MSR Part 2: Risk Prevention and Mitigation
The IFRC has a Duty-of-Care obligation to implement measures designed to eliminate, avoid, or reduce foreseeable security risks to its personnel, assets, and the overall organisation. Mitigation measures must be based on a formal Security Risk Assessment since all contexts have unique security challenges.
IFRC Security Plans:
Description: The primary purpose of the security plans is to define the security rules for offices and field operations. They also include an overview of the risks that are present in the operational area, as well as provide some security guidelines.
Note: IFRC Security Plans consist of six separate documents:
IFRC Security Regulations & Acknowledgement of Risk; IFRC Field Movement Control
IFRC Emergency Medical Evacuation Plan
IFRC Relocation Plan
IFRC Security Welcome Brief
IFRC Critical Incident Management Plan
Minimum Requirements: Senior Managers must ensure that a complete set of IFRC security plans are established and maintained. Security plans must be written for all offices and field operations under their responsibility within two weeks of IFRC personnel arriving in country unless an exemption is granted by the GSU. These plans must be based on a security risk assessment and written using the IFRC security plans templates. The plans must be updated every six months or when the security situation changes. The initial action from senior managers is to conduct a SRA, according to the IFRC SRA process, and the outcomes must be reported in the Security Risk Register (SRR). Should the SRR note no changes in the security situation, all previous recommendations have been put into place, nor have operations expanded into new areas or there are changes in staffing numbers then the security plans will need relatively little modification. The GSU reviews and approves the SRR on an annual basis during the GSU MSR compliance process that is to be completed by mid-year each year.
The full set of plans are reviewed and approved on an annual basis by the GSU. All plans must be revised and approved by both the respective RSC and the GSU. Any operations (including Surge) that are to be opened outside of the normal operational area of a country or region, need to go through the same process, also within two weeks.
For contexts where IFRC has no permanent presence but makes regular visits (three times or more a year) a security plan (the Expanded Security Welcome Brief (ESWB) must also be established. The ESWB limits itself to essential information only. This document needs to be prepared before regular travel is carried out.
Field Movement Requirements
Description: The Field Movement (FM) Requirements describe the approval procedures for field movements (outside the operational base area) as well as the minimum standards for equipment and identification. Refer to the “Stay Safe security” manual or the IFRC Field Movement Control the Movement template for the definition and a more detailed description of field movements (also known as field travel in some trainings and documents).
Minimum Requirements: FM requirements must be included in the Security Regulations document and in a more detailed manner in the IFRC Field Movement Control section. All FM must correspond to an operational goal, be undertaken during daylight hours only, and be tracked from start to finish. FM by road must be undertaken in roadworthy vehicles that are clearly identified, unless an exception is granted from GSU level due to security concerns. Vehicles must also be equipped and maintained in accordance with the IFRC Fleet Manual. FM by boat and air must comply with the requirements defined in the “Stay Safe” Manuals.
Office and Warehouse Requirements
Minimum Requirements: Senior Managers must ensure that offices and warehouses are located in a safe area and equipped with adequate security and access control measures, all of which must be based on a security risk assessment and a site security assessment. They must be marked with the IFRC logo, unless an exception is granted by the Head of GSU (email approval) due to security concerns and equipped with first-aid kits and fire safety precautions as defined in the “Stay Safe” Manuals.
Residential Security Requirements
Minimum Requirements: Senior Manager must ensure that IFRC residences are located in a safe area and equipped with adequate security and access control measures that are based on a security risk assessment and a site security assessment. They must be equipped with first-aid kits and fire safety precautions as defined in the “Stay Safe” manual. Personnel must maintain a minimum of 7-day emergency stock of food and water for themselves and their dependants, unless the prevailing security situation requires more. Emergency stock is not solely to be put into place for security reasons but also in case of public health emergencies during which staff may be confined to their residences for long periods of time. Only IFRC personnel and their dependents may reside in IFRC residences.
Residences should be located close together, if practicable. Apartments on the ground floor or above the sixth floor are to be avoided for security and fire safety reasons. In high-risk contexts, the Head of GSU can make additional requirements for residences.
Field Communications
Minimum Requirements: Senior Managers must ensure that all IFRC structures within a country are able to communicate, in real time and 24/7, with their respective country offices. Field communications must not be solely dependent on traditional forms of telecommunications from public or private commercial providers (i.e., land or mobile phone lines) if the security phase is ORANGE or above, in any of the areas that IFRC operates in, including within contexts with multiple phases. All personnel undertaking field movements in such contexts, must have access to two reliable means of communication