One of CMCS’ primary functions is to support UN-CMCoord activities in the field.  These may take the more traditional form of a UN-CMCoord officer posting in an OCHA office or in an Integrated Mission arrangement, or it may be the deployment of UN-CMCoord capacity in response to sudden onset humanitarian emergencies. 

The CMCS role is to assist in planning, identifying and deploying appropriately trained personnel, conducting pre-deployment briefings, ensuring required equipment is available, disseminating and filing UN-CMCoord reports, working to resolve issues that arise and supporting the deployed officers. 

The UN-CMCoord Officer Deployment Plan is a project to provide more predictable and sustainable civil-military coordination in humanitarian emergency response operations. This is accomplished using a phased deployment process.  CMCS staff members usually provide the initial response capacity for an emergency.  Within weeks CMCS facilitates the deployment of UN-CMCoord officers utilizing its roster of highly qualified personnel who have completed the UN-CMCoord Staff Course.  Normally the duration of this phase does not exceed six months.  If UN-CMCoord expertise is required after this period, then CMCS assists with the recruitment process for fixed term contract personnel.