Training on Cluster and Sub-Cluster Coordination in the Inclusive Disaster Management Sector
How can coordination within sub-clusters be made more inclusive during emergency response? This question was the focus of discussion during the cluster and sub-cluster coordination training held on 11–12 August 2025 by the SEHATI Project. The event was attended by government representatives (BNPB, Kemenko PMK, Ministry of Social Affairs), Disability Organisations (OPDis), as well as national and international humanitarian agencies.
From the discussion, participants mapped out how the role of each sub-cluster should be strengthened so that coordination becomes more effective and inclusive. Inclusive is not only understood as the representation of at-risk groups, but also how to achieve meaningful involvement.
The following are the key points that have been formulated:
1. Sub-cluster for Coordination and Management of Refugee Camps & Sub-cluster for Drinking Water and Environmental Health
- Applying universal design in infrastructure development.
- Involving at-risk groups at every stage of disaster management.
- Enhancing the capacity of at-risk groups to be better prepared to participate.
- Providing integrated, disaggregated data.
- Implementing a clear and transparent feedback mechanism.
2. Sub-cluster on Prevention and Handling of Gender-Based Violence and Women's Empowerment
- Improving capacity, particularly in the ethics of interacting with at-risk groups.
- Complete the data sorting based on disaster-prone areas.
- Ensuring accessible and easy-to-understand information.
- Providing gender-based protection and prevention of exploitation.
- Integrating inclusion indicators into Gender-Based Violence.
3. Psychosocial Support Services Sub-Cluster
- Providing a Disaster Workers Network (JPB) in coordination.
- Creating a simple guide to support intellectual disabilities.
- Involving persons with disabilities in MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning).
- Opening up various coordination channels to be more inclusive.
- Strengthening large disaster-related organisations, such as Difagana, as coordinating umbrella institutions.
4. LDR Sub-Cluster (Elderly, Persons with Disabilities, and Vulnerable Groups)
- Encouraging the active involvement of organisations for persons with disabilities.
- Providing sign language interpreter support services in sub-cluster activities.
- Ensuring effective communication, both in physical and virtual meetings.
- Establishing a referral system for cases of pasung, responding to the practice of confinement that is still encountered in the field.
- Conducting area mapping to identify elderly people, leprosy sufferers, and people living with HIV/AIDS.
- Establishing evacuation mechanisms that are friendly to at-risk groups.
- Strengthening inclusive risk communication.
The training series then continued with the identification and formulation of SOPs for the LDR Sub-Cluster on 13 August 2025. The aim was to clarify the working mechanisms and coordination between sub-cluster members and partners, while also opening up opportunities for organisations representing persons with disabilities and other at-risk groups to become actively involved. These SOPs cover a number of key points:
- Sub-cluster membership: strengthening coordination in disaster preparedness, response and recovery, involving elderly organisations, OPDis, high-risk groups, NGOs, government, key stakeholders, rescue teams, and CSR focused on LDR. The structure is formed from the pre-disaster stage to the national level, with a one-stop data collection system through a special application.
- Sub-cluster activation: ensuring readiness and rapid response, both pre-disaster and during disasters, using the application hotline or alternative means such as sirens/gongs.
- Data and Resources: including tools, volunteers, JBI, OPDis trainers, segregated LDR data, media, and membership data PIC, including operational funding and adequate accommodation for survivors with disabilities.
- Organisational involvement: each organisation has a disaster management unit that covers all types of disability, while other vulnerable groups play a role in the coordination structure, focusing on capacity, advocacy and mainstreaming inclusion.
- Coordination Mechanism: establishment of Sub-Clusters or LDR Working Groups in the regions, close cooperation between clusters, routine coordination at least once a month, both during and outside of disaster periods, with a designated coordinator responsible for coordination.
- Accessibility in Coordination: provision of technology-based information media appropriate to various disabilities, feedback mechanisms that reach all at-risk groups, the presence of JBI in every activity, and meeting locations that are safe, inclusive, and accessible.
- Sub-cluster activities: pre-disaster activities include capacity building, identification of evacuation sites, socialisation, and inclusive evacuation training; emergency response includes data collection on survivors with disabilities, logistical support, shelters, public kitchens, counselling, aid distribution, and evacuation route recommendations; post-disaster activities focus on data recovery and population administration assistance.
- Government involvement: providing accessible disaster information, ensuring support through the allocation of a special LDR budget, and coordinating through regular meetings with the PIC.
- Key Messages and Protection Alerts: the attached document contains inclusion guidelines, including accessibility, interaction etiquette, engagement, capacity building, disaggregated data, feedback mechanisms, and inclusive sectoral services from PPKBG, LDP, shelters, and other sub-clusters.
This summary emphasises that the LDR Sub-Cluster SOP serves as a structured, accessible, and sustainable coordination platform, both in emergency and non-disaster situations, so that at-risk groups can be protected and empowered at every stage of disaster management. As a first step, the results of this identification will be disseminated during Disaster Risk Reduction Awareness Month, scheduled for early October, in an effort to strengthen understanding and implementation of inclusive practices among all sub-cluster members and partners.
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Author: Nila Pratiwi – Information and Communications Officer