Summary
Content
Objective
The Logistics Cluster in Myanmar strives to build up inter-agency interoperability and collaboration to enhance predictability, timeliness and efficiency of the logistics response to meet beneficiaries' needs.
It identifies and addresses logistics gaps, bottlenecks and duplication in humanitarian operations and ensures that they are appropriately addressed.
Based on the discussion and requests from the cluster participants in Bangkok and Myanmar the Logistics Cluster planned to put in the basic infrastructure to facilitate a common logistics operation. This approach recognizes the limited access for International Staff, and in order to ensure gap filling, the Logistics Cluster's network covers a wide area up to identified and agreed hubs, ensuring transport and temporary warehousing.
Role of the Lead Agency and Cluster Participants
As the Lead Agency WFP is accountable for the performance of the Logistics Cluster and reports to the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC). In the exceptional circumstance that the Logistics Cluster identifies logistics capacity gaps that cannot be addressed by Cluster Participants, WFP as provider of last resort is responsible to address such gaps: Where there are critical gaps in the response plan, the Cluster Lead, will do its utmost to ensure that these are addressed, calling on relevant humanitarian partners. If this fails, then depending on the urgency and priority that the cluster gives to addressing this gap, the Cluster Lead may need to commit itself to filling the gap.
The Cluster Participants meet on a regular basis to share information and set priority activities of the cluster.
Activities
- The Field Country-level Cluster formalizes existing logistics coordination mechanisms among humanitarian actors, and local and national authorities.
- The Field Country-level Cluster strengthens partnerships between UN agencies, the Red Cross Movement, International Organizations, national and international NGOs, donors and national authorities.
- The Field Country-level Cluster provides a platform for exchanging information and making decisions to improve strategic coordination and prioritization.
- The Field Country-level Cluster collects, analyzes and disseminates logistics information within the Cluster, across other clusters and to stakeholders.
- The Field Country-level Cluster gathers and shares logistics capacity information/assessments amongst Cluster Participants
- The Field Country-level Cluster develops and maintains common logistics operational plans together with the humanitarian actors and other clusters to ensure most efficient logistics operations
- The Field Country-level Cluster identifies and addresses gaps, bottlenecks or duplications in the over-all logistics operations.
- The Field Country-level Cluster provides operational advice, best practices and troubleshooting assistance to Cluster Participants
- The Field Country-level Cluster negotiates facilitation measures (i.e. customs procedures) with local authorities and/or government counterparts on behalf of the Field Country-level Cluster if requested. The Cluster Logistics Officer will liaise with UNJLC in order to support their info collection and analysis traditional role; and in order to commonly analyze and solve customs-caused bottlenecks".
- The Field Country-level Cluster communicates/liaises for logistics needs with OCHA Civil- Military Coordinator for MCDA/MCDU (if any) and ensures that available military assets are included into a common pool and efficiently used for humanitarian operations
- The Field Country-level Cluster coordinates humanitarian air operations (cargo prioritization and optimization the use of pooled air assets)
- The Field Country-level Cluster represents the Logistics Cluster in other cluster meetings and high-level events and provides logistics input and support.
- The Field Country-level Cluster may request the Lead Agency to become provider of last resort to ensure adequate response
- The Field Country-level Cluster may identify and mobilize resources (i.e. financial, HR, assets) for services provided by the Cluster or other Cluster Participants
- The Field Country-level Cluster ensures adequate logistics preparedness through capacity building and contingency planning.
- The Field Country-level Cluster defines its priorities, work plan, specific terms of reference, duration and exit strategy
- The Field Country-level Cluster monitors and evaluates its performance against the work plan/identified benchmarks.