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SECOND INTERNATIONAL
WORKSHOP ON LOGISTICAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Geneva, 10-11 July
2002
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Background
On 25th
-27th July, 2001, the
World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan
American Health Organization (PAHO), convened the
first "International Workshop on
Logistical Support Systems (LSS) in humanitarian operations". At the meeting, the participants recommended the
development of a global information system for the management of relief supplies
in disasters and emergencies. In addition to the need for a common
classification of relief items, the need for a capacity building initiative for
local authorities and NGOs and establishing channels of communication among the
community of users, the participants highlighted the need for a jointly
organised follow-up meeting within a year.
Accordingly this
follow-up workshop was hosted by OCHA on July 10-11, at Palais des Nations, in
Geneva. The workshop brought together over 60 experts from member countries, UN
Organizations, the Red Cross movement and humanitarian NGOs.
The
objectives of the meeting were to;
- review progress made on recommendations adopted at the first
meeting in July 2001 and discuss other
initiative
- chart the next steps towards coordination of the LSS in
humanitarian operations.
Following the official opening of the workshop by Mr Ross
Mountain, Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator and Director of OCHA Geneva,
the workshop participants were presented with the progress reports that
highlighted;
Commodities Classifications and
Coding
- Although extensive analyses has been done and discussion
conducted with stakeholders no agreement was reached in choosing a common
classifications and coding
system
- The experience
of the UN Joint Logistic
Centre (UN-JLC) operation in Afghanistan demonstrated the vital role of common
logistic information system for coordination of life saving effort.
Software
Development
- FUNDESUMA
released the latest SUMA Version 5.2 with basic code
translator.
- Specification for the Global SUMA software and common data warehouse was
updated based on technological advances and users
requirements.
- The
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is
developing a CTS with the support of Fritz Institute (a private foundation) and
a number of NGOS are updating their systems with the support of Microsoft.
Capacity
Building
A few training
opportunities were offered during the year due to funding problem. Preliminary
discussion is going on with potential academic and NGO partners to set up
decentralised capacity. A number of countries have also expressed interest in
having training
Advocacy and
Communications Among Community of Users
- The LSS page
have been set-up on the Reliefweb and a web board for discussion
added.
- The initiative
was endorsed by the Inter Agency Steering Committee Working Group (IASC/WG) and
presented as an accountability and transparency tool on a number of
fora.
These reports
assisted participants in sharing the developments since the last workshop and
served as backgrounds for the two working
groups that discussed in detail
:
- problems and recommendations in using a "common classification and coding
system" and
- software solution and the revised specification for the development of a
common Global SUMA (LSS) software and data
warehouse.
Based on consensus issues reached by the participants and further
discussions in plenary, the participants identified the following next steps and
the time
lines;
- To set-up a
small working group on common coding and classification system and to finalise
the issue with 60
days.
- A working group
consisting of WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR, MSF, IFRC/ICRC, OXFAM, GTU and FUNDESUMA was
established to work on the common coding and classification system.
- Electronic
discussion and teleconferences to be considered as options for
communication.
- The group is
expected to finalise its work and report back by 10th Sept.
2002.
- The expected
output of the working groups are to a detailed analytical report the various
systems and their common features between together with conclusions
recommendations and logical coding system for the new LSS to be
developed.
- To convene a workshop to finalise the software specification
in 90 days
- The
specification for the LSS software (based on SUMA) needs to be further analysed
and agreed upon. For this it was agreed to organise a workshop by mid October
2002 and bring together 15-20 experienced logisticians, software experts and
managers to discuss and finalize it.
- To facilitate
this, agencies having a CTS agreed to share the specification of their software
with the group facilitated by software expert. WHO and PAHO offered the
necessary funding of such expert (for two months) and the workshop.
- The PAHO
proposal of calling the meeting in Washington DC was
accepted.
- Once these two processes are finalised and
the necessary funding secured the software development will
commence in January 2003. On the other hand if sufficient funding is not
secured, the initiative will be terminated.
- To take stock of logistic training efforts and synergise
efforts in the different
agencies.
- Most partners have training programmes for their logistic
staff or their partners at field level. It is essential at this stage to first
share information on the available training events. WFP agreed to carry out a baseline survey on logistic training
programmes available and report back to the next LSS Workshop and/or post the results on the
LSS page in ReliefWeb. WHO is also going to systematize the information on logistic
training events and post it on the Web.
- The electronic web board can also be used to advertise
training
events
- FUNDESUMA to
share their experience in SUMA training with partners.
- The management
structure proposed by OCHA will be further discussed among the four
agencies.
It was
suggested for the partnership to include UNICEF and UNHCR. This was also agreed
to be addressed among the four partner
agencies.
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