Large-scale disasters have led the IASC to reform the humanitarian response system. After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the IASC launched the Humanitarian Reform around coordination, leadership, humanitarian financing and partnership. Emergency capacity has been reinforced but challenges remained. Following the Haiti earthquake and Pakistan floods in 2010, the IASC launched the Transformative Agenda in December 2011, setting the parameters for improved collective response to major humanitarian crises

Scale-Up Protocols

Agreement around the concept of an IASC Humanitarian System-Wide Emergency Activation (referred to as a “Level 3 Response”) was a fundamental element of the Transformative Agenda.

The initial IASC Humanitarian System-Wide Emergency Activation (L3 Response) was put in place in 2012 to deliver a rapid, concerted mobilization of capacity and systems to enable accelerated and scaled-up assistance and protection over a short and focused duration. Although initially designed for sudden onset emergencies, most L3 activations were applied to large-scale protracted crises. And in some cases, the L3 designations lasted for a number of years.

Against this backdrop, and to improve the effectiveness of the IASC’s response to a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation or sudden onset crisis, in November 2018, the IASC Principals endorsed the new system-wide emergency activation procedures, referred to as ‘SCALE-UP’.

The Scale-Up activation protocols layout the measures and procedures to be taken at the global and national levels to ensure that “the humanitarian system” is better placed to respond collectively and effectively in contexts where the gravity of the humanitarian situation justifies the mobilization of system-wide capacities and resources, beyond standard levels, to respond to critical humanitarian needs on the ground. This exceptional measure will only be applied for a time-bound period of up to six months (which can be exceptionally extended by another 3 months).

The following are the protocols and related documents:

• Protocol 1: Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation - Definition and Procedures
• Protocol 2: ‘Empowered Leadership’ in a Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation
• Frequently Asked Questions on the Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation
• Scale-up Activation Timeline (infographic)

Level 3 (L3) Activation Procedures for Infectious Disease Events'

In December 2017, the IASC Principals meeting adopted the Health Epidemic Procedures and Simulations. These procedures are currently under review to align them with the Scale-Up activation protocols.

• Infographic - IASC Level 3 System-Wide Activation Procedures for Infectious Disease Events
• Level 3 (L3) Activation Procedures for Infectious Disease Events
  

Relevant Guidance for the Field: Coordination, Assessments and Preparedness (Transformative Agenda protocols)

• 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)