Inter-agency translation and interpretation services to strengthen humanitarian response coordination in Myanmar ltpgtlt/pgtltp class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:9.95pt"gtltspan lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif color: black"gtLocal organizations
are at the heart of the humanitarian response in Myanmar, providing immediate
assistance to people in need using their local knowledge, skills, networks, and
comparatively wider access. Language has been identified as a critical participation
barrier for local organizations, and thus simultaneous interpretation in
meetings and translation of critical documents from English to Myanmar
languages (Burmese and other locally relevant languages) and vice versa are crucial
to ensure the inclusion of local actors in coordination structures and enable
them to receive clear, timely and actionable information for effective
humanitarian response to affected people. IOM, in close coordination with the
OCHA Coordination Support section, has developed a language service team (the
Translation  Interpretation Team (TI here forth) to improve
information sharing between the various coordination mechanisms and local
actors in the right language and format via relevant channels (translation of
critical documents, simultaneous interpretation in meetings) at the national
level.lt/spangtlt/pgt

ltp class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:9.95pt"gtltspan lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif color: black"gtltbrgt
The objective of this intervention is to strengthen the localization of the response
through active coordination between national actors and international humanitarian
partners, including UN agencies and INGOs. IOM has hired hire a team of
interpreters and translators working full time with cluster coordinators and
other key stakeholders at the national level to strengthen humanitarian
response coordination in Myanmar. Translators are providing on an ongoing basis
simultaneous interpretation and translation services. The interpretation
services are used during monthly national level coordination meetings (including
cluster and working group meetings) to encourage representatives from local NGOs
(LNGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to provide inputs and actively
participate to the discussions. Some clusters have also started using the
service at sub-national level. The written translation services are provided in
coordination with national level cluster coordinators and OCHA to improve the
access to information of local actors, which greatly benefits national partners
to openly advocate for the needs of vulnerable communities in line with
humanitarian principles and the Grand Bargain commitments. The initial pilot of
this project ran from 1 October 2022 to 30 June 2023, and underwent a 2 month
no cost extension until 31 August 2023. Due to the success of the first phase
of the project, further funds to cover the project from 1 September to 29
February is urgently requested to maintain the services beyond 31 August 2023.lt/spangtlt/pgt

ltp class="MsoNormal"gtltspan lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif color: black"gtIn addition to this, OCHA requested that IOM further
extend its support to the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group through the
procurement of a one-year license of the software programme ActivityInfo, which
is a vital tool to monitor the humanitarian response in Myanmar. The ICCG at
its meeting on 3 May 2023 endorsed the recommendation of the IM Working Group
to use ActivityInfo across the entire humanitarian operation and called upon
OCHA to seek funding through MHF. Joining these support functions in one
project is the most efficient way for IOM to support the wider coordination. lt/spangtlt/pgt





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