SUMA: A Humanitarian Supply Management System

One of the lessons learned during the evaluation process that followed Hurricane Mitch was the need to improve the overall coordination of humanitarian supply management. Taking this experience into consideration, PAHO/WHO assisted the Nicaraguan Emergency System in developing a national plan based on SUMA, and the Ministry of Health in incorporating the SUMA methodology into its own institutional procedures. In this context, one of the major advances, in terms of its impact on this field, was the development of a successful strategy in order to provide NGOs with assistance while implementing SUMA in a more permanent manner within their own organizations. Both CARE and CARITAS are already implementing SUMA in their storage facilities while the Nicaraguan Red Cross and the Christian Medical Action have already started their own processes for incorporating SUMA as a permanent tool for supply management. This achievement also represents a greater level of transparency regarding the future management of all donations received, as well as an opportunity to improve coordination, given that most major actors will be on the same page and using the same language.

Along these lines, Mr. Aitor Joseba Landa, manager of the CAMI-CARE: SUMA project has contributed to standardize the language used. It is important to use the same language that other actors representing both international cooperation and governments speak, so that we are able to establish common parameters to better organize the aid that we receive. In this manner, we expect to contribute to optimize existing resources.

The experience gained through the implementation of SUMA in Nicaragua has been replicated in other CARE offices throughout Central America. In fact, during the last four months, we have been training personnel from each CARE office in the region, using CARE Nicaragua as a valuable example.

For further information, please contact:
Steven De Vrient
PAHO/Nicaragua
devriens@ops.org.ni