A holistic and iterative approach to National Society development in

disaster management

‘National Society Development is not a goal in and of itself: The primary impact of a National Society can be measured through the services that it offers.’

- IFRC NS Development Framework

A service based approach: Why Disaster Management?

National Societies share a number of characteristics that position them uniquely in a country’s disaster management services:

– an established auxiliary role to government with a mandate in the delivery of humanitarian assistance;

– an ability to mobilise trained and experienced volunteers nationally, even in a country’s most remote regions, and;

– a connection to a global network of emergency-response support: the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement (RCM).

Part of an international Movement with common standards

Alongside their peers, National Societies discuss and approve policies and procedures that determine how they and their sister societies act.

- IFRC NS Development Framework

Examples:– Disaster Preparedness Policy (1997)– Emergency Response Policy (1997) – National Disaster Preparedness and Response Mechanism (2010)– Principles and Rules for Humanitarian Assistance (2013)

Principles of Effective Organizational Development

Effective National Society Development:

•Is based on thorough analysis of an NS and its environment.

•It looks beyond immediate symptoms to identify and address deeper organizational issues coherently.

•Is based on the involvement of stakeholders from across the organization.

- IFRC NS Development Framework

A holistic and iterative approach

A holistic and iterative approach

The need for a service centered, holistic and iterative approach to National Society

Development

– It is the services a National Society delivers that determine their internal and external identity as well as how they should be structured and run.

– Building strong National Societies requires a holistic view: All its parts interact in one way or another.

– Capacity building of a given service or system must be done in alignment with the broader change process, and requires an iterative approach - tailored to needs and priorities.

Aligning with global tools and standards

Working towards the Principles and Rules: Measuring DM Capacity

NS DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE COMPONENTS

Well Prepared National Society (WPNS) survey

100

0

97

3

100

0

97

3

90

10

97

3

100

0

97

3

90

10

485245

55

97

3

81

19

88

12

0102030405060708090

100

% R

espu

esta

s

A1 A3 A3.4 A4.1 A5 A7 A9

Preguntas

POLITICA

Si No/En proceso/No se

Organisational Capacity Assessment and Certification (OCAC) process: Phase I

Strategic PlanA B C D E A - E 1 - 4

The NS has Statutes that are available at all levels of the NS.

The Statutes have been revised less than 10 years ago.

The NS Statutes meet the requirements of the guidance document.

The NS regularly discusses and disseminates its Statutes. It involves all levels of the NS in this process.

Core capacities Attributes Indicators

A B C D E

Disaster Response Capacity Evaluation (DRCE) tool

NS Afghanistan Date:

National Society Disaster Preparedness and Response Mechanism

Tangible Exists

WPNS DRCE OCAC

1-5* Date: 2010 Dec-13 Date 05 2013

Intent

1 Disaster Management (or response) Policy 1 A.1 11

2 Analysis of context / disaster types 3 A7.2 68, 91

3 NS disaster response mandate 3 A.7.3, A.13 63

4 NS generic disaster response goal and sector priorities

1 C5 , E5 R9.1, R9.2, R9.3 4, 82, 83

Visuals

5 Disaster response organogram 1 A6 A4.1, A4.2

6 Disaster response decision-making flow chart

1 A6 A2.2, A4.1, R1.7

Response Plan

7 Disaster response plan 2 A7 ,A14 A6.1, A7.1, A7.2, A8.1, A8.2, R9.1 R9.2, R9.3

82, 83

8 Roles and responsibi lities 1 A6 , A8.3 R2.1, R2.2, R9.1, R9.2, R9.3,

61

Red (<60% WPNS, 1 or 2 SIMEX, A OCAC): Orange (60-75% WPNS, 3 SIMEX, B OCAC) Green(>75% WPNS, 4 or 5 SIMEX, C,D, E OCAC)

Expressions of NS intent in emergency response

Practical, visual expression of organisational aspects of emergency response

Emergency Response Plan – an operational plan to be used as a live document in any emergency response

NDPR Mechanism Measurement Matrix

Putting it in action: the FIRST RESPONDER INITIATIVE

BUILDING CAPACITY of four National SOCIETIES in the AMERICAS

17

ACHIEVEMENTS

Disaster Response Capacity Evaluation (DRCE)

18

ACHIEVEMENTS

“The levels of preparation are better coordinated from the national level to the local…. improved coordination amongst the various stakeholders

.

“Change in the way the NS responds….integrating all sectors of the NS to provide holistic interventions…priority has been given to the collective RC work as opposed to the individual or sectorial approach”

“We now have a functional system that does not depend on individuals, rather a structure effectively and efficiently managed… moving away from a person based system to a plan based way of doing things”

“Move focus from reactive to proactive approach”

Moving Forward: National Society Development in Disaster Management

• Afghanistan: baseline, analysis and planning completed, implementation under way.

• Jamaica: start up in 2014.

• Africa: Engagement with approach and initiating with interested NSs.

• Americas: Second iteration with Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti and Dominican Republic.

Moving forward: Evaluating emergency operations

• Systematic evaluation of small-medium operations (DREF operations) becoming a frequent practice.

• AZO aiming at standardizing the evaluations to facilitate comparison across disasters: within the NS and among NSs

Why not use the DRCE?

Moving forward: Evaluating emergency operations

DREF evaluations

based on DRCE

Our vision and aspirations

Continual improvement to an approach that:

– Empowers NS to be more creative and innovative in the way they accomplish their humanitarian mandate.

– Contributes to a stronger national and global DM system.

– Results in improved quality of disaster management services.