18.9. Help Desk

1. During the meeting, the HOC establishes a help desk to facilitate the delivery of basic services (e.g., requests for service personnel and technicians for office equipment and signs, office supplies, and human resources) to all ADB offices. It is also used to locate key members of the HOC urgently and for crisis management.
   
2. The help desk is a facility/service rather than an actual desk. Located within the Host Country Secretariat offices, this facility usually operates through a centralized telephone system (or e-mail station) for use primarily by the two secretariats, ADB staff, and host country service and technical personnel.
   
3. Several English-speaking representatives from key units of the HOC, convention center, and the PCO (if any) are assigned in shifts to operate the help desk during the meeting. In addition, the help desk supervisor should have decision-making authority and be a person of influence.
   
4. The management of the help desk requires:
   • knowledge of the logistical arrangements of the meeting
   • the ability to handle several requests simultaneously (i.e., help desk staff often need to attend to several different callers)
   • knowledge of appropriate counterparts in both ADB and Host Country Secretariats
   • the capacity to establish channels of communication with counterparts
   • the necessary equipment to facilitate delivery of services (e.g., hand-held radios, cell phones, and fax machines). The host country should ensure that the companies providing the hardware and software for the meeting are also available to provide support as required.