Managing External Relations - Disaster Management Center ...

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Managing External Relations
Activities and Methods to Build Donor Relations
Developing a donor relations strategy including preparing briefings and
involving donors in fundraising activities and in missions to see refugee sites.
Promoting funding for approved budgets.
Supplying Funding and Donor Relations Services (FDRS) with information from the field
for preparing appeals and reports on the use of funds.
Relationships with Donors and Funding Agencies
UNHCR provides assistance to refugees through two types of programs—General and Special—
both of which depend on voluntary contributions. UNHCR’s financial requirements for the General
Programmes are submitted in November each year to a Pledging Conference by the UN Secretary
General. This is an occasion where many Governments announce their basic core contribution to
UNHCR. However, the conference tends to cover only 25-30% of the General Programme requirements
for the following year. Appeals for Special Programmes are issued regularly throughout the
year. Whenever possible, UNHCR participates in Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeals.
Donors and Funding Agencies
While UNHCR receives some international assistance from private individuals and organisations,
the majority is provided through donor governments. Some donor government resources may be
provided multilaterally, or through the UN system, while others are channelled bilaterally, or directly
from the donor to the recipient government. Almost all donor governments involved in international
relief operations have embassy representatives in the countries where
UNHCR is present and usually have specialists who focus on relief efforts. Discussions with
donors in the field may occur through meetings with the UNHCR Representative and through visits
by donor representatives to field sites. In addition, the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator may
arrange meetings between major donors and the UN agencies as a group. Donors may also form
co-ordination bodies for their mutual benefit in an emergency. One such case was the Somalia Aid
Co-ordination Body consisting of representatives from major donor countries and UN agencies that
operated during and even after the emergency.
UNHCR FDRS Staff and Focal Points
Along with the PSFR and Public Information (PI) services, UNHCR is also involved with fundraising
activities. UNHCR’s Funding and Donor Relations Services (FDRS) is a specialised department that
offers a window through which donors can look at UNHCR, its mandates, policies and operations.
FDRS uses its relationships with donors to promote UNHCR in general terms and to negotiate
funding. FDRS in Geneva establishes strategies for funding on the basis of global and programme
needs. Because of the requirements imposed by various donors and the sensitive nature of donor
relations, it is important that the FDRS funding strategy and FDRS guidelines are honoured by UNHCR
offices and operations in the field. FDRS relies on information from the field on protection and
services and field-generated appeals—these have proved to be the most effective fundraising
devices. Field staff should keep FDRS informed about the results of discussions with donors.
For all major operations, UNHCR assigns focal points among its field staff for action and follow-up
on fundraising issues. Their task is not to negotiate contributions—with very few exceptions for