The IASC Benchmarks for Humanitarian Country Team Collective Implementation of the Policy on Protection in Humanitarian Action (Benchmarks) were developed by the Centrality of Protection Taskforce as an actionable and easy-to-use tool to support Humanitarian Coordinators (HCs) and Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs). The Benchmarks lay out what actions should be taken by the HCT, who is responsible, and how the action will be verified to successfully implement the Centrality of Protection approach at the country level. The three benchmarks – analysis and prioritization, response planning and implementation, and monitoring, learning and evaluation – are broken down into concrete actions and discrete outputs to facilitate greater uptake of the Policy on Protection. Crucially, the verification component of the Benchmarks provides accountability measures for the HC and HCTs that allow both HCT members and other actors to confirm compliance with the Policy.
The Benchmarks are a useful resource that should be read by all HCs and HCTs, in conjunction with the Aide-Memoire on the IASC Policy on Protection in Humanitarian Action, to ensure successful implementation of the IASC Protection Policy and a collective reduction in protection risks.