[CCIH-Haiti] USAID NGO Coordination Efforts in Haiti - January 27, 2010

Thu Jan 28 15:39:31 EST 2010

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Notes from the January 26, 2010 Call:

Response Update

Please see the attached USAID Earthquake Fact Sheet #14 (January 26, 2010) for the latest on developments on the ground, including updates on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), emergency food assistance, logistics, health, shelter, and other sectors.   

Notes and Comments

For many small organizations who are new to partnering with the government or responding to disasters, it usually helps to get your start as a partner or sub-grantee of a larger organization doing similar work.  Experience as a partner to a larger organization can help you better learn about how to work with the government and the various requirements that entails so that you are better prepared to partner directly with the government in the future.

Announcement - If any organizations on the call are specifically interested in adoption and orphan-related issues relevant to Haiti, the White House Office for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will be conducting a conference call on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 1:30 pm to give an update on current U.S. government efforts and continued public guidance. For more information, email  <mailto:whpartnerships at who.eop.gov> whpartnerships at who.eop.gov.

USAID Web Portal for Posting NGO Needs and Donations:  If your organization is actively working in Haiti and is open to receiving donations of needed goods, please go to  <http://www.usaid.gov/haiti> www.usaid.gov/haiti to register your organization to be eligible for donated goods.  

*	Once registered, if you receive an offer from a donor, please accept or reject the offer within 48 hours.  
*	Once you’ve accepted the offer, contact the donor to make arrangements promptly.  
*	For donors to make offers, they MUST know your needs.  Enter your specific NGO needs into the USAID portal for products, services and transportation.

Comments

Can an organization register on the website without a PVO number? – Yes, you can register without a PVO number.  Organizations do not need to be registered with USAID.  There is a field in the registration form for you to enter your organization’s years of experience and experience in Haiti.

How do we contact partner organizations? - Find the cluster that is most relevant to your activities on the OneResponse site ( <http://www.oneresponse.info/> www.oneresponse.info).  You can attend these meetings to meet other NGOs working in your sector or region.  

Our medical professionals group is planning to send thousands of nurses to Haiti to help in the field. What are the plans or ideas to help them get there?  USAID has a new web portal that will allow volunteers, including medical professionals, to post their availability.  This portal will allow organizations to post both volunteer opportunities and needs.  However, as you know, the situation on the ground in Haiti is difficult because of the lack of infrastructure, scarce resources, compromised supply chain logistics, difficult coordination, and limited communications and safety concerns.  

How long is the registration process? We recently registered. - You should be receiving your information shortly.  It should take about 24 hours.  

How would I get information on the water situation in Haiti? - Visit  <http://www.oneresponse.info/> www.oneresponse.info and click on the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) cluster to get updated information on the water situation and other issues in Haiti.  In addition, you can visit  <http://www.usaid.gov/helphaiti/> www.usaid.gov/helphaiti/ to read the Haiti Earthquake Fact Sheets that are updated regularly.    

How can we connect with the UN cluster systems? - Go to the  <http://www.oneresponse.info/> www.oneresponse.info and visit the Haiti earthquake page. There is a list of clusters with upcoming meeting times, location and point of contact. 

We’ve been working in parish-to-parish programs for 20-30 years.  As people begin migrating to outlying areas, we are beginning to see the same problems as those noted in Port-au-Prince.  How can we begin to build relationships in these outlying parishes? - The Logistics Cluster ( <http://www.oneresponse.info/> www.oneresponse.info) has asked for information from organizations on what they are doing across the country.  In addition, when you attend the Logistics Cluster meetings, find and connect with the cluster leads for your region.

What website do I go to in order to find other agencies to partner with for reconstruction and rebuilding? - Refer to the Early Recovery Cluster ( <http://www.oneresponse.info/> www.oneresponse.info). They have open meetings on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the OSOCC Meeting Tent.

I would like to bring to your attention the following website provided by the Department of Health and Human Services for medical volunteers:   <http://www.hhs.gov/haiti/volunteers.html> www.hhs.gov/haiti/volunteers.html.

Where can we find transportation information? -  <http://www.oneresponse.info/> www.oneresponse.info has information under the Logistics Cluster link. 

Reminder on Emailing  <mailto:RebuildHaiti at usaid.gov> RebuildHaiti at usaid.gov:

Please choose one of the following seven subject lines in order for us to process your email most efficiently:

*	Operations (logistics and technical)
*	Feedback (eyes and ears on the ground)
*	Good News (share your success stories, metrics, anecdotes)
*	Strategy (ideas for improved NGO coordination)
*	Innovation (ideas for rebuilding Haiti – We are especially interested in innovative and sustainable solutions to build a better Haiti.  From mobile banking to LPG stoves, USAID knows that the long-term development of Haiti will depend upon your creative ideas.)
*	Medical (If you are in need of Creole-speaking health professionals, please email with “Medical” in the subject field and we will share additional information.)
*	Add Me (to be added to the list) 

Key Websites and Links for More Information

 <http://www.oneresponse.info/Disasters/Haiti/Pages/default.aspx> http://www.oneresponse.info/Disasters/Haiti/Pages/default.aspx‪

Immediately under the box entitled “Highlights/Key Priorities” are two links entitled:  Latest Meeting Schedule and Latest Contact List.  Please check there for the most recent information.  We have attached the latest OCHA Master Meeting schedule that covers January 25-31, 2010 to this email.

It is critical for NGOs on the ground in Haiti to plug into OCHA's coordination mechanism, including sharing information on their activities so that OCHA can create their “Who What Where” survey.  A prominent link to this survey can be found at the website above.  This matrix will help prevent the duplication of services and ensure that vulnerable populations are being addressed. 

 <http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc108?OpenForm&emid=EQ-2010-000009-HTI&rc=2> http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc108?OpenForm&emid=EQ-2010-000009-HTI&rc=2 

This page provides links to updated situation reports and other information resources on the current situation and needs on the ground.

Thank you for all that you are doing.

Sincerely,

Heather MacLean, Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

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