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MINUTES OF CLUSTER COORDINATION MEETING
Date: / 29th November 2016Venue: / WFP Offices, Sana’a
Time: / 11:00 am
Attendance: / EU Delegation, IRY, FSTS, GC, IOM, SYDF, CHR-Taizz, NRC, RI, NFRD, IRC, WFP, CARE, ICRC, YFCA, OCHA, HFY, ACF, MC, SFD, YLDF, NFDHR, ACTED, LMMPO, VHI, ADRA, ICAN
Agenda:
1. Introductions
2. Review of last meeting minutes and action points
3. FSAC Minimum Food Basket - Endorsement of the Cash Values
4. Guidance on OCHA’s Online Project System (OPS)
5. AOB
1. Introductions
All FSAC partners present did a round of introduction
2. Review of last meeting minutes and action points
Ø There one follow-up main action point (the finalization of the new FSAC Minimum food basket) emanating from the last meeting.
Ø Afterwards, the minutes of the last cluster meeting were endorsed.
3. FSAC Minimum Food Basket
Ø There was presentation on the new FSAC Minimum/Survival Food basket
Ø The FSAC Minimum Food Basket/ Survival basket will cost $108 per household of 7 members per month, and represents 75% of the food basket.
Ø All agencies/organizations involved in Emergency Food Assistance are kindly encouraged to conform to the composition of the food basket, and provide an absolute minimum of $108/ household per month to meet basic food needs.
Ø The FSAC Minimum/ Survival Food basket caters for all categories of Emergency Food Assistance activities (Relief Food/ General Food Distribution, Cash/Voucher transfers) regardless of modality.
Ø For wheat, the requirement in the minimum food basket has been revised upwards in order to conform to the existing packaging of wheat which is normally available at 50 kgs or 25 kgs. The wheat amount in the food basket will thus be 75 kgs AND NOT 65 Kgs as per the NutVal Calculations (daily ration requirements)
Ø The minimum food basket has provisions for the following:-
§ A minimum food basket with wheat flour as the only source of cereal
§ A minimum food basket with both Wheat Flour and Rice as sources of cereals
§ Four other nutritional food baskets with different items for enhanced nutritional value ( a combination of whole wheat flour and refined white flour, with tomato paste, with Tuna; and with milk)
§ The minimum/survival food basket meets 75% of the monthly household food needs as per the current practice by a majority of FSAC partners
§ The food basket conforms to the daily calorific needs of individuals as per SPHERE standards
§ The price averages in the revised FSAC minimum food basket is based on data from several FSAC partners in different governorates, and are based on a three month average (August, September, and October 2016)
§ The revised minimum food basket will officially become operational as from 1st January 2017. Nonetheless, partners are kindly encouraged to use this revised values for the OPS and other 2017 project proposals.
Ø FSAC partners will continue using an average of 7 members per family (as per the previously endorsed minimum food basket in November 2015). This is based on the Yemen National Demographic Survey released in 2015 which indicates that the average household size in Yemen is 6.7 members per household.
Ø Nonetheless, some FSAC partners like WFP have been using an average household size of 6 members primarily due to the fact that that the average IDP household size (as per the Task Force on Population Movement) is 6 members per household. The bulk of their assistance is currently directed to IDP households by virtue of the fact that these households face higher forms of vulnerability/food insecurity as compared to other households.
Ø The revised FSAC minimum food basket was endorsed by all FSAC partners and will become operational as from 1st January 2017.
Ø Action point: The cluster Coordinator to share dates the revised minimum food basket
4. Guidance on OCHA’s Online Project System (OPS)
Ø OCHA made a presentation on the OPS (Online Project System) to all FSAC partners
Ø The 2017 YHRP will be project based necessitating all partners to kindly upload their proposal online through OCHA’s Online Project System (OPS)
Ø The OPS database will be open for partners beginning 28th December 2016. Partners to start uploading projects with a deadline of COB 8th December 2016
Ø Partners can register for an account (24 hour waiting period) or log in with their accounts here:
§ https://ops.unocha.org
Ø After logging in, select the "Yemen 2017" appeal at the bottom of the landing page. From there, click on "Create New Project" at the top of the screen.
Ø The OPS is designed to support the work already done through the HNO and YHRP activities/indicators, and to minimize the burden on partners to produce narrative (and clusters to review that narrative). The guidance presented gives very specific instructions on how to do this quickly but effectively, partners are encouraged to use the guidance as they fill in their project sheets.
Ø FSAC Partners to kindly get in touch with John ( ) in case further support is needed.
Ø FSAC Partners should coordinate within their organization on the project upload process. Individual organizations have different internal approaches for project planning. Field-based staff should check with their management before uploading project sheets into OPS to ensure this won't duplicate efforts. Management staff of partner organizations are requested to clarify to their staff how the project upload process is being managed internally.
Ø Government entities are not eligible to upload project sheets. The OPS is only open to humanitarian partners (UN agencies, INGOs, NNGOs, Red Cross/Red Crescent).
Ø OPS is not directly linked to any funding source, and projects approved in OPS still need to raise funds to cover their costs. Although some donors may have internal regulations that require that they fund only OPS-approved projects, this does not mean that all projects in OPS will automatically receive funding.
Ø Partners are requested to participate in OPS to improve coordination and to demonstrate that their planned projects are in line with the coordinated response. However, partners should understand that OPS is not directly linked to the Yemen Humanitarian Pooled Fund or any other source of funding.
Ø Action point: FSAC Coordinator to kindly share the OPS presentation with all partners after the meeting
5. AOB
Ø A request to discuss the WFP Yemen VAM update in the next FSAC meeting in light of the deteriorating food and nutrition situation
Ø Action point: WFP VAM team to kindly make a presentation in the next FSAC meeting
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Send any updates and/or comments to FSAC Coordinator Gordon Dudi <>