United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Oct 2021
InterWorks facilitated an online Senior Emergency Leadership Programme (SELP) workshop for UNHCR SCER members starting with a programme orientation on Friday, 8 October and continuing the following week from 13-15 October 2021. The themes of the workshop centered on protection challenges, interagency coordination, managing risks and crisis communication, staffing in emergencies, prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment and Duty of Care (with a focus on psychosocial wellbeing and health and safety).
Trainers and presenters for each session were identified jointly by UNHCR DESS and UNHCR GLDC ESMLU. All presentations were delivered in English. The event was conducted online via MS Teams and was hosted and managed by UNHCR GLDC.
In addition to the online SELP programme, participants were required to complete a media training, take part in a private one-on-one session with a UNHCR Staff Counsellor or with an external mental health partner, and complete the Hogan Development Survey
The SELP is for UNHCR senior staff members who have been selected as members of the Senior Corporate Emergency Roster (SCER). It prepares them for deployment to leadership roles within major or complex emergencies. Participants and their supervisors agree to their being placed on the SCER, on standby for immediate deployment for up to two months (exceptionally, three months for system-wide scale-up activation) during a one-year period.
The sessions gave a quick refresher of the key areas to pay attention to and keep freshly in mind in case deployed. I liked that the sessions took half day which allowed to attend normal duties and work in the morning and be able then to focus on the SCER sessions. The presentation were not too long and I also find it helpful that each facilitator/thematic has recommended reading/key documents to read prior to departure or consult once deployed.
– Workshop participant.