Using People In Aid resources when responding to disasters
Read the full story of how Verified Compliant People In Aid member, Concern Worldwide, relied on People In Aid resources during their response to the Darfur conflict in 2004.
As Concern Worldwide responded to the conflict in Darfur in 2004, there was an increased focus on how the HR function in the country offices could support and guide staff more effectively. As it stood at the time, there was often a lack of consistency across different field offices. For instance, across the different locations, staff were being given different benefits in terms of whether travel time was included in their working hours, whether they were provided with transport to and from the office or how much time they had for their fatuur break (mid-morning breakfast). Individual managers were making these decisions as there was no consistent guidance, and staff were questioning their own benefits when they heard what other staff were allowed.
This lack of consistency added to the organisational challenges that Concern was already facing in West Darfur: the ongoing conflict and insecurity often presented travel and access difficulties and the political constraints also presented travel, visa and permission to work issues. The employment law was very long, complex, and difficult to understand. Because of the huge scope of the crisis and the often-challenging environment, the HR function in those country offices tended to respond to current problems, rather than putting the correct systems and procedures in place to mitigate future staff issues.
“We knew this wasn't ideal, but the scale of the emergency, the many constraints that face you working in Sudan, and our lack of HR skills all conspired to keep us from actually getting the right systems and procedures in place in a pro-active manner.”
ex-Area/Camp Coordinator, West Darfur Region, Concern Worldwide
Read the full case study, titled 'Using People In Aid Resources in Disaster Response'
Date published: Friday 7 September 2012
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