Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Humanitarian Aid

1. Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Humanitarian Aid Programme Office Horn of Africa (Nairobi / Addis Ababa) SDC-HA experience in "working in the triangle" and with "secondments" in the Horn of AfricaSDC Multilateral Workshop Maputo (29.11-3.12.10)

3. Context of the HoA • Horn of Africa: chronically affected by food insecurity and conflict • Somalia: 25% of the population in HA (most in South Central); 1.4 m IDP; relative stability in the North, politicization of aid • Ethiopia: chronically food insecure, difficult environment to work (GoE); restricted access in conflict areas and denial of crises • Kenya: political instability; recurrent food insecurity in the lowland pastoralist areas; refugee crisis • Eritrea: conditions not met for aid for most of D and H actors • Djibouti: stable but mixed migration route with high level of malnutrition and food insecurity in urban and rural areas

4. SDC Programme in the HoA HAbudget for the HoA (including Uganda) increased from 10m to 18m in 2008 (6-7m bilateral, 11-12m multi) Opening of Programme Office in Embassy of Nairobi ("Embassy +") in March 2009 From 2011 regional structure with 1 HoO, 1 HoF, 1 NPO in Nairobi, 1 PM and 1 NPO/adm. assistant in Addis Programmatic axes of MTP 2010-12: (i) Life-saving humanitarian services and coordination, (ii) Food Security and DRR (with focus on pastoralists), (iii) Mixed Migration and Protection Regional dimension (food security, mixed migration) Currently 7 SHA experts (2 Kampala with WFP regional, 2 Nairobi with UNHCR regional, 1 with UNDP in Addis (before OCHA) and 2 with UNICEF in Ethiopia Perspective: Special Programme Horn of Africa (OSA / whole of government) for 2013?

5. SDC/HA Multilateral Portfolio SDC/HA budget: 1/3 ICRC, 1/3 UN, 1/3 direct actions/NGOs Core contributions, multi-bi contributions (ICRC, WFP, UNHCR), financing of projects, projects with "Swiss brain", SHA direct implementation (reconstruction of schools for UNICEF) "The big 5": ICRC, WFP, UNHCR, OCHA, (UNRWA) The others: (ISDR), UNICEF, FAO, UNDP, WB / GFDRR Multi-H + Focal points géographiques CCM: ICRC, UNHCR, OCHA Lack of a systemic view (ex. clusters system, UN reforms) Multi-H currently weak Potential for more collaboration with Global Institutions Working in the triangle: institutional objective since 2007/8

6. Working in the triangle (or square??) Definition: increase the synergies among Multi-H, geographical desks and the Field with the objective of improving the functioning/delivery of multilateral agencies in the ground Better informing the multilateral dialogue at HQ with the direct experiences of the field as well as orienting the multilateral dialogue in the field How: (i) Donor/Multilateral briefings, (ii) bilateral meetings, (iii) joint missions, (iv) regular dialogue with secondees, (v) regular contact between Multi/Geo Desks and Field (to be improved: roles, moments forts, flow of information) Why/Opportunities: (i) accountability of Multi contributions/ stakeholder-shareholder role, (ii) SDC credible partner with presence on the field, (iii) leverage/alliance with other "like-minded" Challenges: (i) CH small donor, (ii) time consuming, (iii) not applied systematically, (iv) UN agencies/system difficult to change!

7. SHA Secondments Instrument for direct implementation and collaboration with MOs in emergencies and recovery In kind contribution SDC practically only bilateral donor agency (others via NGOs such as DRC, NRC, RedAir, etc) Logistics and Coordination, WatSan, Construction, DRR/Environment and Health among the specialised groups MoUs with WFP, UNHCR, UNICEF, OCHA, UNRWA and (WHO) Struggle for secondments with UNDP and FAO! New "Einsatztkonzept" foresees more secondments at strategic level

8. SHA Secondments (continued) Opportunities: (i) closer understanding and influence taking in the operation, (ii) sharing of vision / joint venture, (iii) concrete results, (iv) Swissness, (v) multiplier effect (modest cost for an higher impact), (vi) flexibility of the secondee in the agency structure Challenges: (i) secondee not always integrated, (ii) TOR not respected, (iii) recommendations not always considered, (iv) bureaucratic system of UN, (v) some systems do not allow for strategic secondments (OCHA) Crucial to "work in the triangle" to make secondments work and maximise impact SHA system to be extended to development cooperation?

9. Olivier Siegenthaler (UNHCR) Senior Technical Advisor at UNHCR Regional Service Hub in Nairobi (strategic post) Now coupled with a Senior WASH expert (Andrea Cippà) Results: (i) raised awareness of technical gaps at the regional office, (ii) systematically developed capacity in UNHCR operations in Central + Eastern Africa through courses + recommendations Constrains: (i) "service" role of hub and sometimes lack of backing from Geneva, (ii) shelter/site plan and WASH 2 different reporting units in GE!, (iii) bureaucracy!

10. Anna Zingg (OCHA) • Field Advisor • OCHA Ethiopia • (10 years strategic post!) • Results: • (i)supported coordination and response to IDP in the field; (ii) Raised profile of IDP and protection within UN and with GoE Constrains: (i) difficult operational context and sensitive issues for GoE, (ii) limited leverage of OCHA and UN (iii) with new system, SDC lost influence (from head of unit to advisor)

11. Balance of multi cooperation in 2010 in the HoA Still incipient in spite of "multi lens" (new office with little capacity for a large portfolio) OCHA Somalia/donor coordination: participation as donor representative in the Common Humanitarian Fund (small but neutral donor) WFP Somalia and Ethiopia: difficult and contested operations. In spite of awareness in Bern (LUD, FRT) and Rome (THF), small leverage WFP/FAO regional joint DRR/FS strategy in Central and Eastern Africa: process ongoing with the support of SDC (visibility) FAO emergency office in Nairobi: regional Pastoralist Field School approach (visibility) UNHCR Kenya (technical capacity in Dadaab): 2 years! Mixed Migration Task Force (IOM, UNHCR, DRC): "normal" pressure from SDC has reset the dynamics (visibility for CH)

12. 2011 More investment in multi-dialogue with more capacity in the office (OCHA/donor coordination, WFP, UNHCR, ISDR, UNICEF, FAO, MMTF) MERCI!