Surge Capacity: Resources

Emergency Response Roster (ERR) 

There are currently 35 OCHA staff on the ERR, based in field offices and headquarters with a variety of profiles who are available to deploy at short notice (within a few days), usually for 6 to 8 weeks. Staff are placed on the roster for a 6 month rotation period, with supervisors ‘pre-clearing’ their possible emergency deployment. Every 6 months all OCHA staff are invited to apply to be on the next rotation.

Stand-By Partnership Programme (SBPP)

OCHA has legal agreements with 12 different partner organizations to provide short-term staffing to field operations free of charge to meet emergency gaps. The partners maintain their own rosters of trained and experienced humanitarian professionals, many of whom have prior OCHA or other UN humanitarian experience, from which they may propose staff against requests made by OCHA. SBPP staff can usually be deployed within four weeks from the formal request; average missions duration: 5-6 months.

Associates Surge Pool (ASP)

Launched in October 2010, the ASP serves to bridge the gap between immediate surge and the arrival of regular staffing in addition to  addressing other critical mid-term staffing gaps. The ASP is composed of external emergency personnel, who  can be deployed for periods of up to six months upon the issuance of a Temporary Appointment (using the budget line of empty posts in receiving office costplans). Contracting and deployment preparations takes an average of 3-4 weeks.

Roaming Emergency Surge Officers (RESOs)

The RESO modality will be comprised of three full time senior OCHA staff members, based in Geneva but expected to spend 80% of the year on deployment.  The purpose of the RESOs is to strengthen senior surge within OCHA in new and escalating crises.

A selection of the profiles and grades of staff available through the ERR and SBPP mechanisms includes:

• Humanitarian Affairs Officers (HAO) P-2 to P-5
• Information Management Officers (IMO)
• Public Information / Advocacy Officers
• Information Technology experts (IT)
• Civil-Military Coordination Officers
• Protection Officers
• Admin / Finance Officers
• Logisticians

HAO and IMO are the primary profiles with a small number of PIOs who are available through the ASP.

Other specialised OCHA support is available through the Geneva office. Senior Protection Officers (PROCAP) and Senior Gender Experts (GENCAP) are inter-agency resources, managed by OCHA. Experts in Consolidated Appeals / Flash Appeals and Environmental Emergencies can also be deployed.