CONCEPT: Government Service Packages (GSPs)

Government Service Packages (GSPs): The idea of GSPs, which had been tried before in Sarajevo and elsewhere, really took off during the Rwanda genocide of 1994. As their name suggests, GSPs (sometimes called simply "Service Packages") were conceived of as "a last resort in exceptionally large emergencies" justifying the use of "military and civil defence assets" (UNHCR, 2000: 359). 

It was argued that the scale of GSP missions, such as the one in Rwanda, was so large as to restrict involvement to UN member states with the requisite logistical and related material capacity for 'extra-budgetary donations in kind'. The mobilizing and coordinating functions of GSPs were assigned to UNHCR's top management in Geneva, obviously with allowance for behind-the-scenes consultations with the UN's most influential member-states. 

However, as the Rwanda crisis quickly and amply showed, the host-government's 'organic' involvement in the operations of a GSP intervention was too critical a requirement for success to wish away (Kent, 1996: 64-85; Wright, 1996: 54-56). That was a hard lesson learnt on the ground. On the other hand, built into GSP operations from the start was a formal undertaking that operations (a) would be of 'limited' duration; and, (b) would not "replace the traditional response capacity of NGOs". 

There are now over 20 GSPs (a number of them looking from a distance like nation-building propositions). Prior to 2004, these  included: Air Operations Cell, Strategic Airlift, Theatre Airlift, Airport Ground Handling, Warehousing/Storekeeping, Road Transport, Field Hospital, Hydrological Survey, Water Tanker Operation, "Surface Water", Borehole Drilling, Water Treatment, Water Distribution, Water Storage, Latrine Construction, Vector Control, Solid Waste Management, Waste Water System, Site Development and Road Construction (UNHCR, 2000: 359). The hugely destructive Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 26, 2004 brought rise, in actual practice (if not formally, to two or three new GSP: The Field/Tented Mortuary, DNA Identification and related Forensic/Tracing Services.


REFERENCES

Humanitarian Practice Network (1996) 'Service Packages': The Role of Military Contingents in Emergencies

Kent, Randolph (1996) "The Integrated Operations Centre in Rwanda: Coping with Complexity", pp. 64-85, in Jim Whitman and David Pocock, Eds., After Rwanda: The Coordination of United Nations Humanitarian Assistance. London: Macmillan Press Limited.

Wright, Neill (1996) "The Hidden Cost of Better Coordination", pp. 54-56, in Jim Whitmann and David Pocock, Eds. After Rwanda: The Coordination of United Nations Humanitarian Assistance. London: Macmillan Press Limited.

Kipkalya Kones and Lorna Laboso

My condolences go to the families, friends and colleagues of Kipkalya Kones (a full Cabinet Minister)and Lorna Laboso (an Assistant Minister), who perished yesterday afternoon in a Cessna aircraft on their way from Nairobi to Kericho. Condolences also to the families and friends of the pilot and the bodyguard. They died while on duty. Great loss.

It turns out that Laboso, a "Freshman MP", had not even received her letter of appopintment as Assistant Minister in the Grand Coalition government (though she was sworn in weeks ago)! How is the government going to explain this to her family -- and her many, enthusiastic supporters? While driving through her area, on my way from Kisumu, I too had the opportunity once to witness the warmth with which her supporters embraced her leadership. So I know what Raila was talking about yesterday.

Laboso did admit recently that she had been disappointed -- but only initially -- with her appointment as an Assistant Minister, rather than a full Cabinet Minister. "Initially" because, I suppose, having come to terms in subsequent days with the lesser appointment, she had resolved to make that larger prize a part of her future -- a future which those who were tracking her now all-too-brief a political career believed to be as bright as political careers can be. Alas, that future is not to be, any longer.

In contrast, it seems to me, Kones had seen, and was living, at his death, as much of his future as was ever going to come his way. Several of those who had recently seen him up-close have remarked that he was going through a genuinely happy stretch of his life. He should have, would have, had it for longer -- much longer. More's the pity!

I think the country should pause to formulate, quite urgently, a policy on aircraft movement and air travel (in Kenyan airspace) under extreme weather conditions. We should not take this matter lightly -- since it continues to happen. We have too many of our leaders hopping from one part of the country to another all the time. It is just too risky not to take the weather sufficiently into account. It is in fact a dereliction of duty on someone's part. Remember Marsabit!

In Khartoum, Sudan, yet more people perished yesterday (including the country's Speaker, I understand), when a large passenger aircraft (an Airbus?) crash-landed, ostensibly in severe weather, and burst into flames witnessed around the world.

Kenya must also establish a strict regime of (civilian and military) aircraft maintenance. And this country should not be dumping ground for mitumba aircraft. We cannot afford to lose leaders and other citizens at the intervals we are clearly losing them to plane crashes. It is not good for the national psyche -- or national security. It is not good for Brand Kenya!