The future of the Emergency Personnel Seminars
During the seminar, more than one participant urged that the purpose and objectives of EPS be clarified. In response, a group met during the Operationalising Good Practise session on the Saturday afternoon to look at the future of EPS.
The group discussed - EPS as a process, making its objectives more quantifiable, and who is the target group. Questions arising included - Information exchange is one key objective, but how should this be facilitated? And what level of collaboration between agencies was feasible? How formalised should it be?
The working group divided into sub-groups to work on:
- Objectives for EPS
- Evaluating EPS
- Alternative mechanisms for EPS
Objectives: The sub-group took as the starting point the initial statement of purpose from the 12-agency pre EPS 1 meeting in 1997, and added in some modifications (in italics).
“The aim of the Emergency Personnel Seminars (changed to the Emergency Personnel Network) is to improve the ability of participating organisations, both individually and as a community to find, select, prepare, manage and retain personnel for emergency operations in order to improve the effectiveness of disaster/humanitarian/ emergency response”.
Specific objectives should include:
- Further integration between Human Resources and Operations
- Identify areas and mechanisms for collaboration between agencies/ employees/sectors
- Achieving agreed standards and best practice within the sector
- Sharing information/ developments in agencies
- Identifying research needs and commissioning research
- Reviewing lessons from recent emergencies
Models: The sub-group discussed options for models for EPS, mostly based on the way other networks operate, from a loose networking approach to a formalised structure.
- A series of meetings, driven by a small group (i.e. current model for EPS)
- Loose network e.g. the Canadian Association of the Victims of Torture
Each organisation hosting the meeting a different year
- Tighter network e.g. NGO Nutrition Network Rotational Host (NGOs)
- No ‘formal’ continuity
- Co-ordination held by HR officer of agencies on rotational basis
- List-serv magazine/networks monitored by voluntary officer e.g. Mike Golden NGO-NUT
- InterAgency Network with paid focal point (new hire) but agency facilities support, e.g. SPHERE
- Merge EPS roles/functions with others, e.g. People in Aid, SPHERE
The group noted that EPS is and should be open to non-NGO members and that is should continue its transatlantic links.
The group identified some unresolved issues:
- How to increase participation in the steering group?
- How to divide up responsibilities and get agency buy-in?
- How to ensure the continuity of the administration of the Emergency Personnel Seminar/Network?
- Should the EPS expand beyond the issue of personnel only?
On feedback to the main plenary session:
- The Aim and Objectives were broadly accepted
- It was agreed that the purpose of the seminar should not be broadened beyond personnel issues