embedded in the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (MIRPS in Spanish) UNHCR country operations that are members of the RSSN leverage their relationships with government counterparts to organize capacity building opportunities for personnel in key institutions.
FUNDING STABILITY	The RSSN uses existing country and regional budgets. The RSSN counts with additional support from the DIP and the Americas Bureau. UNHCR operations work with members at national level within the range of their planned programs to negotiate the best use of available funds for the greatest impact on persons of concern.
COMMUNICATIONS	Coordination around communication within the RSSN is centralized at the regional level by the Coordinators of the RSSN located in the RLU that guide the types of documents produced. Webinars, emails and briefing notes on the RSSN are produced at regional level and shared with the RSSN focal points in UNHCR at national and field levels for further distribution of information to partners and government officials.
STRATEGIC PLANNING	The multi-year planning cycle of the RSSN has a 3-year span. Annual reviews of activities to date allow for a re-alignment of resources at the start of each budget cycle.

Recommendations

A flexible approach to protection (SGBV/CP) case management adapted for the Americas Region is required to address the challenges in quality service provision presented by a quickly moving population of concern. This includes improving coordination around cross-border referrals and transfers of cases to ensure a continuum of protection along the displacement cycle, by increasing access to the Essential Package of services for SGBV survivors, children at risk and other vulnerable people.
Due to high staff turnover in the region and limited resources in the RSSN, the Network should designate a focal point and back up person that oversees capacity building opportunities to ensure the sustainability of the RSSN.
In order to maximize accessibility, dissemination, and promotion of the RSSN standards and tools, the RSSN Toolkit should be developed in both English and Spanish.
RSSN members should reach out to operations interested in joining the RSSN by promoting the use of the SGBV and CP Information Management (CP/SGBV IM) Toolkit that includes forms, checklists, and protocols to help operations align with regional and global SGBV and CP IM standards.
Include both Spanish and English terminology in SGBV Incident Classification and Specific Needs Codes training sessions in the Americas to correspond with terms found in proGres v4 (currently in English with Spanish translation efforts underway). Portuguese materials should also be developed.
Note that not all actors and members will be in a position to move forward at the same time in each phase of the project. Continue to include a balance between UNHCR and member focal points from all operations within the RSSN when planning capacity building opportunities and to allot an appropriate amount of time for regional tools to be adapted for proper use within organizations.
Ensure that development and implementation of the Regional Information Sharing Protocol (RISP) in the Americas will promote global standards related to SGBV/ CP information management for protection delivery and evidence-based program planning.