Preparedness is an essential aspect of the humanitarian action, and one of the core function of cluster coordination. Local communities and authorities must be prepared to the eventuality of a crisis to mitigate its negative impact. Humanitarian actors must be prepared to provide an efficient and timely response, based on experience and lesson from previous emergencies. WASH Sector Coordinator must coordinate the preparation of the WASH Emergency Response Plan (ERP) with the partners, and participate in inter-sector and inter-agencies emergency planning process. ERP is inextricably linked to capacity mapping and development, and many tools and approaches are the same for both process. Building capacity of local authorities to take on WASH humanitarian coordination is part of the general preparedness process led by clusters. Transition from a cluster to a sector-led coordination must be anticipated well in advance, and can only occur once context is stabilized. |