PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES

Subject: Emergency Response Deployments

1 January 2014

Emergency Response Deployments Guidelines

The following management guidelines should also be used to ensure compliance with the Deployments Policy.

  1. General Guidelines

1.Emergency response deployment arrangement opportunities are communicated to all staff through WVI’s Global Centre department leaders, including technical/ministry leaders such as for: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Health and Nutrition, Design, Monitoring and Evaluation (DME), etc. and functional leaders such as for People & Culture, Finance, Security, etc., and HEA’s Global Surge Capacity Network (GSCN).

2.The Global Technical Resource Network (GTRN) is the register of approved Subject Matter Expert (SME) staff for emergency response deployments, and also for non-emergency deployments (see the partner Guidelines for Non-Emergency Deployments). For SME deployment, staff must first be validated on GTRN as Subject Matter Experts. They must also be approved by their current manager as available for deployment.

3.TheWVI leaders described in provision 1 are accountable for selecting those validated and approved staff members on the Global Technical Resource Network (GTRN)who will be deployed. These WVI leaders will work with HEA’s GSCN to ensure effective and efficient deployment takes place.

4.Emergency response deployment arrangements will be for a period of 1-3 months.An arrangement of less than one month will not be considered a deployment but rather a business trip. The deployed staff member’s employment category remains the same during the deployment period.

a.Deployments may be extended up to an additional period of three months (up to a total deployment period of six months) if agreed by all parties, taking into account a number of factors, including but not limited to:

i)whether the employee deployed has legal authorisation to continue to work in the receiving office country, and impact of other local employment laws/regulations

ii)whether the sending office is able to continue to provide the same level of benefits to the staff member beyond the initial deployment period

iii)whether insurance coverage continues to apply and whether other insurance coverage needs to be added

iv)impact to taxation

v)whether additional benefits may apply due to the increased length of deployment.

b.For any deployment of longer than three months, additional documentation and OurPeople system reporting requirements may apply.

c.If all parties agree that a person’s deployment needs to continue beyond six months, the parties need to consider whether the deployed staff member’s employment category should be changed to that of an international assignee:

i)If the sending office is a different WV legal entity than the receiving office - an International Secondment, or

ii)if both the sending and receiving offices are operations of WVI, either:

(1)an International Limited assignment (for total deployment up to one year, where the employee will be returning to the sending WVI office) or

(2)International 1 assignment (for total deployment of more than one year).

d.A change from deployment status to an international staff employment category will clarify the application of other international assignee policies and/or benefits (e.g., hardship leave instead of compensation days, hardship allowance instead of emergency response deployment allowance, etc.)

5.The costs for salary / benefits of the employee deployed will be charged to the Response budget to provide the sending office the opportunity to back fill for the deployed staff member.

6.The emergency response deployment arrangement will be governed by a Terms of Reference (TOR). The TOR will define the projected start / end dates of deployment, key responsibilities, objectives and how salary and benefits will be provided, as well as other allowances and benefits. Specifically:

  1. Base salary: During the deployment period, the sending office will continue to administer and provide to the employee base salary at the same rate of pay, and continued benefits
  2. Deployment allowance: The deployment allowance is $600USD per completed month. The amount will be pro-rated based on total time deployed. Deployed staff are not eligible for Hardship allowance, as described in WVI Hardship Allowance policy #350 for international staff, in addition to the Deployment allowance.
  3. Taxation: The receiving office will cover in-country taxes as required. Deployed staff members will remain responsible for sending office country taxes.
  4. Health care benefits: Deployed staff must have proper insurance coverage and cannot proceed to their assignments without documentation of coverage. Deployed staff members normally remain on the benefit plans administered by the sending office. However, some sending office health plans and other necessary insurances do not cover employees when outside the boundaries of the sending office country. In such cases, the employee may be able to be covered by the appropriate WVI benefits plans. This needs to be determined in advance of any deployment.
  5. Insurances: (e.g. life, disability, workers’ compensation, medical evacuation, travel insurance, etc.) Deployed staff members are covered when travelling outside of their sending office countries either through their sending office benefit coverage, the WVI international benefits scheme, or through Traveling National plan with the last two administered by Global Centre People & Culture.
  6. Annual and sick leave: Deployed staff members will continue to accrue annual and sick leave benefits in alignment with sending office plans.
  7. Compensation Day: Deployed staff members are eligible to one compensation day for every full weekend away from their primary assignment. These days are to be taken at the end of the deployment and before resuming regular duties upon return to the sending office. Unused compensation days are not paid out.Deployed staff are not eligible for Hardship leave, as described in WVI Hardship Leave policy #438 for international staff, in addition to compensation days.
  8. Pension, superannuation: Deployed staff members continue to receive benefits in line with sending office plans.
  9. Travel costs to/from emergency response location: All costs will be covered by the receiving office, including costs related to obtain a visa for the country of deployment, unless otherwise agreed.
  10. In-country costs in emergency location: Costs such as housing, daily per diems, transportation will be covered by the receiving office and in line with local established policies and limits.

7.Deployment arrangements ensure compliance with receiving office country and sending office country laws, including acquisition of work permits, if required.

8.A cost analysis for each deployment should be done to ensure funding is available. Costs to consider include: salary, benefits, deployment allowance, compensation days accrued while deployed, in-country costs (housing, transportation, per diems, local R&R, etc.)

9.The deployed staff member should understand which WV legal entity is their employer. The deployed staff member should also understand: (a) what benefits plans are covering them (benefit plans of WVI, another WV legal entity, or some combination), and (b) what compensation (salary), allowances, and adjustments are being provided. These details will be addressed in advance of the employee leaving for their deployment with GSCN. Note: The base salary for the deployed staff member will be kept whole to the sending office plan.

10.On arrival at the assignment location, deployed staff will receive a security briefing as part of the overall orientation, as per receiving office standards.

11.Prior to departure to the assignment location, deployed staff will:

a.Review “war risk” country list and, if traveling to a war risk country (as determined by WVI Business Travel insurance carrier), provide information to WVI Global Centre P&C to ensure insurance coverage.

b.Ensure emergency contact information is entered and updated in OurPeople, or applicable information system.

c.Ensure they have adequate information about International SOS, possibly through: obtaining/printing out an International SOS membership card, downloading International SOS app to smart phone, and completing an Emergency Record on International SOS portal.

d.For travelers from offices not yet registered with Travel Tracker, use the Personal Travel Locator to register ticketed travel.

  1. Deployment Process:
  1. WVI’s Global Centre department leaders will work with the relevant line Managers (example National Directors, Regional Leaders), and HEA’s Global Surge Capacity Network (GSCN), to identify and confirm employees to be deployed. National Directors need to approve the deployment and its terms. This includes agreement for the release of the employee and the employee’s agreement to be deployed.
  2. The Emergency Response team in the receiving office prepares the deployment Terms of Reference document (TOR).Contextual orientation andsecurity brief is also recommended to be included.
  3. HEA GSCN prepares the deployment agreement(s), if requested/needed.
  4. The Emergency Response manager (or designee) in the receiving office is designated to manage the deployed staff member.
  5. The Emergency Response manager (or designee) in the receiving office prepares an End of Deployment (EOD) at completion of temporary duty.
  6. It is strongly recommended that a debrief opportunity, i.e., psychological support, pastoral counseling, etc., is provided by the receiving office to all staff once they complete their deployment assignment.
  1. End of Assignment

1.At the end of the temporary assignment, the receiving office provides an End of Deployment (EOD) review of the deployed staff member’s performance.

2.The deployed staff member is returned to the sending office for assumption of primary duties, reassignment, or separation.

3.The deployed staff member’s sending office terms and conditions letter governs the employment status after the assignment.

4.If the Emergency Response team intends to make a contract offer to a deployed staff member, the Emergency Response manager will share the information with the sending office director (e.g., National Director) before any contract offer is directly made to the deployed staff member.

5.If the deployed staff member receives a contract offer from the Emergency Response team at the receiving office while deployed, he/she is required to return to his/her sending office first to settle any/all outstanding requirements before taking up any new contract.

D. Deployment Termination

1. A deployment can be terminated at any time by WVI, the receiving office, the sending office or the deployed staff member. When the deployed staff member or either office desires to end the deployment agreement prior to the specified end date, managers of both offices should review the issues at hand and determine the appropriate steps of action.

2. The employee’s employment can be terminated only by the WV legal entity employer and must be in full compliance with applicable laws and standards. When appropriate, the receiving office should provide appropriate documentation to the WV legal entity employer.

NOTE: Please refer to the Partnership Management Policy on Deployments, as well as the Partnership Management policieson Secondments and International Assignments for more details on other types of international placement.