Review and Revision of Mine Clearance Standards and Quality Assurance

Role and Responsibilities of the Users' Focus Group

Project Puprose

1. The purpose of the project is to review and revise mine clearance standards and quality assurance, as part of a wider international review and revision of mine action standards and guidelines. The review and revision process will establish standards for clearance and quality assurance which are appropriate, which can be applied by the mine action community at field level, and which are deemed consistent with the requirements of the Ottawa Convention.

Responsibilities of Focus Group

2. The Users' Focus Group is to provide the review process with informed and authoritative opinions on the practical application of humanitarian mine clearance standards and QA at field user level.

3. Responsibilities:

a. Note the work plan and project Terms of Reference (TORs).

b. Assist the project manager prepare a questionnaire which will be issued to all mine action centres, major demining NGOs and commercial contractors, and other organisations who apply existing mine clearance standards.

c. Review, together with the project manger, the results of the questionnaire on the existing international mine clearance standards and QA.

d. Agree the project manager's recommendations for the revision of the mine clearance standards and QA. (Agreement on the relevance, accuracy and utility of the revised document by the Users' Focus Group is essential.)

e. Represent the views and interests of the wider field user community.

f. Provide advice as required and in a timely fashion to the project manager and Steering Group.

Composition

4. The Users' Focus Group comprises the Operational Analysis Specialist GICHD (Chair and Secretary) and representatives of national mine action centres, NGOs and commercial contractors, as agreed by the Chief UNMAS.

Meetings

5. It is envisaged that the Users' Focus Group will meet formally only twice: on 28-29 October 1999 to assist the project manager prepare the questionnaire (see Paragraph 3b), and on 30-31 March 2000 to agree the project manager's recommendations for the revised standards and QA (see Paragraph 3d). All other briefings will be given, and decisions will be taken, using electronic mail.