Iasc cluster approach evaluation, 2nd phase april 2010

Executive Summary
Introduction
Method
Background
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Good practice examples 
depend on capacity  
and leadership
Reasons for lack of 
integration of cross-cutting 
issues:
Unclear responsibilities
What are cross-cutting 
issues?
Lack of capacity and 
guidance

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UNEP,  for  example,  has  increased  its  capacity  to  ensure  the  mainstreaming 
of environment into humanitarian action, but does not have an “Environment 
Cap” to ensure support at country level when and where needed. UNAIDS is 
currently planning to create a specific support capacity for HIV/AIDS. 
 
•   
Where global surge capacities for cross-cutting issues were deployed, they were 
often used as (sub-) cluster coordinators, including for example the GenCap expert 
deployed to Uganda and a ProCap expert deployed to the oPt. As a result, they 
had little capacity for working with other clusters on these issues. By the same 
token, deployments are more effective where they focus on several clusters.
 
•   
Some clusters, namely Early Recovery and to a lesser degree Protection, have 
both a coordination and an advisory function that serves to mainstream their 
thematic areas into other clusters. In the case study countries, they typically 
prioritized cluster activities over advisory functions, even though they are often 
included in the terms of reference of cluster coordinators and though technical 
experts on cross-cutting issues are sometimes deployed. This often leads to a 
neglect of mainstreaming issues. 
 
•   
Focal  points  for  cross-cutting  issues,  with  the  exception  of  Gender,  are  not 
members of the global Inter-Agency Standing Committee and thus have limited 
opportunities to influence policy and strategy decisions.
 
•   
Cross-cutting issues are rarely included appropriately at the needs assessment 
and diagnosis stage, making it difficult for subsequent steps of the response to 
react to them adequately.
 
•   
The limited use of participatory approaches by clusters can lead to a neglect 
of cross-cutting issues, especially when they are directly related to their needs, 
such as gender and disability.