INTRODUCTION
This tool provides guidance to Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Coordinators responsible for supporting and coordinating the PSEA program at the inter-agency level in a country, under the responsibility of Resident Coordinators and/or the humanitarian action. Although this tool is aimed at full-time coordinators, anyone who coordinates PSEA activities in a country (PSEA network co-chairs, PSEA focal points, or Office of the Resident Coordinator staff, for example) can refer to it. This resource, developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), is as useful in the area of development as it is in the areas of peace and security or humanitarian assistance. PSEA coordinators are increasingly required to work in situations that are not of an emergency nature. And even in emergency situations, they must work closely with development actors. This is why this tool borrows from development terminology and refers to the actors working in this field.
The Deployment Guide is a practical resource for newly deployed PSEA coordinators. It identifies the questions that every coordinator who takes up their role must ask themselves and shows them where to find answers by directing them to key resources. Therefore, the deployment guide does not review all the information that will guide the PSEA coordinator in his work over time, but takes stock of the elements he must know when taking up his position.
The guide is structured around four essential questions:
Part I: What is my role as PSEA coordinator?
Part II: Who are my collaborators?
Part III: What activities should be implemented?
Part IV: How can I take care of myself?
These four parts are followed by brief descriptions of general guidelines and protocols, existing support networks and funds dedicated to PSEA, accompanied by links.
THE PSEA PROGRAM AT COUNTRY LEVEL
The PSEA Country Program (hereinafter, the “PSEA Program”) is the collective strategy to prevent and combat sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) at the technical and strategic levels. It encompasses the work of the PSEA network and the high-level body responsible for overseeing PSEA at the collective level. This program aims to consolidate collaboration between organizations with a view to improving the capacities of organizations in terms of PSEA. At the same time, strong PSEA capacities at the internal level will consolidate the inter-agency activities of the collective PSEA structure, the objective being that it can honor the commitments made at the national level in terms of PSEA. As illustrated in the diagram to the right, the PSEA Coordinator supports all aspects of the program on behalf of the Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (or equivalent), who is ultimately responsible for the collective PSEA activities. For more information on program implementation and leadership role, please see Q3.1 and Q2.1 respectively:
THE PSEA COORDINATOR
inter-agency cooperation within community complaint mechanisms (global operating procedures) and detailed in the 2018 IASC plan to strengthen PSEA in humanitarian interventions at country level (IASC Acceleration Plan). The mandate of the PSEA coordinator is now well established, as evidenced by the IASC vision and strategy for PSEA for the period 2022-2026 (PSEA being the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment). The presence of a dedicated PSEA coordinator has become standard in all humanitarian contexts, and the minimum standards for PSEA and leadership functions are the same in humanitarian, development and peacekeeping contexts. The presence of a PSEA coordinator is now considered essential to support and advance all inter-agency PSEA programs at the country level, whatever the context.
The functions of the inter-agency PSEA coordinator are defined in a standard mandate (see the Terms of Reference). Each year, global training is organized for inter-agency PSEA coordinators on the basis of this mandate, the objective being in particular to consolidate the deployment file of IASC PSEA coordinators. Knowing that training is only provided once a year and that PSEA coordinators need guidance as soon as they take up their duties, this deployment guide – established on the basis of the coordinator’s functions as set out in the standard mandate – intended to complete this training.
View the Deployment Package for PSEA Coordinators in English, Arabic and Spanish.
