IRAQ IRAQ The seizure of Mosul by ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) at the beginning of June 2014 marked the start of the second major wave of displacement in Iraq. Followers of various Christian denominations fled the city in panic and up to 500,000 people left Mosul in the days following its capture (NYT, July 2014). ISIL’s occupation of the towns of Tilkaif, Bashiqa, Bartella and Qaraqosh east of Mosul in the Ninewa Plains, displaced a further 200,000 Christians and members of other minority groups. And the arrival of ISIL on 3 August 2014 in Sinjar city and surrounding villages near the Syrian border and the ensuing fight with the Peshmerga resulted in the displacement of some 200,000 additional mainly Yazidis as well as Shiite Turkmen of Tal Afar for whom this was a second displacement. TURKEY SYRIAN ARAB Tigris REPUBLIC ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN Baghdad JORDAN Euphrates Children from Mosul bike in the Baharka camp for internally displaced Iraqis Persian in Erbil, Iraq © UNHCR/Ed Ou Gulf SAUDI ARABIA KUWAIT 100 km Case study 1 Displacement Data CCCM agencies form a consortium to provide training Country: Iraq and mentorship in camp management to twelve Cause of diplacement: conflict government appointed IDP camp managers Conflict date: June 2014 Number of people affected/ Context Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and displaced: 900,000 As the first responder and primary ACTED formed a consortium to provide Project Location: Kurdistan body responsible for the protection training and mentorship in camp man- Region of Iraq (KRI), Dohuk of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), agement to 12 government appointed the government responded quickly IDP camp managers. Project duration: 1 year by constructing 11 new camps and CCCM Cluster: activated took on the management of the in CCCM Activities total 16 camps. It also introduced a The capacity building project aimed Keywords new governing body, the Board of at strengthening the skills and knowl- edge of camp managers and their staff • Capacity building Relief and Humanitarian Affairs (BRHA), which currently oversees all opera- throughout the Dohuk Governorate • Collaboration tions relating to both refugees and through the provision of both formal • Coordination IDPs residing in Dohuk Governorate. trainings and on-the-job mentorship. In early 2015, the CCCM Cluster gave Formal camp management trainings • Inter-agency approach priority to capacity building initiatives covered topics such as community • Mentorship that targeted the government offic- participation and engagement, infor- es in Dohuk Governorate that would mation management, protection main- be working as camp managers in the streaming and Gender Based Violence newly established IDP camps. Until this basic principles. On-the-job mentorship point these offices had been operating consisted of giving camp managers without uniform tools and standards. access to experienced international The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), project managers on a weekly basis to provide coaching and advice on camp 8 CCCM CASE STUDIES | VOL.2 IRAQ management issues and coordination. Camp managers received practical coaching with regard to participation of the camp population in governance structures, effective communication, information sharing, coordination of services, establishing a monitoring and reporting system and ensuring efficient accountability measures with camp res- idents including feedback mechanisms and referral pathways. The CCCM capacity building project emphasized training and harmonization of coordination tools, codes of conduct, monitoring and referral procedures and approaches to IDP participation across the 12 IDP camps. By providing fulltime CCCM focal points complemented by a mobile team providing support with regard to protection, community partic- Young girls sit around a fire while preparing dinner as the sun sets in Zozan City IDP camp in Dohuk, Iraq © UNHCR/Dominic Nahr. ipation, and information management, the project enabled all camps to en- courage participation of beneficiaries in thereby raising access to protection to other agencies in the consortium decision making (through representa- services and ensuring accountability to study the approach used and the tive committees), better coordinate pro- to the affected population. While the impact of the mentorship programme. tection activities, and harmonize data camp management staffs were the pri- In addition, the staff attended a joint collection. The consortium focal points mary beneficiaries of the project, camp training in which the roles and respon- and mobile teams worked closely with committees, sector leaders, and camp sibilities of each team member were counterparts from the camp manage- residents were targeted as indirect discussed and clarified. ment team, as appointed by the camp beneficiaries. By building the capacity The consortium in all camps main- manager. Each camp management of the camp management team and streamed protection, both organizing office was provided with 1 computer, 1 priming them to the needs of the resi- workshop-like training for all camp printer, and internet credit to facilitate dents, they were better able to address management teams in IDP and refugee greater communication and improve the camp residents’ needs concerning camps and setting up coordinating the efficiency of the data collection protection, assistance, and services in structures, activities and in-camps process. Camps also received 1 caravan the camp. to be used by the consortium staff for trainings on protection involving committee meetings and other activ- All major decisions were taken in con- all relevant partners. ities as needed. In addition to these sultation between the three agencies, working tools, learning materials, such with initial support from the DRC Challenges and Achievements as the Camp Management Toolkits, CCCM Advisor and the CCCM Cluster The project was temporarily put on Sphere Guides, Guiding Principles on Coordinator. Weekly reporting was hold as the consortium waited for the Internal Displacement and IASC Gender rotated between the three agencies, as initial Development and Modification Guidelines in Arabic were also provided. scheduling allowed. Logistical arrange- Center (DMC), the government struc- ments for the formal trainings were ture responsible for all refugee and IDP Following careful analysis of the camp shared equally, based on the capacity operations, to be dissolved and for the management teams, the consortium of each agency, as well as the presence new Board of Relief and Humanitarian provided monthly trainings to the and advocacy activities in all the rele- Affairs (BRHA) to be introduced. camp management staff based on vant fora (clusters, working groups), to Additionally, some camp managers identified CCCM learning needs. All push when necessary for effective and camp management staff received at were not appointed by BRHA itself, well-timed response to needs across and BRHA thus had limited control least one day of training on CCCM core the board. concepts. Protection and Social Services and authority over camp managers, staff received training in protection In addition to coordination at the which significantly hampered the mainstreaming and sexual and Gender project management level, the mobile harmonization and roll-out of new tools Based Violence. By focusing on protec- teams and camp management focal developed specifically to improve the tion and participation, the consortium points were meeting bi-weekly to build coordination between BRHA adminis- aimed at sensitizing the camp manage- the relationship between the teams, tration and camp management teams. ment teams’ to the needs of the com- compare experiences, and share les- Consequently, the project did not re- munity, making the camp management sons learned. Similarly, field staff were ceive full acceptance from the govern- more accessible to the community and encouraged to visit camps assigned ment and camp managers. CCCM CASE STUDIES | VOL. 2 9 IRAQ The project was unable to cover infor- mal sites, where the majority of the displaced populations resided. The dependency on capacity of nation- al staff to build relationships with camp managers was vital to ensure national staff could help camp managers build on the training received. It was also essential to finding an effective way for the consortium’s national staff to advise confident camp managers who had more practical camp management experience than the staff itself, who initially relied on purely theoretical teachings. Not all partners had a budget that allowed for camp management structures, such as office equipment, furniture, equipment for community A man from Saladin sits in the Arbat IDP camp near Sulaymaniya, Iraq © UNHCR/Ed Ou participation activities etc. Working as a consortium slowed down different members of the consortium the decision making process as well as meant deeper problem analysis and introducing standardized coordination development of tools due to the need comprehensive evidence-based tools across camps also ensured that of finding a common ground amongst decision-making. partners working in multiple locations the three agencies in matters that were able to implement activities more would impact on the consortium as a A focal point in each camp allowed for a efficiently. whole or on the camps. strong personal relationship with camp management, which enhanced the The workload of developing tools, The CCCM mentorship program rep- coaching aspect of this project. coordinating