1st Anticipation Hub Advisory Group meeting
On September 2nd the Anticipation Hub held its first Advisory Group meeting.
The Advisory Group is a mechanism through which the Anticipation Hub captures the views and advice of partner organizations to guide and stimulate the growth and sustained development of the Anticipation Hub. It supports the Anticipation Hub coordination team by providing strategic advice on the planning and progress of the three strategic priorities of the Anticipation Hub Strategy, guides the Anticipation Hub on partner engagement and informs the Steering Committee.
Who is part of the Anticipation Hub Advisory Group?
The Advisory Group currently includes representatives from nine partner organizations of the Anticipation Hub across governments, NGOs, universities, UN agencies and others.
The Advisory Group is co-chaired by Ms. Sarah Klassen, Policy and Advocacy Advisor at START Network and Ms. Dunja Dujanovic, Team Leader Early Warning Early Action at the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Additional members currently include:
- Mr. Lawrence Anthony Dimailig, Assistant Director for Disaster Monitoring & Analysis at the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre)
- Ms. Julia Chasco, Head of Meteorology and Society, National Meteorological Service Argentina (SMN)
- Mr. Dominic Semet, Forecast-based Action Program Coordinator, Welthungerhilfe
- Dr. Daniel Maxwell, Research Director, Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
- Dr. Liz Stephens, Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading
- Mr. Ben Webster, Head of the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) Secretariat
- Ms. Stefania Giodini, Operations Lead, 510 Data Team Netherlands Red Cross
The Advisory Group allows for additional partners to join as observers on a case-by-case basis. In this instance, representatives from the Climate Systems Analysis Group, University Cape Town and Directorate of Water Resources Management in Uganda attended the meeting. There is also scope to include two additional members if deemed necessary by the members.
The Anticipation Hub coordination team acts as the secretariat for the Advisory Group.
What were the key topics discussed?
The key achievements under each of the Anticipation Hub Strategic Priorities were presented at the meeting, including updates from the working groups (see video here). The co-chairs facilitated discussion between members on four key topics.
- Advisory Group Terms of Reference
- Partner engagement
- Knowledge exchange on thematic areas
- Strategic and aligned policy and advocacy
The discussion on the Terms of Reference of the Advisory Group revealed the partners preference to include representatives from a local NGO and university from the Global South. Suggestions were raised to include private or financial sector representatives and additional regional representatives.
In relation to partner engagement, the Advisory Group members emphasised the importance of maintaining flexibility for partners to engage and contribute in different ways depending on their availability, interests and needs. Members also suggested that the team work closely with partners to further understand the needs of the wider community of users across practice, science and policy.
The members were pleased to see the advancements of the three newly established working groups and suggested to prioritize the development of new working groups based on the interest and needs of partners. The Global Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Action in December 2021 was noted as important opportunity to take stock on the progress of different thematic topics for anticipatory action and to define the way forward.
Members discussed how the partners of the Anticipation Hub, REAP and the Anticipatory Action Task Force can reinforce key advocacy messaging on scaling-up anticipatory action ahead of COP26 and the G7 German Presidency in 2022. The important role of the Anticipation Hub and REAP in helping to engage with wider community of actors beyond the humanitarian sector was discussed.
What are the next steps?
The advice and feedback shared by the Advisory Group members is now being considered by the Anticipation Hub team and will be incorporated into the activities going forward.
The next Advisory Group meeting will take place in January 2022. In the meantime, the coordination team will work with the co-chairs and members to advance the representation of the Advisory Group and integrate feedback from this initial meeting.
The Anticipation Hub partner consultation meeting takes place on the 21st and 22nd of September 2021 During these meetings, the coordination team will reflect and brainstorm with our partners on how we can effectively meet the needs of our community of users as we jointly implement the Anticipation Hub Strategy.