1. Protection Mainstreaming
Presentation by GPC/Protection Mainstreaming Task Team
Julien Marneffe, Philippines, December 2013

2. Objectives of workshop
Introduce Protection Mainstreaming
Present the 4 key Protection Mainstreaming principles
Protection Mainstreaming Checklist
Outputs:
Action Plan/Key priorities on Protection Mainstreaming & coordination
Evaluation of 2-hour training module

3. Definitions Protection
“All activities aimed at obtaining full respect for the rights of the individual in accordance with the letter and the spirit of the relevant bodies of law (i.e., Human Rights Law, IHL, Refugee Law).”

4. Definitions Protection Mainstreaming
“[It] is the process of incorporating protection principles, and promoting safety, dignity and meaningful access […] in all humanitarian activities.”

5. Humanitarian Imperative
Humanitarian action consists of two main pillars: protection and assistance.
Protection is a core part of humanitarian action
Not all humanitarian agencies are expected to implement Protection programmes
Responsibility of all humanitarian agencies
Ethical responsibility to incorporate protection principles into their humanitarian response programmes.
1. Inter-Agency Standing Committee – Transformative agenda (better programming, enhanced accountability, and more effective coordination, empowered leadership,…)
2. Sphere (2011)
Humanitarian action consists of two main pillars: protection and assistance.
Protection is a core part of humanitarian action and the Protection Principles point to the responsibility of all humanitarian agencies to ensure that their activities are concerned with the more severe threats that affected people commonly face in times of conflict or disaster.
3. Inter-Agency Minimum Standard for Protection Mainstreaming (2013)
Not all humanitarian agencies are expected to implement Protection programmes, or have the necessary staff and skills to do so.
However, all humanitarian actors have an ethical responsibility to incorporate protection principles into their humanitarian response programmes.

6. Protection Mainstreaming v. Programming
HOW
WHAT
Mainstreaming
Non-protection
Protection
YES NO
Protection Mainstreaming enhances the quality and maximizes the impact of humanitarian programming.
Protection Mainstreaming does NOT replace protection programming.
Protection Mainstreaming is about HOW we provide assistance; Protection is about WHAT we do/provide.
Protection Mainstreaming enhances the quality and maximizes the impact of humanitarian programming, at all stages of an intervention cycle and without adding new activities. PM does NOT replace protection programming.
Protection Mainstreaming is about HOW we provide assistance; Protection is about WHAT we do/provide.

7. Mainstreaming v. Programme
Activities
Type/Sector
Food distribution
Food security
Adapting food distribution implementation to ensure access by most vulnerable population – in particular elderly and persons with disabilities
Protection mainstreaming
Monitoring of Protection Needs and case management of persons with disabilities or
Distributing dignity kits to vulnerable women in affected areas
Protection

8. Protection Mainstreaming v. Programming
Risk analysis (Do No Harm) – eg. Time/location of distribution
YES
Protection analysis (eg. Is situation ripe for return?)
Identify all groups of vulnerable beneficiaries
Protection monitoring
Community information/consultation meeting
Information on services & Self-Referral
Referral/Case management
Human Rights Sensitization
Advocacy on equal access, safety & dignity, accountability and participation issues
Advocacy on Protection/Human Rights issues

9. What Protection Mainstreaming needs
Genuine commitment to humanitarian ethics
Flexibility from humanitarian actors & donors
Training, key tools & best practices (inspiration)
Thinking critically about humanitarian work through a “protection lens”
Genuine commitment to humanitarian ethics
Flexibility from humanitarian actors & donors
Coordination & inclusion in agendas
Resources (human and financial)
Time
Training, key tools & best practices (inspiration)
Most importantly a mindset, i.e.: thinking critically and out of the box about our work through a “protection lens”

10. Protection Mainstreaming Principles
Safety & Dignity (Do No Harm)
Equality (Meaningful access to impartial assistance)
Participation and Empowerment
Accountability to affected populations
THESE PRINCIPLES INFORM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HUMANITARIAN PRINCIPLES
THEY ARE INTERTWINED, COMPLEMENTARY AND INTERDEPENDENT
The key protection principles that must be taken into account in all humanitarian
activities are:
1. Avoid causing harm: prevent and minimize as much as possible any unintended negative effects
of your intervention which can increase people’s vulnerability to both physical and psychosocial risks
2. Equality: ensure people’s meaningful access to impartial assistance and services - in proportion
to need and without any barriers (i.e. discrimination). Pay special attention to individuals and groups
who may be particularly vulnerable or have difficulty accessing assistance and services.
3. Accountability to beneficiaries: set-up appropriate mechanisms through which affected populations
can measure the adequacy of interventions, or address concerns and complaints
4. Participation and Empowerment: support the development of self-protection capacities
and assist people to claim their rights, including - not exclusively - the rights to shelter, food,
water and sanitation, health, and education

11. Principle 1: Safety & Dignity
Humanitarians have a duty to promote the safety and dignity of affected populations
Avoid causing harm by creating additional threats, increasing discrimination or people’s vulnerability
Prevent and minimize as much as possible any unintended negative effects of our intervention
Humanitarian assistance goes beyond material needs – we have a duty to ensure and promote the safety and dignity of the affected population
Avoid causing harm by creating additional threats, increasing discrimination or people’s vulnerability
Prevent and minimize as much as possible any unintended negative effects of our intervention

12. Key activities for Safety & Dignity
Risk Analysis of humanitarian actions
RISK = THREAT x VULNERABILITY x TIME/CAPACITY
Report protection threats or Human Rights violations
Dignity:
(re-)Build self-esteem and self-confidence; Avoid stigmatization and victimization (see principle 3&4)
Provide choice/opportunities for choice
Safety:
Risk Analysis of humanitarian actions
RISK = THREAT x VULNERABILITY x TIME/CAPACITY
Respect confidentiality
Report protection threats or Human Rights violations
Dignity:
(re-)Build self-esteem and self-confidence; Avoid stigmatization and victimization, or creating/maintaining dependence (see principle 3&4)
Respect cultural needs of people (“mind and soul”)
Provide choice/opportunities for choice

13. How to ensure safety and dignity?
Assessment, analysis and monitoring
Understand the context, cultural norms and values, social dynamics and conflicts
Critical thinking
Ensure participation and accountability to affected population (see principles 3 & 4)
Sometimes, not providing assistance at all may be the right decision
It is never too late to change plans
Assessment/Monitoring and critical thinking:
Monitor activities and impact to ensure they are not being/becoming counter-productive or causing harm
Think critically about the planned intervention and its implementation
Understand the context, cultural norms and values, social & power dynamics, conflicts (conflict sensitivity)
Ensure participation and accountability to affected population (see principles 3 & 4)
Be ready to make tough calls - Sometimes, not providing assistance at all (temporarily or definitely stop) may be the right decision
It is never too late to change plans and activities, especially if they are causing harm or are counter-productive

14. Principle 2: Equality
Ensure meaningful access to impartial assistance and services based on needs and without barriers/discrimination
Meaningful access requires assistance and services that are:
Available in sufficient quantity and quality
Provided on the basis of need and without discrimination*
Know by the affected population
Physically accessible and within safe reach
Financially accessible
Culturally appropriate
Sensitive to age and gender

15. Key activities for equality
Identify vulnerable groups and their specific needs
Men, Women, Children (girls & boys) and Elderly
Persons with disabilities
Minorities (ethnic, religious,…)
Identify actual and potential barriers to access and necessary remedies (for each group)
Physical (distance, time,…)
Security
Cultural
Administrative
Economic
Information

16. How to ensure meaningful access?
Assessment through (at least) consultation
Plan activities on appropriate days and times
Inform the population on planned assistance and existing services
Sensitize population on services & access (address attitudes/reluctance)
Monitor access to services
Advocate to end discrimination or lift barriers
Informing the population on activities - in a way that is culturally appropriate and is accessible to all, especially the most vulnerable

17. Principle 3: Participation
The meaningful and active involvement of key stakeholders in each phase of a humanitarian programme cycle
From mere information and consultation to full participation and empowerment
Participation is essential for/to:
Helping rebuild dignity of affected populations
Ensuring that interventions are (more) relevant, appropriate and effective
Engaging the community
Enabling us to draw on local knowledge and capacity
Build local capacity
The meaningful and active involvement of key stakeholders in each phase of a humanitarian programme cycle
From mere information and consultation to full participation and empowerment
Participation is essential for/to:
Helping rebuild dignity – in particular by increasing self-esteem/ reducing feelings of powerlessness
Ensuring that interventions are relevant, appropriate and effective
Engaging the community and putting the affected population back in control of their own lives
Enabling us to draw on insights, knowledge, capacities, skills and resources of persons of concern
Build local capacity

18. How to ensure effective participation?
Adapt type and intensity of participation to context
Gradually increase participation
Working with local structures and leaders
Supporting the development of self-protection capacities
Assist people to access/realize their rights
Adapt type and intensity of participation to context throughout programme cycle
Participatory assessments to identify vulnerable groups, obstacles to access, and local capacity and resources
Community monitoring access and barriers to services
Gradually increase participation and put the affected population in charge of their own recovery
Working with (create or support) representative community groups/structures (associations/civil society, committees, focal points,…)
Community Action/Contingency Plans
Supporting the development of self-protection capacities
support self-protection (community/social networks – family, friends, etc) who are 1st circle of protection actors
Assist people to access/realize their rights
the second one being through participation, you make affected population actors of their own recovery – now humanitarian need to assist them in accessing/realizing their rights to that assistance and recovery; to help them understand they have a right to humanitarian assistance and recovery
example: focus group question: Do we have to pay for humanitarian assistance?

19. Principle 4: Accountability
The means through which power is used responsibly
It is a process of taking account of, and being held accountable by, different stakeholders, and primarily those who are affected by the exercise of power
Accountability to affected populations as the main stakeholders of humanitarian action
Standards:
Codes of conduct
Humanitarian Accountability & Partnership Standards

20. Standards of Accountability
Code of conduct
Humanitarian Accountability & Partnership Standards
Duty of care
Participation and informed consent
Offer redress
Transparency
Complementarity
HAP Standards & Principles:
Participation and informed consent: listening and responding to feedback
from crisis-affected people when planning, implementing, monitoring and
evaluating programmes, and making sure that crisis-affected people
understand and agree with the proposed humanitarian action and are aware
of its implications.
Duty of care: meeting recognised minimum standards for the well-being of
crisis-affected people, and paying proper attention to their safety and the
safety of staff.
Witness: reporting when the actions of others have a negative effect on the
well-being of people in need of humanitarian assistance or protection.
Offer redress: enabling crisis-affected people and staff to raise complaints,
and responding with appropriate action.
Transparency: being honest and open in communications and sharing relevant
information, in an appropriate form, with crisis-affected people and other stakeholders.
Complementarity: working as a responsible member of the aid community, co-ordinating with others to promote accountability to, and coherence for, crisis-affected people.

21. How to be effectively accountable
Informing the population on activities & informed consent of affected populations
Provide feedback on achievements, constraints, delays,… of humanitarian activities
Setting up a feedback & complaints mechanism – in particular on (but not limited to) PSEA
Do not commit to more than you can provide
Manage expectations
Complaints procedure: a specified series of actions though which an
organization deals with complaints and ensures that complaints are reviewed
and acted upon (see section 5.2 of HAP). Organizations that meet the HAP Standard
have procedures for handling all types of complaints, including those related to
sexual exploitation and abuse of crisis-affected people by staff.

22. PM and the Protection Cluster
Four key responsibilities of the PC regarding PM:
Ensure that PM is regularly placed on the agendas of the Inter-Cluster Coordination and HCT meetings
Ensure that PM is included in trainings of other clusters
Provide briefings on the outcomes of protection assessments at ICC & HCT meetings
Work bilaterally with clusters that are considered to be of priority from a protection perspective to strengthen PM in their response

23. Additional resources WWW.GLOBALPROTECTIONCLUSTER.ORG
Protection Mainstreaming
Annotated reference list
External resources
Examples from Field Protection Clusters (tools)
You can find examples of protection mainstreaming checklists from other clusters, in particular the Pacific Cluster and Palestine.
Protection in natural disaster

24. Additional resources Safety & Dignity Participation Accountability
Do No Harm Handbook (CDA)
Participation
Participation Handbook (ALNAP, URD 2009)
Accountability
Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP)
Standards 2010
Responding to Emergency
Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

25. Additional resources
Minimum Inter-Agency Standards on Protection Mainstreaming (2012)
Child Protection
Minimum Standards for Child Protection (2013)
See last section on mainstreaming of child protection in other humanitarian sectors
Gender & SGBV
Guidelines for Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings (IASC, 2005)