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IASC Transformative Agenda

The Humanitarian Reform process was initiated by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, together with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) in 2005 to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian response through greater predictability, accountability, responsibility and partnership. Emergency response capacity has been reinforced at the global level according to an agreed division of labour. However, challenges still remain in deploying adequate leadership; putting in place appropriate coordination mechanisms at various levels and ensuring clear mutual accountabilities as evidenced by several major disasters over the past years. Furthermore, the application of the cluster approach has become overly process-driven and, in some situations, perceived to potentially undermine rather than enable delivery.

In light of the growing recognition of the weaknesses in the multilateral humanitarian response, the IASC Principals decided to review the current approach to humanitarian response and make adjustments, building on the lessons learned in 2010 and 2011. Based on an analysis of current challenges to leadership and coordination, the IASC Principals agreed in December 2011 to a set of actions that collectively represent a substantive improvement to the current humanitarian response model. Detailed information on agreed actions are available in the Chapeau and Compendium document.

 

Transformative Agenda Protocols

Following the agreement of the Transformative Agenda (TA) in December 2011, the Principals agreed the ‘TA Protocols’, which set the parameters for improved collective action in humanitarian emergencies.

Through an extensive consultation process with humanitarian partners and taking in consideration, lessons learned from the implementation of the 2012 protocols on “Humanitarian System-Wide Emergency Activation”, the IASC principals adopted the Scale-Up activation and related documents to replace the previous protocols of response to Level 3 Emergencies

The current and updated Protocols include the following documents:

  1. Protocol 1. Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation: Definition and Procedures [replacing Humanitarian System-Wide Emergency Activation: definition and procedures]
  2. Protocol 2. ‘empowered Leadership’ in a Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation [replacing Concept Paper on ‘Empowered Leadership’- revised March 2014]
  3. Responding to Level 3 Emergencies: What ‘Empowered Leadership’ looks like in practice (note this protocol is under revision)
  4. Reference Module for Cluster Coordination at the Country Level (revised July 2015)
  5. Humanitarian Programme Cycle Reference Module Version 2.0 (July 2015)
  6. Accountability to Affected Populations Operational Framework
  7. Inter-Agency Rapid Response Mechanism (IARRM) Concept Note (December 2013. Note this protocol is under revision)
  8. Common Framework for Preparedness (October 2013)
  9. Emergency Response Preparedness (draft for Field Testing, July 2015)
  10. Multi-Sector Initial Rapid Assessment Guidance (Revision July 2015)

 

Presentation on the Transformative Agenda

»  PowerPoint on the IASC Transformative Agenda

Key Messages on the IASC Transformative Agenda

»  Key Messages: The IASC Transformative Agenda

Questions & Answers

»  Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation. Frequently Asked Questions

»  Scale-up Activation Timeline (infographic)

Past meetings

Jul
15
2020

P2P Webinar – IASC Light Guidance on Collective Outcomes: Humanitarian- Development-Peace Collaboration in the Context of Protracted Crises

Geneva
15:00 to 16:30
Jun
10
2020

P2P Webinar on “ProCap and GenCap: Addressing protection and gender concerns during COVID-19”

Geneva
14:00 to 15:00
May
20
2020

P2P Webinar on Covid-19 -How the System is Responding- community engagement and communications strategy at the national/local level

Geneva
16:00 to 17:00
May
13
2020

P2P Webinar on Covid-19 -How the System is Responding- prevention/protection measures in populated areas

Geneva
16:00 to 17:00
May
06
2020

P2P Webinar on Covid-19 -How the System is Responding- Supply chain, logistics and local markets

Geneva
16:00 to 17:00
Apr
21
2020

P2P Webinar on Duty of Care Facilitated by IFRC

Geneva
15:00 to 16:00
More past meetings

Sections

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Looking for the IASC Scale-Up Protocols?

The latest development building on the Transformative Agenda is the launch of the IASC System-Wide Scale-Up Activation protocols. Read more about them here.

Recent news

  • IASC Coordination in the Field
    9 October 2019
  • Key messages on the IASC System-Wide Scale-Up activation for the Ebola Response
    1 July 2019
  • Scale-Up Protocol for the Control of Infectious Disease Events Endorsed by the IASC Principals
    5 April 2019
  • IASC Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Protocols Released
    20 November 2018
  • IASC System-wide response activations and deactivations
    15 October 2020
More news

Recent documents

  • Ebola UN-wide response key messages, June 2019
    Published Date
    1 July 2019
  • IASC, Protocol for the Control of Infectious Disease Events. Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation, 2019
    Published Date
    5 April 2019
  • IASC, Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation. Frequently Asked Questions, 2018
    Published Date
    20 November 2018
  • IASC, Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation. Frequently Asked Questions, 2018
    Published Date
    20 November 2018
  • IASC, Protocol 1. Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation: Definition and Procedures, 2018
    Published Date
    20 November 2018
View all documents
Relevant Guidance for the Field
  • Reference Module for Cluster Coordination at the Country Level (revised July 2015)
  • Humanitarian Programme Cycle Reference Module Version 2.0 (July 2015)
  • Accountability to Affected Populations Operational Framework
  • Common Framework for Preparedness (October 2013)
  • Emergency Response Preparedness (draft for Field Testing, July 2015)
  • Multi-Sector Initial Rapid Assessment Guidance (Revision July 2015)

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