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D.RE.S.S.! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! ! ! DISASTER RESILIENCE SCIENTIFIC ! SOLUTIONS INSTITUTE ! ! A review of Sphere rollout in Zimbabwe1 1.0 Introduction This report presents an overview of key milestones and achievements that have been realized in Zimbabwe in an effort to raise awareness on the Sphere Project standards and principles as well as other recognised humanitarian accountability tools. The report therefore provides the background of the review, its rationale, methodology, key findings, conclusions and recommendations. 2.0 Background In 2010, an inter-agency Sphere conference was organized in Zimbabwe by Trócaire (an Irish International Organization) with the overall aim of the conference being to raise and enhance humanitarian community’s awareness on the Sphere Project and other accountability tools including Livestock in Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS), Good Enough Guide (GEG), Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) standard. Participants to this conference were drawn from the government of Zimbabwe which was represented at the Permanent Secretary level, the United Nations, International, National and local Non -Governmental Organizations. The main resolution of the Sphere Project conference was to roll-out Sphere Project trainings and awareness education throughout Zimbabwe. The roll-out had to be preceded by a launch of the third edition (2011) and a Training of Trainers (ToT) in 2011 followed by a Refresher Training of Trainers in the first quarter of 2012. These trainings were conducted, and subsequently a core group of national level trainers was established to roll-out Sphere trainings and awareness raising in the trainers’ respective agencies and constituencies. This core group is made up of 35 individuals from a total of 18 agencies, of which three are from government departments, that is from the Department of Civil Protection (a national authority in Disaster Management and Coordination), Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, and Ministry of Regional Integration and International Cooperation (the government ministry in charge of the coordination of humanitarian interventions in Zimbabwe) Since the inter-agency Sphere ToT held in November 2011 and the refresher ToT held in 2012, there have been notable Sphere activities and events organised and conducted by the ToT graduates, mainly within their respective agencies. These activities and events have taken different forms and have been of varying durations, ranging from hours to 3-day training events. Therefore the graduates have been and continue to advocate mainstreaming of Sphere standards and principles in their respective agency programming as well as in government ministries. 3.0 Rationale A year on from the inter-agency Sphere ToT and the Refresher ToT, Trócaire commissioned a review of the project and an interface with graduates engaged in rolling out sphere and other accountability tools. The review was conducted through field missions to local, international NGO’s and government departments by an independent consultant and a Trócaire Intern2 and this culminated in a half-day review workshop held on 11 December 2012 in Harare. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1.##Trócaire#acknowledges#invariable#support#received#from#the#following:##CRS,#Caritas#Zimbabwe#and#WVI#(coE facilitators#for#the#ToT#and#refresher#training);#UNICEF,#and#CRS#(#additional#financial#support#for#the#ToT#and# refresher);#John#West#and#Mbiri#Shiripinda#(lead#facilitator#for#the#ToT#and#refresher#course#respectively)#and## Alice#Ncube#(coEfacilitator#at#the#refresher)# 2#Pios#Ncube#(independent#consultant#from#D.RE.S.S)#and#Kudzanayi#Moyo#(an#Intern#at#Trócaire)! 1" ! ! The overall objectives of the review were: • To obtain an update on Sphere awareness raising and training activities organized and conducted by ToT and refresher ToT graduates over a period of about a year. • To!establish!the!outcome!of!the!trainings!and!rollout!events!to!date!! • Share lessons learnt, opportunities, challenges, and document best practices • Use the review findings to brainstorm the way forward on the Sphere Project and other accountability tools in Zimbabwe with the core group. 4.0 Methodology The review was conducted through utilization of three complementary approaches: • A review of secondary information which was in the form of Sphere training or activities reports submitted by respective ToT graduates • Field missions to sampled organizations and government departments. The field missions were carried out in Harare, Manicaland, Midlands and Bulawayo Provinces by the assigned independent consultant and Trócaire Intern. • A half-day workshop that brought together all the Sphere ToT and Refresher ToT graduates who actively rolled out sphere (the core group). The three approaches were for the purpose of triangulation and consolidation of the lessons learnt, opportunities, challenges, as well as enablers in advancing the Sphere agenda in Zimbabwe. The field missions targeted one International Non Government Organization (Plan International - Zimbabwe), one National Non Governmental Organization and the main partner agency for Trócaire (Caritas Zimbabwe), one local Non Governmental organisation (Christian Care) and a government local authority (Kadoma City) 5.0 Key findings From partner reports, field missions and discussions at the workshop, it is evident that significant work has been done and continues to be done in advancing the Sphere agenda in Zimbabwe. This effort is no doubt remaining at agency level, and is evident of consented efforts in the application of Sphere Standards and principles in programming. The findings from the interagency rollout are categorized into three sections, as follows: i. Trócaire partners Trócaire has been at the centre of supporting and promoting the Sphere agenda in Zimbabwe, as alluded to in the previous sections. The support efforts have been in the form of training materials (including Sphere manuals), finance and technical expertise. The main humanitarian partner of Trócaire, Caritas Zimbabwe network (which includes its national office and the dioceses in all the nine provinces of Zimbabwe) has been the main beneficiary of Trocaire’s support package which has been reciprocated by conducting numerous Sphere activities around the country in all provinces. During the review, Caritas Zimbabwe pointed out that they went out beyond their dioceses to reach the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare in an effort to raise awareness on Sphere Standards and principles in Zimbabwe as policy makers are critical in the effectiveness of the rollout. Caritas Zimbabwe has eight dioceses covering all the provinces of Zimbabwe and in each of these dioceses, they have appointed a Sphere focal person whose responsibility is, inter-alia, to ensure that Sphere standards and principles are mainstreamed in programming and also to ensure that programme monitoring and evaluation tools also conform and are in line with Sphere standards and principles. At policy and strategic level of Caritas Zimbabwe, some of the board members, such as Head Bishops have also been trained on Sphere Standards and Principles. ii. Other NGOs and INGOs At agency level, both NGOs and INGOs continue with Sphere agenda in their respective organizations, ensuring mainstreaming of standards and principles. ToT graduates have become focal points, though there is still a gap in the institutionalization of sphere in most of these organizations. 2" ! ! Advocacy for institutionalization of Sphere in agencies has to target senior agency management levels for political buy-in and support. Evidence of Sphere in practice was observed in Chipinge district, where a primary school had blocks and construction plans for latrines, built or planned according to Sphere standards, and in conformity to boy/girl squat-hole ratio. iii. Government As previously noted, the government of Zimbabwe is involved in the Sphere agenda in Zimbabwe. Kadoma city (a local government authority) has been able to conduct Sphere roll-out activities in the Midlands Province. From the field visits and feedback at the Core group workshop, it was evident that Kadoma local authority has incorporated Sphere standards and guidelines in service delivery programmes, such as water supplies, sewage, public health, housing and community services, and public safety. Since the ToT, the authority has facilitated the training of 40 individuals from key departments such as, the city council, Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Zimbabwe Prison Services, Zimbabwe Republic Police, to name but a few. Sphere in practice is evident at the Kadoma prison which has a capacity of 560 inmates. Through the use of Sphere as an advocacy tool, Kadoma prison has had four water tanks installed; hygiene and sanitation items are regularly provided to inmates, and about 15 prison sanitation workers have been trained. iv. United Nations agencies The United Nations and Humanitarian community in general is in full support of the Sphere agenda and Sphere activities in Zimbabwe. This has been demonstrated through the involvement right from the launch to the review processes going forward. UNICEF in particular has also financially supported this effort and UN-OCHA continues to advocate the use of Sphere standards and humanitarian response and coordination. 5.0 Conclusions The tabulated analysis on Table 1: is informed by milestones set during the ToT and Refresher courses, Core group feedback review workshop

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