1. CAP SECTION OCHA-GENEVA
FLASH APPEALS and CERF
CAP SECTION
OCHA-GENEVA

2. What is a Flash Appeal?
Part of the Consolidated Appeals Process, the humanitarian sector’s main tool for coordination, strategic planning and programming.
A tool that provides an overview of urgent life-saving needs, within a week of the emergency's onset.
Contains rapid needs assessment information, a common humanitarian action plan, and specific sectoral response plans and projects.
Addresses acute needs for up to six months (and can be developed into a consolidated appeal if the emergency continues beyond six months).

3. What is the Flash Appeal's rationale?
To avoid competing and overlapping appeals;
To provide a framework for strategic, coordinated, and inclusive programming;
To serve as an inventory or catalogue of priority humanitarian project proposals, and a barometer of funding response.

4. What warrants an Appeal?
Any crisis or disaster needing humanitarian response that (a) exceeds the capacity of the affected country government, and (b) exceeds the capacity and/or mandate of any one UN agency.

5. GA Resolution 46/182 :
“For emergencies requiring a consolidated response, the Secretary-General should ensure that an initial Consolidated Appeal covering all concerned organisations of the system, prepared in consultation with the affected State, is issued within the shortest possible time…”
The Flash Appeal was subsequently developed by the IASC as a short, quick version of the consolidated appeal.
Notice that consolidated appeals are not optional, they are mandatory for any emergency requiring a consolidated response.

6. Who is involved?
Resident Coordinator / Humanitarian Coordinator (leading the process, with OCHA’s support)
UN Agencies
Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement
NGOs (international and local)
Donors (field office reps)
Affected country government. (The appeal is done in consultation with the government.)

7. Indicative Timeframe from disaster/crisis onset …
Day 1
UN HC/RC triggers Flash Appeal – consults IASC country team – Government consulted.
Day 2-3
UNCT conducts rapid needs assessment and prepares Flash Appeal.
Day 4
CAP Section shares draft with IASC HQs for 24 hr review
Day 5
CAP Section processes & electronically publishes the document
Official launch of appeal
(Because all this has to happen very fast with imperfect information, flash appeals are routinely revised a few weeks after the first edition.)
Flash appeals launched this quickly after the onset of disaster are normally revised about 1 or 2 months after launch, to take new information in account, and to add more detailed recovery projects.)

8. 1st/2nd editions:
Compromise between speed and precision: no one expects the early first edition to be comprehensive. You’re only expected to do the best you can with the fragmentary info available, plus good inference.
The second edition (or revision) is prepared when better info is available—usually 4-6 weeks later. It includes more early recovery.

9. Content of a Flash Appeal
Executive Summary
Context and Humanitarian Consequences / Needs
Response Plans per sector(incl. project summaries)
Roles and Responsibilities
Tables of project funding requirements (per agency, per sector, etc.)

10. The result:

11. Is Flash Appeal funding channelled through OCHA?
No…In most cases, agencies negotiate their funding directly with donors. In funding terms, the appeal therefore serves as an inventory of project proposals. ? $
CERF is the exception. Also, there occasionally are pooled funds managed by the RC/HC, supported by OCHA. But most business is done directly between donor and agency.

12. Sector leads have a crucial role :
Leading rapid needs assessments
Setting sectoral strategy and priorities
Gathering project proposals inclusively (incl. NGOs), but also…
Vetting projects ‘ruthlessly.’
ALL VERY FAST
NOTE: Capacity in CTs to do this fast enough is often lacking if they don’t have humanitarian experience. Global cluster leads need to help.

13. Your job as Sector leads re appeal projects :
Get all actors to the table.
Identify highest-priority needs, and make sure projects are proposed that cover those. (These form the top-priority projects in the appeal.)
Gather other proposals and filter them, applying criteria of relevance to need, feasibility (within timeframe, agency capacity, & operating environment), etc.
Try to stimulate proposals to fill gaps. Call in more capacity if needed.

14. CERF = source of funds, i.e. donor
Flash Appeal = strategic response plan which includes a set (“catalogue”) of projects and request for funds
CERF = source of funds, i.e. donor
So in this way, the Flash Appeal acts as a catalogue of projects, from which the HC (in consultation with CT) selects the highest priority for CERF funding. NOTE: CERF is not supposed to be a pooled fund, with something for everyone. It’s restricted by mandate to the highest priority projects.

15. Relationship between CERF Rapid Response Window and Flash Appeals:
Situations requiring CERF funds should normally also generate a Flash Appeal. The HC allocates available CERF funds to the highest-priority FA projects.
CERF provides the initial injection of funds for the most urgent life-saving projects in the Flash Appeal to cover the time lag between issuance of the Appeal and receipt of commitments and funds from donors
Ideal: Simultaneously prepare Flash appeal and prioritize projects within it for CERF funding; show CERF allocations in summary financial tables within Flash Appeal document (if already decided).
The CERF and the CAP are complementary. The CERF does not compete with the CAP, and vice versa. CERF funds mostly go to projects in the coordinated framework of CAPs in the least-funded crises, and to sudden-onset crises under flash appeals. However the CERF cannot fully take the place of direct donor funding for major crises. CERF resources, even if they attain the General Assembly’s target of a steady balance of $450 million, will still represent less than a tenth of worldwide humanitarian funding ($6 billion to date in 2006). Yet CERF’s successful first year of operation shows that if donors attain the target, the humanitarian system will have made a major step towards overcoming one of its key constraints: unpredictable and belated funding.

16. Why do both a CERF request and a Flash Appeal?
Major emergencies require a strategic plan, not a series of disconnected projects.
Most emergencies need more funding than CERF can provide.
Most also need humanitarian actions that are more holistic than those meeting CERF’s strict life-saving criterion.
The CERF and the CAP are complementary. The CERF does not compete with the CAP, and vice versa. CERF funds mostly go to projects in the coordinated framework of CAPs in the least-funded crises, and to sudden-onset crises under flash appeals. However the CERF cannot fully take the place of direct donor funding for major crises. CERF resources, even if they attain the General Assembly’s target of a steady balance of $450 million, will still represent less than a tenth of worldwide humanitarian funding ($6 billion to date in 2006). Yet CERF’s successful first year of operation shows that if donors attain the target, the humanitarian system will have made a major step towards overcoming one of its key constraints: unpredictable and belated funding.

17. Roles and Responsibilities: Rapid Response
RC/HC convenes CT meeting to discuss needs & response gaps, and to set priorities for CERF funding; RC/HC selects projects based on needs and formally submits the grant request package to the ERC
ERC approves an allocation (usually a percentage of the overall requirement for the emergency response) and requests a grant package from the RC/HC
In consultation with the Country Team and based on needs assessments, RC/HC triggers Flash Appeal and requests CERF funds for priority life-saving needs
ERC approves project proposals in grant request package, and funds are disbursed to each agency Headquarters
Who does what, in what order?
ERC may also be pro-active and urge HCs/RCs and CTs to consider use of the CERF.
Critical role for IASC CTs: include NGOs in planning and assessment. Ensure agencies that can react immediately will get funding.
Important: forward disbursement of funds to implementing partners e.g. NGOs so that programs can be implemented immediately and w/in the 3 month limit.
** Project Prioritization and Selection is a field-driven process led by the RC/HC. Agencies cannot submit proposals directly to the ERC. **

18. Example of Flash Appeal project box
UNHCR
KEN-06/F02
Project title: Refugee feeding programme
Objectives: Timely and adequate food is available for new refugee arrivals, particularly vulnerable groups.
Implementation: Wet feeding at the border towns for new arrivals
Beneficiaries – 80,000 persons
$79,994
Less CERF allocation $33,878
Net requirements: $46,116

19. Consolidated Appeal
A Consolidated Appeal is, basically, a longer version of a Flash Appeal (usually 12 months), for longer-term crises, offering more analysis and detail.

20. Disaster/FA/CERF FA title Disaster Date N.of days Disaster to FA
CERF to FA
Bolivia
18 Jan 07 35 12
Peru
15 Aug 07 13 -6
Nicaragua
4 Sep 07 10
Dom. Rep
29 Oct 07 8 2
Bolivia FA Disaster Date FA Launch Date CERF date
Dominican Republic Disaster Date FA Launch Date CERF date
Nicaragua FA- Disaster Date FA Launch Date CERF date
Peru Earthquake FA- Disaster Date FA Launch Date CERF date

21. UN/IOM and NGOs in FA Bolivia, Nicaragua, Peru, Domenican Republic
Appealing Org. $
Requested
Received
% coverage
NGOs
2,877,458
1,014,099
35%
UN Agencies & IOM
104,919,781
39,494,220
38%
TOTAL
107,797,239
40,508,419
Domenican Republic (CRS requested 60,000$ received 0 as of 28Nov 07)
Peru (4 NGOs, 5 projects requesting 2,8 mil received 1 mil)
In 2005 El Salvador UN and Govt appeal, Guatemala and Guyana Floods FA (no NGO)

22. Comparison of Funding to FA in 2007 Latin America and the Caribbean

23. FA Funding and CERF
Bolivia Flash Appeal 2007:CERF 14% of reqs ( 2 mil out of 14 req) - CERF is 29% of funding received
Dominican Republic Flash Appeal 2007: CERF 22% of req ( 3 mil out of 14 req)- CERF is 97% of funding received
Nicaragua Flash Appeal 2007 CERF 12,6 % of req (4,9 out of 42) - CERF is 44% of funding received
Peru Earthquake Flash Appeal 2007 CERF 25% of req (9.6 out of 38 req) - CERF is 50% of funding received
Total CERF: 18% of funding req.
Total CERF against funding received in 4 FA: 50%

24. Further material: www.humanitarianappeal.net

25. Financial Tracking Services (Access through ReliefWeb)

26. Any questions? Laura Calvio CAP Section, OCHA-Geneva
Tel / Fax
Room 304, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland