Linked with Phase 1, Section B, this section provides examples of full strategies.  These vary considerably in how they were written and in their depth and scope.  4Ai is a Standard Operating Framework from Somalia, perhaps the most comprehensive strategy and over-view of any Cluster worldwide.  The creation of a SOF may not be applicable for all Clusters but should be considered as phase-out strategy as more development partners enter the theatre and with the input of local actors can form a comprehensive hand-over document.  

• 4Ai: Somalia 2012 and 2015 - Standard Operating Framework (SOF) – By Phase 4 the Cluster will have produced an array of documentation from guidance notes and position papers to assessments and methodologies. Producing a SOF is a way to start to bring all this material together and fill in the gaps. Here are two examples from Somalia. As stressed with strategies, the process of documenting what the Cluster does takes time. The two documents are vastly different in terms of depth, presentation and scale but both were produced in consultation with partners and aims of both were to provide guidance. The 2015 version is still used widely by partners and is especially appreciated by local partners and so is a key resource during Phase 4 and the hand-over to local partners. What is a SOF? A SOF serves as a key document for partners and other shelter stakeholders to understand how the cluster operates and the key points for which the cluster advocates and mandates. The document outlines the operational structure and the strategic objectives of the cluster. The SOF aims to harmonize the overall strategy and the approaches related to Shelter activities. Standards are incorporated within the document, but provide a lot of flexibility due to the vast area of shelter programme coverage, geographic and climatic variations, variable access conditions, capacity of the partners, different target populations and variable support of the local authorities.