Opening an Office: Checklist for the Emergency Administrator
The Checklist is intended as a practical tool for UNHCR staff when responding to emergencies, who are assigned to duty stations where there is no established UNHCR presence or where the existing UNHCR office requires additional administrative support as a result of a changed refugee situation. However it is also most useful as a reference tool in established offices, and for administration training purposes. The Checklist has 3 components all of which are contained in an A4 ring binder:
1. The Checklist: lists most activities requiring attention when establishing a (Branch, Sub or Field) Office. The list is broken down into 5 main sections:
Premises
Communications and Transport
Personnel, Staff Conditions and Security
Finance, Equipment and Supplies
Filing and Documentation.
The list does not cover administrative procedures and action required for the ongoing needs of the office but concentrates solely on those matters related to the establishment of an office.
2. Annexes: extracts from existing documentation, which have been included for ease of reference and are not substitutes for existing manuals and instructions.
3. Computer diskette: contains the format for many forms or documents. These forms or documents can be copied and amended to suit local needs. The disc also includes a wide range of Printer Action Tables (PATs) and a standard memo Macro.
One Checklist should be available in all UNHCR Offices. The most recent version, Revision 6, was issued in March 1998.
How to request
Checklists are available on request from EPRS for new UNHCR offices. Since stocks are limited, please ensure that copies are not removed from the field offices.
Commodity Distribution: A Practical Field Guide
This guide outlines the procedures by which UNHCR field staff and operational partners can design and implement systems for commodity distribution. The field guide points out important issues on distribution and offers techniques and ideas based on best current practice. First published in June 1997, this document was produced through a series of consultations with agencies with a long involvement in commodity distribution, namely the World Food Programme, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and NGO implementing partners.
The Commodity Distribution field guide begins by acquainting the reader with a glossary of terms, commonly-used acronyms, and a summary of key points covered in the document. An overview of commodity distribution follows with a brief look at definitions, the main actors and their roles, the relationships between food and non-food items, and programme planning.
Other chapters of the field guide are devoted to the beneficiaries, categories of distribution and how to select the best for your particular situation, refugee involvement, and commodity distribution management. A final chapter addresses special issues in commodity distribution and provides answers to many of the common questions and problems encountered in the field.
A series of annexes provide (with some explanatory notes) commonly-used monitoring and reporting forms for both food and non-food item distribution.
How to request
Copies of Commodity Distribution: A Practical Field Guide can be made available by contacting HCDS or by e-mail at hqcs00@unhcr.ch.
