UNICEF's Cluster Lead Agency (CLA) Role: How Well Has it Done and What Next?
Geneva
Meeting Documents
1. UNICEF's Cluster Lead Agency (CLA) Role: How Well Has it Done and What Next?
The Cluster approach was introduced in 2005 and it was intended to improve emergency response through greater predictability and accountability, as well as stronger partnership between and among humanitarian actors. UNICEF serves as Global CLA for three Clusters: Nutrition, WASH and, as co-CLA with Save the Children, Education. In addition, within the Global Protection Cluster led by UNHCR, UNICEF is Focal Point Agency for the Child Protection AOR and co-Focal Point Agency with UNFPA for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) AOR. Together, these responsibilities render UNICEF the agency with the most Clusters and AORs under its remit. Evaluations, reviews and other exercises assessing UNICEF’s response to recent emergencies have pointed out that while the Organisation appears to be taking its CLA roles and responsibilities seriously, challenges still remain. An evaluation of UNICEF’s Cluster Lead Agency Role (CLARE) in Humanitarian Action was recently finalised. The evaluation was designed to undertake a systematic, in-depth and independent assessment of UNICEF’s performance in managing its CLA (and co-CLA) role on the Clusters under its remit. It includes information and data collected at the global level as well as eight country case studies. The evaluation of UNICEF’s Cluster Lead Agency (CLA) role in humanitarian action has primarily sought to address the following overarching question: How well does UNICEF carry out its CLA role and what should it do for the future? The evaluation was commissioned by the UNICEF Evaluation Office and was conducted from January through June of 2013 by independent evaluators from Avenir Analytics.
Panellists
Brian Majewski from Avenir Analytics will present and discuss the outcomes and the recommendations of the evaluation. Josephine Ippe, Global Nutrition Cluster Coordinator, will provide a quick and complimentary overview of the impact and relevance of the evaluation to the Nutrition Cluster and for UNICEF overall.