SAFE Humanitarian Working Group
The SAFE Humanitarian Working Group is a consortium of key partners working to meet the energy needs of crisis-affected populations around the world. Each agency contributes specific expertise critical to addressing the energy needs for the world's most vulnerable populations, and the group is committed to ensuring that relevant stakeholders at all levels take action for energy implementation to achieve large-scale impact and long-lasting sustainable outcomes.
Mission
The mission of the SAFE Humanitarian Working Group is to facilitate a more coordinated, predictable, timely, and effective response to the fuel and energy needs of crisis-affected populations.
Vision
The SAFE Humanitarian Working Group members envision a world in which all crisis-affected populations are able to satisfy their fuel and energy needs for cooking, heating, lighting, and powering in a safe and sustainable manner, without fear or risk to their health, well-being, and personal security.
Membership
Membership in the SAFE Humanitarian Working Group is open to all relevant stakeholders contributing to safe access to fuel and energy for crisis-affected populations. Member organization representatives are typically from (but not limited to) the organization's headquarter offices.
The membership is divided into three tiers, with different levels of engagement for each.
Steering Committee Members
Steering Committee members play a leadership role in guiding the work of the SAFE Humanitarian Working Group through the following core functions:
- Setting strategic objectives and priority activities
- Voting on decisions related to the strategic workplan, leadership, and membership
- Leading sub-working groups as needed
- Developing and updating the terms of reference for the Working Group
Principles of engagement for Steering Committee member organizations:
- Expanding and strengthening SAFE for displaced and crisis-affected people through research, advocacy, and/or direct implementation.
- Advancing the evidence base for SAFE in crisis and/or transition settings.
- Working collaboratively with other Working Group members.
- Fundraising on behalf of the Working Group and/or act as an internal advocate within the member's respective organization.
- Playing an active, collaborative role on at least one key Working Group deliverable as set out by the strategic workplan.
Time commitment requirements for Steering Committee member organizations:
- Participating in monthly teleconferences and at least one annual in-person meeting.
- Ensuring representation from at least one staff person from the member organization on 75% of monthly conference calls.
- Ensuring representation from at least one staff person at the Working Group in-person meeting(s). Agency representatives at headquarters level are expected to self-fund their participation.
- Dedicating time for Working Group and Steering Committee activities.
Organizations are only eligible to join the SAFE Steering Committee if they, and their representatives on the SAFE Steering Committee, are fuel and technology neutral. All organizations applying for SAFE Steering Committee membership require a simple majority vote of approval by the current SAFE Steering Committee members. Membership in the SAFE Steering Committee is for a period of two years, after which time each organization is subject to a vote of renewal.
Associate Members
Associate Members help to advance the work of the SAFE Humanitarian Working Group primarily through information sharing and coordination. Associate members must participate in at least three out of the four quarterly SAFE Humanitarian Working Group teleconferences and do not have voting rights.
Principles of engagement for Associate Members:
- Expanding and strengthening safe access to fuel and energy for displaced and crisis affected people through research, advocacy, and/or implementation.
- Building the evidence-base for SAFE in crisis and/or transition settings.
- Working collaboratively with other SAFE working members and associates.
Time commitment for Associate Members:
- Participating in quarterly teleconferences.
- Ensuring representation on teleconferences from at least one staff person from the member organization on at minimum three out of the four calls per year.
Community Members
The SAFE Humanitarian Working Group Community is composed of individuals who are interested in and/or are working on SAFE-related issues. They receive information on SAFE updates, news, events, job opportunities, and other important announcements through email and newsletter updates. Membership in the SAFE Humanitarian Working Group Community is open to anyone. To join, simply sign up for our mailing list.
How To Join
New Steering Committee and Associate members may join by submitting our online application, which will be submitted to the to the current chair(s) of the SAFE Humanitarian Working Group. New community members may simply send a request to info@safefuelandenergy.org.
Membership in the SAFE Steering Committee requires a simple majority approval vote by the current membership. For Associate membership, if the applicant can meet the requirements as outlined, the chair(s) will approve and notify the applicant of its new member status.
Objectives and Key Activities
The SAFE Humanitarian Working Group activities fall under six main objectives, to which all SAFE members will contribute their relevant expertise:
Improve coordination and share information and knowledge
- Exchange and share information during regular monthly teleconferences and twice yearly in-person strategic planning meetings.
- Maintain and update mapping of the 4Ws (Who is Where, When, doing What) in all of the key areas related to safe access to fuel and energy for crisis-affected populations.
- Update information for the SAFE knowledge sharing and information management website hosted by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves at the UN Foundation (safefuelandenergy.org).
- Identify and document key achievements, best practices, lessons learned, and other information on effective mechanism to address energy needs and challenges, and utilize the information for future planning and programming.
- Update the SAFE Global Interagency Working Group's terms of reference and strategy as necessary, but should be revisited at least once annually.
- Prepare a plan of action each year.
Commission research and build evidence through standardized monitoring and evaluation (M&E)
- Develop standardized indicators and an M&E framework for SAFE that can be used to evaluate programs and build evidence on impacts.
- Document and share lessons learned.
Provide technical support, tools, and guidance for implementation
- Serve as a technical resource to governments, non-governmental organizations, inter-governmental organizations, and practitioners using the best practices and principles including the IASC SAFE Guidelines (matrix and decision tree) and other resources developed by the global SAFE WORKING GROUP.
- Advise implementing organizations and practitioners on good practices and approaches.
- Provide recommendations for quality programming based on IASC SAFE Guidelines and lessons learned and captured through the SAFE project mapping exercise.
- Provide technical support to the field working groups in the process of developing, implementing and monitoring Standard Operating Procedures for all actors involved in SAFE-related activities.
- Develop and host a SAFE Roster of Experts.
- Disseminate relevant guidance and tools to practitioners to member and relevant non-member groups.
- Work with partners to develop and/or revise SAFE materials according to local context and implement relevant training sessions for multi-sectoral prevention and response on SAFE.
- Develop new guidance and tools, as needed, to facilitate quality program design and implementation.
Build human resource capacity of partners and key stakeholders
- Conduct trainings and hold workshops on SAFE for relevant stakeholders including field staff (e.g. program officers), donors, partners, and government officials.
- In collaboration with experts, support the capacity building of relevant stakeholders and suppliers.
- Support the enrollment of partners into GBV related courses and learning programs.
Conduct advocacy
- Increase the organizational, political, and financial prioritization of SAFE in humanitarian settings through targeted advocacy messaging and education.
- Support the field working groups in conducting advocacy at the local level, such as through community mobilization, supporting behavior change, and developing communication materials.
- Develop and leverage strategic partnerships with trusted advocacy organizations and journalists.
- Implement the SAFE Steering Committee advocacy strategy.
Mobilize resources
- Explore sources of funding and build contacts with relevant donors as a Working Group.
- Collaborate on joint proposals for SAFE coordination, research, and implementation.
- Provide information to SAFE partners about funding opportunities, requirements, and processes.
- Educate donors on SAFE needs, gaps, and opportunities.
- Provide relevant information and recommendations to the donor community on how and where donor funds for SAFE activities can be most effective.
Please contact info@safefuelandenergy.org for more information.