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As an organisation, UNHCR is committed to institutionalising a culture of AAP beyond concepts to an effective means of measuring overall protection outcomes of multi-sectoral interventions.
Being accountable to affected people is to ensure that our responses include continuous and meaningful engagement with persons of concern, understand their needs and protection risks, build on their capacities and reflect their perspectives and priorities.
AAP is not a new or additional area of responsibility; it is achieved daily through mainstreaming into protection and assistance delivery, establishing clear lines of accountability and performance management. The Operational Guidance on Accountability to Affected People, alongside the Compact Guide for Senior Managers and related tools will provide staff and Managers with practical methods for the operationalisation of UNHCR’s accountability commitments.
UNHCR’s Accountability to Affected People (AAP) is outlined in Core Action 2 to 5 of the update Age, Gender and Diversity Policy (March 2018):
The Operational Guidance on AAP (UNHCR/OG/2020/02) details the objectives of each AAP area of focus as outlined in UNHCR’s AAP Framework (core actions 2-5 of the 2018 Age, Gender and Diversity Policy). It outlines key elements of each area. It is accompanied by recommended implementation steps, and tools that can be contextually adapted to implement what is introduced in this guidance.
This Compact Guidance for Senior Managers details the definition and objectives of the four components in UNHCR’s AAP framework, outlining the key elements of each. It recommends steps for implementation and adaptable tools to apply the concepts introduced.
Poster highlighting the four components in UNHCR’s AAP framework.
A practical resource that helps UNHCR colleagues and partners develop a Community-Based Protection (CBP) strategy that incorporates Social Media in a way that respects UNHCR’s Data Protection Policy and fulfils Persons of Concern’s rights. The aim is to mobilize and support sustainable digital structures that represent everyone in a given community and to develop appropriate protection responses on Social Media.
The Quick AAP Self-Assessment tool will help operations identify areas of strength or gaps and enable operations to determine AAP priorities and actions.
This document provides some examples and emerging practices of remote community engagement from East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes Region.
This document provides some examples and emerging practices of remote community engagement from the Americas.
Using this tool will support operations to better understand the trusted structures that exist in the community and their levels of influence.
Tips for better engagement with persons with disabilities.
Specific considerations for participatory assessments and consultations with younger children including children and adolescents with disabilities.
IASC-REACH menu of questions that can be used with different types of data collection methods including household and community level interviews and focus group discussions in the design and adaptation of communication strategies, inter-agency feedback mechanisms and participation strategies.
KoBo Tool that contains over 100 questions that cover aspects from baseline demographic information to channel access.
This tool will support operations to consider the existing communication channels in the environment. In addition, to assess which programme information is most relevant to the different groups, the best way to communicate it, any existing barriers to information access and how barriers can be overcome.
Checklist of areas to cover in learning what influences relevance, consumption and impact of information and the channels used for communication, feedback and response.
Recommendations for increasing positive interactions.
Template to help document the communications plan to be used during the implementation stage of the programme.
Tips for communicating with persons with disabilities.
How to for recording Audio Messages.
A list of the top ten things to consider before embarking on the journey of setting up a two-way SMS system.
The resourcing and business process required to set-up SMS; things to consider before rolling out two-way SMS; and considerations for mobile phone distributions. Also includes a how to for videos.
Guidance and tips for engaging with communities through Whatsapps trees.
Considerations for using radio stations (including guidance on listening)
Guidance on using TV screens for people with disabilities.
Basic set-up for BBTT (using loudspeakers and motorbikes for communication).
A case study on the use of Chatbots in Jordan, including recommendations on the application of Chatbots.
A case study from a call centre in Yemen, including lessons learned.
A case study on community-led engagement in Angola.
A case study on the use of a free hotline providing information to refugees in Niger.
A case study on an information sharing app in Israel.
10 top tips for using social media to minimize the sharing of misinformation.
SOPs from the Communication with Community Working Group in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh for the Information Hub and Information Service Centre.
A report on the digital inclusion, communication needs and community practices of refugees, IDPs and stateless in West Africa.
IASC-REACH menu of questions that can be used with different types of data collection methods including household and community level interviews and focus group discussions in the design and adaptation of communication strategies, inter-agency feedback mechanisms and participation strategies.
List of key questions for context analysis.
10 key steps to setting up an effective feedback mechanism based on experience.
Examples of feedback logbooks – outlining key information to record.
Low literacy options for soliciting community feedback.
Tips on how to close the feedback loop.
An example from Jordan on using the participatory assessment for consultation on feedback mechanisms.