Based on requests from gFSC members and on the endorsement of the gFSC SAG, Working Groups (WG), at global level, are established as needed to provide technical support on key areas of humanitarian food security responses. The WGs generally support the work of FSC teams and members at country level by providing technical guidance relating to the various aspects of the project cycle, including the design, dissemination and application of appropriate tools and guidance; and by supporting and promoting knowledge-sharing and advocacy. The WG can also be requested by country FSC Coordinators on any specific topic of interest. 

The WGs are chaired by gFSC partners with GST members and are reviewed every six months at global partner meetings. In 2021, there were four active working groups (see below). Closed WGs (which have fulfilled their purpose) can be re-activated upon the request from partners.

Agriculture Working Group

Upon the request from several gFSC partners, a gFSC Agriculture WG (AWG) was activated in 2020. The purpose of the AWG is to improve the quality and timeliness of agriculture responses coordinated by the FSCs (Coordinators and members) and their technical WGs at field level. 

The AWG focuses mainly on developing guidance on seeds/crops, livestock fisheries and forestry. This will include technical guidance relating to the various aspects of the project cycle, including the design, dissemination and application of appropriate methodologies, tools, and guidance. The working group will also support and promote knowledge sharing and advocacy.

Cash and Market Working Group

Cash transfers are increasingly being used to address food security gaps during emergency and recovery contexts with most gFSC member organizations using a cash transfer modality. Recognising the need for the FSC to look at ways to establish a systematic mainstreaming process of Cash Transfer Programming (CTP), and to improve coordination as well as the capacity of partners in CTP, the gFSC partners, in 2013, decided to create the Cash and Markets Working Group (CMWG) to support these efforts. 

The purpose of the CMWG is to facilitate and support the mainstreaming of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and other Market Based Approaches in the food security sector in close coordination with other clusters cash and market working groups. The CMWG works very closely with CaLP, which is a knowledge management and learning facility for cash and voucher assistance. CaLP provides training on cash activities, guidance, webinar, etc.

Programme Quality Working Group

For the gFSC, programme quality is the process of ensuring that humanitarian response integrates standards, indicators, and cross cutting issues throughout the project cycle to make sure that the services provided have the ultimate goal of (an) increased (positive) impact for all vulnerable human beings within the affected populations.

The working group presently focuses on three core themes in the context of current emergencies and protracted crises: 

• Assessment and Response Analysis for Sudden Onset and Protracted Crises (tools and best practices) 
• Monitoring and Evaluation (promote best practices and share guidance and tools)
• Programme Quality (promote best practices and lessons learned)

PQWG Task Force: A part of the wider WG, a specific gFSC PQWG Protection Task Force (PTF) (see TOR) was set up in 2020. Its purpose is to: 

• Improve strategic approaches in mainstreaming of protection in the gFSC work. 
• Ensure cross-cutting dimensions (gender, AAP and PSEA) are reflected in all activities supported and coordinated by the Food Security Cluster. 
• Confirm the upholding of the rights of the individual in accordance with the international human rights law, international humanitarian law, international refugee law encompassing clear and common understanding of the grounds of discrimination such as age, sex/gender, refugees, and internally displaced persons.

Closed Working Groups at Global Level

Preparedness and Resilience Working Group (PRWG): Established in 2016, the PRWG helped guide and support in-country FSCs on preparedness, contingency planning and capacity strengthening as well as resilience-building activities through the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC). 

New Technology and Innovation Working Group: Established in 2015 as a reference for new and current technologies and innovations for the FSC.

Food Security and Livelihoods in Urban Settings Working Group: The purpose of this WG was to promote better coordination and implementation of good practices in urban humanitarian food security responses. 

Inter-Cluster Nutrition Working Group: The Inter-Cluster Nutrition Working Group (ICNWG) was established to provide technical direction, guidance and coordination solutions to country level clusters engaged on nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programming and implementation. It has been inactive since 2021. The ICNWG reduced its activities in 2021, however, the active collaboration continues between the Nutrition, Health, WASH and Food Security Clusters (see more in 4.3.3 on the “4Cs”).

Ad Hoc Working Groups

Additional ad hoc TWGs are established if needed, reflecting a current and specific requirement that might fall outside of the focus of the above TWGs. These ad hoc TWGs are usually time-bound. 

One recent example is that of the ad hoc COVID 19 Working Group (C19-WG), which, based on the request from gFSC partners, was established within the gFSC after discussions with the SAG in early 2020. The purpose of the C19-WG was to strengthen the coordination of gFSC partners in their preparedness and humanitarian response, to mitigate the impact of COVID 19 on the food security of all vulnerable and affected populations.