This session describes the benefits of developing a strategic plan for response, and offers

1. Developing a shelter strategy • 36 India, 2001 This session describes the benefits of developing a strategic plan for response, and offers 11 activities as a planning template

2. Session objectives ! • The key learning objectives of this session are to form an • understanding of: • the benefits and risks of developing a sector strategy • applying a template to create a strategic plan

3. Benefits of a strategic plan There are 5 main benefits of a strategic plan: develops and maintains a consensus between stakeholders 2. supports common objectives and consistent implementation throughout the period of response 3. supports a common direction and phasing of works at national, district and local levels defines the role of the sector in wider response encourages coordination between sectors A strategy is required to ensure that the expectations, capacities and needs of all stakeholders are understood and integrated

4. Coordinating and developing a strategy • 7 steps to help developing a strategic plan: • form a team of representative national and international stakeholders in the sector • consult with stakeholders from other sectors • develop draft of first version strategic plan at first meeting • agree on a first version at second meeting • disseminate the first version strategy, initiate implementation and initiate a feedback mechanism • build and revise at strategic, programme and project levels continuously throughout the response • monitor and evaluate the plans throughout the response

5. Implementation at all levels Strategic planning e.g. sector strategy Transitional settlement and reconstruction after natural disasters (United Nations, 2008) Transitional settlement fordisplaced populations Transitional reconstruction fornon-displaced populations Programmeplanning e.g. refugee camps Project planning e.g. distribution centre

6. Session objectives ! • The key learning objectives of this session are to form an • understanding of: • the benefits and risks of developing a sector strategy • applying a template to create a strategic plan

7. 11 Strategic planning activities • Strategic planning objectives - the humanitarian priorities? • Coordination – what are the roles and responsibilities? • Critical path analysis - what are the challenges? • Transitional settlement and reconstruction - what are the options for the displaced and non-displaced? • Resources - what do we have to work with? • Schedule for implementation - which activities in each phase? Transitional settlement and reconstruction after natural disasters (United Nations, 2008)

8. 11 Strategic planning activities • Participation - how should affected and host communities be consulted and involved? • Assessment, monitoring and evaluation - coordination? • Scenarios - how might the situation change? • Legal framework – how should the relevant laws, principles and standards be used to support response? • Handovers – how should roles and responsibilities be transferred between international and national stakeholders? Transitional settlement and reconstruction after natural disasters (United Nations, 2008)

9. 11 Strategic planning activities 1. Strategic planning objectives 2. Coordination 11. Handover 10. Legalframework 3. Critical path analysis Strategic Plan 4. Transitional settlement and reconstruction 9. Scenarios 8. Assessment, monitoring and evaluation 5. Resources 6. Schedule for implementation 7. Participation Strategic planning activities are interdependent: Transitional settlement and reconstruction after natural disasters (United Nations, 2008)

10. 1/11: strategic planning objectives • 37 Determining strategic planning objectives involves achieving consensus with all stakeholders over the intended outcome • who the main affected stakeholders are • who the main assisting stakeholders are • who should participate in the planning process • the desired end state, including vulnerability reduction • a time frame • situation-specific concerns • how the transitional settlement and reconstruction strategy fits into the wider strategic plan Strategic planning objectives

11. 2/11: coordination • 39 Coordination • Coordination aims to: • ensure stakeholders communicate and share information • ensure that coordination mechanisms are comprehensive, • and are themselves coordinated • support the implementation of the strategic plan in a equitable and timely manner • reach agreement on focal points and responsibilities www.odi.org.uk/alnap

12. 3/11: critical path analysis • 44 Transitional settlement and reconstruction after natural disasters (United Nations, 2008) Critical path analysis • Critical path analysis involves all stakeholders in identifying, • agreeing and describing the mainopportunities and barriers, • including: • security • natural hazards • physical access • capacity • law and land rights • seasons and climate • Each barrier or opportunity identified requires: • discussion of its likely impacts • indicators - is the situation improving or deteriorating? • what has been done about it? • what can be done about it?

13. 4/11: settlement and reconstruction • 45 • Transitional settlement and reconstruction involves deciding which • option will be supported and how • This includes: • selecting and combining which of the six transitional settlement and six transitional reconstruction options are appropriate for support • agreeing the appropriate level of support for each option • ensuring that the support offered to each option is equivalent • ensuring that the transitional settlement and reconstruction plans, as a whole, contribute to the strategic and national programme • providing a foundation to detailed technical programme and project planning Settlement and reconstruction

14. 5/11: resources • 47 Resources Identify resources required for strategic, programme and project plans Determine where they are and how the resources will be obtained, stored and distributed resources capacity materials and resources funding

15. 6/11: schedule for implementation • 51 Schedule for implementation • Implementation involves stakeholders deciding and understanding: • how the main bottlenecks in implementation will be overcome • which major activities must be undertaken • when and where each activity will take place • when strategic reviews will take place • which indicators will be used • that equity of response is ensured • that programme and project implementation remain coordinated with the strategic objectives

16. 7/11: participation • 52 The UNHCR Tool for Participatory Assessment in Operations (UNHCR, 2006) • Participation aims to: • involve all stakeholders, ensuring that all opinions are heard and that everyone can express themselves comfortably • identify and support a common agreement • ensure that all stakeholder groups have their roles and representation recognised and integrated into coordination Participation Continuous participation is important in the development and implementation of the response strategyat every level

17. 8/11: assessment • 55 Assessment, monitoring, eval. • Continuous assessment, monitoring and evaluation is required to • provide information that informs the strategic plan • The purpose of assessments is to ensure that response is: • appropriate to needs and circumstances • consistent with the strategic planning objectives Impact Assessment for Development Agencies: Learning to Value Change (Roche, 1999)

18. 8/11: monitoring and evaluation Assessment, monitoring, eval. • Continuous monitoring and evaluation of the situation will ensure • up to date information on factors such as: • beneficiaries • e.g. population needs • risks • e.g. hazards and vulnerabilities • damage levels • e.g. to buildings, infrastructure and livelihoods • capacities • e.g. of each of the stakeholders as it varies over time • resources • e.g. material and environmental resources of the population Impact Assessment for Development Agencies: Learning to Value Change (Roche, 1999)

19. 9/11: scenarios • 58 Scenarios • A number of different scenarios must be developed, from a best- • case scenario to a worst-case scenario • Scenario planning should assist in the selection of transitional • settlement and reconstruction options by: • building on the assessment process • taking into account factors such as: • beneficiaries • risks • damage levels • capacities • resources • identifying several possible indicatorsfor eachscenario, defining when one scenario is more probable • identifying the most likely scenario

20. 10/11: legal framework • 59 Legal framework • The purpose of a legal plan is to achieve a comprehensive and • integrated legal framework that supports: • the affected and host population • transitional settlement and reconstruction • survival • land rights and use • beneficiary selection

21. 11/11: handover • 61 Handover • A handover plan should ensure that responsibilities are transferred • and that any additional responsibilities are identified • Various handovers will occur throughout the response, • both between and within stakeholder groups • Handover will include passing responsibility between: • coordinators within the various coordination mechanisms • individuals within organisations • search and rescue teams, the government and within the humanitarian and development communities • Final handover occurs once the strategic planning objectives • have been achieved

22. Strategic plan throughout response Strategic planning objectives Coordination Critical path analysis Transitional settlement and reconstruction Resources Schedule for implementation Participation Assessment, monitoring and evaluation Scenarios Legal Framework Handover Emergency Recovery Durable solutions

23. Discussion Key point Working in groups, list operations you have worked in and grade the level of shelter strategy from more effective to less effective Strategies more less Discussion in groups Each group agrees a key point

24. Bibliography ‘The Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP)’ (UN/OCHA) ‘The UNHCR Tool for Participatory Assessment in Operations’ (UNHCR, 2006) ‘Transitional settlement and reconstruction after natural disasters’ (United Nations, 2008)