HAP in Pakistan

HAP supports agencies in the flood response in Pakistan

HAP's strong engagement with the humanitarian community in Pakistan started after the devastating earthquake in 2005, when HAP members requested the HAP Secretariat to establish an operation in Pakistan. Although the operation ended in July 2009, HAP support to agencies in Pakistan has continued.

Currently, HAP has 9 members with headquarters in Pakistan, while other international members are actively involved in the on-going flood response.

On 20 August 2010, CARE International co-hosted a New Emergencies Policy teleconference with HAP to discuss the humanitarian disaster and the potential for interagency collaboration in accountability. Agencies participating in the teleconference, such as Seewa Pak, Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan, Merlin, Save the Children UK, Full Gospel Assemblies, RedR, Catholic Agency For Overseas Development (CAFOD), Collaborative for Development Action, Christian Relief Services, Tearfund, Act for Peace, CARE International & Pakistan, Oxfam GB, Norwegian Church Aid, ALNAP, Concern Worldwide, Mercy Corp and Sungi all stated their commitment to promoting and prioritising accountability and quality in the humanitarian response. Under the agreement made during the teleconference, a two-week HAP visit took place in September to assist Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan, in addition to making a collective assessment of the need and viability of further capacity from HAP. For more details, see the minutes (pdf, 50 Kb) of the teleconference and report of the support visit (word, 151 Kb) conducted by Barb Wigley, HAP Programmes Coodinator.

HAP Deployment to Pakistan, January 2011

The support visit in September 2010 was followed by a one-month deployment to Pakistan conducted by Maria Kiani (Roving Representative), with Jamie Munn (Organisational Development Advisor) providing additional support for two weeks. During the deployment, support was provided to number of HAP member and non-member aid organisations, and the UN Education cluster to improve accountability and strengthen the quality of the flood response.

Download the Terms of Reference (pdf, 70 Kb) and the Report of the HAP Deployment to Pakistan 2011 which also highlights key findings and observations on accountability and quality in the flood operations.

Key outputs of the deployment have been:

Support provided to Church World Service - Pakistan/Afghanistan’s strengthening Humanitarian Assistance Team
Agency-specific support provided on request basis
Inter-agency capacity building activities
Support provided to the Accountability & Learning Working Group and decentralisation to sub-working groups based in Swat (KPK) and Sukkur (Sindh)
Inter-agency peer learning exercises in Swat and Sukkur
Lessons learnt event on Quality and Accountability in the Pakistan Flood Response
Case studies shared by agencies and available on the HAP website

Accountability Learning Working Group

HAP members and other interested agencies have come together to form the Accountability Learning Working Group (ALWG). The overall aim of the working group is to be a resource to strengthen the quality and accountability in the on-going flood response. The main focus for the first four months of the working group is the promotion of the information provision, participation and setting up complaint mechanisms.

During meetings HAP held with the Islamabad-based agencies, the need to decentralise the activities to the flood affected areas was emphasised, so that peer learning and support could take place in operational settings and capacity building with local partners could occur in a coordinated manner. The working group agreed to this proposition and during the HAP visits to Swat and Sukkur, the interest of the staff and organisations in establishing sub-working groups was explored.

After the field visits, HAP briefed the working group on the outcomes and highlighted the motivation of staff based in Swat and Sukkur to establish sub-working groups. The Accountability Learning Working Group members also confirmed their support and a "cellular" approach to the working group, where small cells or units could feed into the Islamabad level group. Hyderabad and Mardan were identified as additional locations. As a first step, the sub-working groups at Swat and Sukkur have been established and will be built upon before expanding further.

Case studies and key lessons

Read about the experiences, the efforts and the lessons learnt by HAP members and other organisations in strengthening accountability and quality management during their response to the floods in Pakistan:

Efforts by HAP members

Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan

Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan is taking a lead in championing accountability and quality issues in the humanitarian response through its Strengthening Humanitarian Assistance (SHA) Team, which includes staff dedicated to promoting the HAP Standard and the Sphere Handbook. Read more about the activities of the Strengthening Humanitarian Assistance (SHA) Team in the latest update report (pdf, 380 Kb).

For more information contact Jamie Munn (email: jamie.munn@cwspa.org.pk )

Sungi Development Foundation
Sungi Development Foundation led the establishment of the National Humanitarian Network, a coalition of national NGOs who are now represented at different venues, such as the weekly Strategic Coordination Meeting at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. Sungi has been successful in securing a seat at a number of high level committees, ensuring more opportunities to place accountability on the agenda.

For more information contact Manzoor Ahmed Awan, manzoor.awan@sungi.org

Transparency International
Transparency International Pakistan held a one-day workshop on “Ensuring the Transparent Use of Flood Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Funds”, sponsored by USAID and the Swiss Agency For Development & Cooperation (SDC), and in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan. HAP was an invited speaker at the workshop, on the topic of participation of communities in relief and reconstruction. Four key recommendations were presented to the Minister of Finance, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, at the conclusion of the workshop. These can be read in the following document: Ensuring the Transparent Use of Flood Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Funds (pdf, 70 Kb).

Women's Rights Association – Multan
At a recent roundtable meeting between the President of Pakistan, Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, and prominent women who work in flood affected areas, the Executive Director of the Women' Rights Association, Shaista Bukhari, made the following recommendations:

That land acquisitions be made in the name of women. This point was supported by the floor and added in the strategy outline. Mr Zadari said that the government will ensure that land acquisitions should be made in the name of flood affected women.
That women should be included in village planning.
That Committees and Information & Complaint Cells be formed to ensure accountability and transparency in relief efforts. These Information and Complaint Cells should also highlight gender-related needs and problems of flood affected women. “It is dire need of the hour that all relief work should be accountable and transparent to ensure that real benefits reach the flood affected communities”.

The Women's Rights Association also participated in a Social Accountability and Transparency Meeting (pdf, 71 Kb). It was attended by representatives from different civil society sections, including United Nations humanitarian and disaster response sections (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, World Food Programme), international NGOs, media, lawyers, government departments (Social Welfare Department, Rescue 1122), who expressed their viewpoints and concerns on disaster response for flood affected areas in districts of Southern Punjab. At the end of the meeting it was agreed by all the stakeholders to form a strategic watch group to ensure social accountability and transparency in disaster response.

Objectives of the watch group:

To share and improve existing accountability mechanisms with all watch group members.
To ensure mechanisms in government departments are in line with social accountability and transparency guidelines.

In a meeting to commemorate Rural Women Day, the Women's Rights Association also highlighted the issues that women of rural areas in Pakistan face and advocated for more transparency and accountability in the on-going flood relief efforts.

Relevant documents

Photos

For photos about the HAP support to Pakistan, go to the HAP Flickr photostream.

Share your updates and news with HAP

If you would like to share updates about your agency’s work in strengthening humanitarian accountability and quality in the Pakistan Flood Response please contact Maria Kiani, Senior Quality and Accountability Advisor at mkiani@hapinternational.org

For publications, case studies and tools on stregthening the quality and accountability of humanitarian services check the HAP Resource Section.

Updated: January 2012