Emergency Preparedness and Response Officers (EPRO)
The Emergency Preparedness and Response Section (EPRS) is staffed with five Emergency Preparedness and Response Officers who are on standby for emergency response. In the event of an emergency where the UNHCR Branch Office lacks adequate resources to respond or where UNHCR has no prior presence, the EPRO can be deployed at very short notice to lead an emergency team or existing staff in the establishment and/or strengthening of UNHCR's presence. An EPRO may also be deployed to lead a needs assessment mission which will make recommendations relating to the deployment of other emergency resources.
The EPRO reports directly to the UNHCR Representative or, where there is no existing office, to the Regional Bureau at Headquarters. Prior to each deployment, the EPRO's terms of reference will be established by the Bureau. The duration of deployment will depend on the nature of the operation, but should be limited to the critical emergency phase during which the basic structures and direction of the operation will be put in place. In general this period is not expected to exceed two months. An EPRO cannot be deployed to fill management or staffing gaps in existing operations.
In addition to operational deployment, EPROs are responsible for emergency preparedness activities, including:
- monitoring regional developments
- assisting in the contingency planning process
- developing management tools to enhance effective emergency response
- participating in the review of procedures to improve emergency response
- identifying emergency training needs on the basis of deployment experiences
- serving as resource persons for emergency management trainings.
To ensure adequate regional coverage in preparedness activities, each EPRO is assigned responsibility for a specific geographical area. However, where operational deployment is concerned, maximum flexibility will be maintained.
How to request
The deployment of an EPRO is normally accompanied by the deployment of other emergency resources in order to mount an effective response to an emergency situation. Should a comprehensive response package be required, a request from the Director of the Bureau should be addressed to the Director of DOS.
After clearance at the Director level, the Head of Desk should advise the Chief of EPRS (preferably in writing) the destination, proposed duration, terms of reference, language requirements as well as any other specific skills required for the assignment. EPROs may in principle be deployed with 72 hours notice. Should an EPRO not be available, an experienced ERT member (see section IV) may be deployed instead.
The mission costs of the EPRO will be charged to the respective country programme.
