Section six: preparedness

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Section six:

preparedness

eprhandbook.actionaid.org/section6

Section

KE Y POI NTS

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eprhandbook.actionaid.org/section6

Section six:

preparedness

KEY POINTS

• Disaster preparedness is a process

of increasing capacity to effectively anticipate, reduce potential damage, respond to, and recover from the impacts of likely, imminent or current hazard events or conditions.

• Disaster preparedness is ensuring that information, skills and knowledge, infrastructure, materials, institutions, linkages, policy and funding are available at LRP/partner, local government

and organisational levels.

• Disaster preparedness is required at three levels – institutional, national and community level.

• Key elements of ActionAid’s preparedness planning process are:

- capacity-building with staff members, local partners and communities

- developing, institutionalising and putting into practice a preparedness plan at the community, regional and national level - building strong links with other actors

on preparedness and response locally, regionally and globally

- monitoring and reviewing.

• Disaster preparedness plans need to be integrated with ActionAid’s regular planning and budgeting processes, and should be reviewed on an annual basis.

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Section six:

preparedness

Contact details – primary emergency focal points – IHART focal points

Name Job description Location Phone E-mail

Amar Nyak International

Programmes Manager,

Asia India +91 965 0312 922 [email protected]

Bijay Kumar Head of IHART London, UK + 44 (0)20 3122 0721

+44 7 5959 63 801 [email protected] John Abuya International

Programmes Manager, Africa & Americas

Nairobi,

Kenya +254 20 4250 000

+254 721 734 040 [email protected] Lois Appleby Information Officer London, UK +44 (0)20 3122 0580

+44 7725 423355 [email protected]

Communications focal points

Natalie Curtis

Journalist – Emergencies &

Content | ActionAid UK London, UK +44 (0)203 122 0641 [email protected] Ryan

Gawn Head of International

Communications Johannesburg,

South Africa +27 11 7314519

+27 (0) 715 278 354 [email protected] Tricia

O’Rourke

International Communications

Media Manager London, UK +44 (0)203 122 0824

+44 (0)7850 312 438 Tricia.O’[email protected]

Security focal point

Javeria Ayaz

Malik Global Security

Advisor Nairobi, Kenya +44 7809 657 901

+254 731 000 022 [email protected]

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Emergency preparedness and response handbook

Section six : preparedness Reference

6.0

About this section

This section describes the key actions that should be taken before a disaster happens, to ensure that ActionAid, partners and, most importantly, the communities we work with, are ready.

National and LRP level preparedness plans

People living in poverty and exclusion are constantly vulnerable to disasters, and poverty reduction efforts are incomplete without reducing this vulnerability. All ActionAid members in countries vulnerable to disasters (countries assessed in IHART’s analysis as high risk in terms of likelihood and impact of natural disasters and/or conflict) are therefore expected to have disaster

preparedness plans in place.

The purpose of a preparedness plan is to make sure that communities, partners and ActionAid can develop the necessary skills, resources, information, systems and structures to effectively prepare for disasters, to reduce their impact and respond more efficiently. It should guide the process of preparing for disasters and should also provide guidance on what the organisation will do when a disaster happens.

Preparedness is critical to ensuring a timely and efficient emergency response. ActionAid focuses on building preparedness at a range of different levels; from the household and community level, to the staff of ActionAid and our partners, and more widely as an institution.

Local level preparedness is particularly important, given the fact that local people are usually the first responders in any emergency.

In particular, women are often at the forefront of rescuing family members and assets.

The emergency preparedness plan will include the following elements:

4 Background and country/LRP contextual analysis, history of disasters, major hazards and impact. Hazard analysis.

4 Vulnerability analysis.

4 Stakeholder analysis (LRP and national level).

4 Key interventions for preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation.

4 Budget for identified interventions.

4 Analysis of donor communities and fundraising matrix (LRP, national/regional and global level).

4 Assessment of communications process and plan for emergencies.

4 Capacity-building activities for staff, partners and communities.

Reference 6.0.1 Emergency prepar

edness and response handbook Section six : prepar

edness

The p rep are dne ss p lan s hou ld b e:

• co lle ctive – c rea ted t hro ugh e nga gem ent

• fo rw ard -lo oki ng a nd c lea r in s etti ng a ctio ns

• in teg rat ed i nto n atio nal l eve l and L RP p lan nin

g and ) ally ont oriz nd h ly a cal verti ing ( mm gra pro

• live a nd u pda ted r egu lar ly – t hro ugh r evie w and s im ula tio n

• rea list ic, s im ple a nd u ser -fri end ly

• well c om mun ica ted a nd a cce ssib le

• co nne cte d to a ll o the r asp ect s of e mer gen cy m ana gem ent

• de cen tra lise d, l oca l co- ord ina tio n/m ana gem ent m ode l

• co nce ntra ted o n pro ces s and p eop le r ath er t

han tion nta ume doc

• lin ked w ith n atio nal a nd s ub n atio nal r esp ons e sys tem s

• de velo ped t hro ugh a ctive wo men

’s p arti cip atio

n . hip ers ead and l

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6.0.2

The key elements of the ActionAid preparedness plan template are:

• Contacts and leadership. All key contacts in the member/country programme and partners, and key external stakeholders such as other humanitarian agencies, government, suppliers etc.

• Risk analysis and scenario building. Map out hazards and risk – including the possible scale and nature of impact at national and LRP level, based on past events and anticipating climate induced events. Facilitate and limit challenges in the policy environment and operations.

• Information about communities at risk. Recording the characteristics and number of people at risk in our working areas.

• Management process. Decision-making process – assigning roles and responsibilities of staff, operations management, considering size of contingency funds, potential fundraising plan, preparing key donor information.

• Possible key interventions. Possible intervention and costing of each. Advance procurement and logistic plan.

• Capacity mapping – limitations and support required.

Capacity of partners and ActionAid. A clear articulation of capacity gaps – and plans to meet the gaps, such as deployment and support. Analysis of fundraising and communication capacity.

• Preparing to communicate. Ensuring your team and the ActionAid federation are prepared to communicate from the first hour of a humanitarian emergency, to ensure swift and impactful fundraising and influencing at the national, pan regional and global level. This should include:

1. Feeding into ActionAid’s country factbook profiles (profiled on the Hive) ahead of time with information such as: what’s the population of the country? How many sponsored children do we have there? What’s the agricultural or economic cycle? This will provide ActionAid with 80% of a holding statement issuable to media and digital channels in the first hour of an emergency.

2. Ensuring your national press lists are up-to-date and that Country Directors and communications staff have active twitter accounts.

3. Ensuring staff have read and understood ActionAid International’s Checklist for communications capacity document and are aware of the communications capacity required to undertake national and international communications when a humanitarian disaster strikes.

4. Ensuring the Country Director has received on- camera media training in preparation for being a spokesperson during a humanitarian emergency.

edness

• Pr epa rin g to fund raise . E nsu rin g you r tea m and t

he rom t se f rai und d to f are rep re p ion a rat ede Aid f ion Act

he nal tioude lise tituncl ita uld i y ins o cap ble b s sho cy, t ila gen . Thi e ava ors mer r don ian es mad tarajo und ani se fnd m um pon sts a r of a h , tru d res api ors t hou firson r don

:

1. In a dva nce o f a disa ste r, e nsu rin g Act ion Aid s taff

: cy d gen mer f key e ing o and rst nde olid u ave a s a) h

ono

rs try oun t the c tc) a ID, e usA D, A , DFI IRE /AG , DEC HO (EC

/ r ta ilia /da am ion ) are f mat for nd b l of in als, a eve pos s. f the l mat y pro alit l fornd o l, a-qu ighoposa eve pr nal l nor d for h atio do uire ern intreqwith

2. E nsu rin g tha t Act ion Aid s taff h ave a s tro

ng r leve ste , clu tem N sys he U g of t din tan ers und

l s itie tun N. oppor h the U and oug ms g thr anis din ech m g fun ion ssin nat cce ordi co- for a

3. In a dva nce o f a disa ste r, e nsu rin g tha t Act ion Aid

try r oun ilia HO am n-c EC city ing irs ( y are f apa uild ono t the t in b cy d f our c o tha ffor gen are o rs.r) s mer ste ula e and e ticnd aw ey e im o disa rk a ith kn par ed t ond t ns w FID i ur wo nvest esp atio has i reland D with o to r

4. E nsu rin g tha t you h ave s kille d hum an r eso urc

es l to gen eve mer er l he e artn nd p n on t atio Aid a rm ion nfo t Act nd i le a ata a lab vai er d ath aff) a (sta) g

cy rop ds ity p ual d nee ileigh q eta te h era d and d ) gen api nd b gh r routs) a n (th men atio ess situass

osa

ls men ire equ or r t don t mee ) tha ets udg nd b tive a rra (na

ts.

Deve lop men t a nd m ana gem ent

ess roc lan p ss p dne are rep of p

Cou ntri es a re e xpe cte d to d o the f ollow ing p rep are dne

ss es: ess proc

1. c apa city -bu ild ing f or s taff a nd p artn ers

2. d eve lopme nt a nd ins titut ional isa tion of pr epa red

ness ns pla

3. ro llo ut a nd o per atio nal ise p rep are dne ss p lan

s s) lan nal p atio nd n RP a nto L ed i rat teg (in

4. b uild l ink s with o the r act ors l oca lly, r egi ona lly a

nd e ons esp nd r ess a edn par n pre ly o bal glo

5. m oni tor a nd r evie w the p roc ess a nd p lan s reg ula rly,

or. ect n the s ge i led now ld k bui

1. C apa city- bui ldi ng f or s taff a nd p art ner s

The m ain o bje ctive i s to e qui p Act ion Aid a nd p artn

er age o eng ed t eed kills n nd s ge a led now he k ff with t sta

try e m me ed oun ons o co- rk.g est s tea ram he c esp nin ed t nd t rog . Thi in t raicy r ss wo dat ess ed a try p gen dne y with roclopn day t oun e man are mer enc eve ill brephe c ess p he e erg s deve edn ch w hat t che ve to s n em o be t par e and p ed t roa, whi ed t ons e of a ect e pre ugh a fi eam dat g app esp hol hro s exp n cas ore t cy r e man he w m usin one t T. It i gen eam i te t ulu lso borm a c mer HAR ricinaion ts is d in eThi cur by I will f ord will a act

.

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6.0.4

2. Development and institutionalisation of preparedness plans

1. Staff and partners would develop their preparedness plans at LRP, sub-national (depending on the country programme) and national levels. It is expected that members/country programmes will take leadership and ownership in the development of the plans (with support from IHART preparedness advisors). See preparedness plan template at: http://goo.gl/asTkFk

2. ActionAid and partners facilitate Participatory Vulnerability Analysis at LRP level to identify and prioritise hazards and risks at the community level.

3. The draft preparedness plan is submitted to IHART for review and input from relevant units from the International Secretariat.

4. The member/country programme finalises the preparedness plan and presents it in a workshop with their senior management team for approval.

5. Plan is signed off by member/country programme senior management team, Country Director, Head of IHART and National Board/Country Co-ordination.

6. Approved plan to be sent to IHART and Country Co-ordination Directorate Cluster Lead.

7. The organisation will institutionalise the preparedness plans by developing appropriate policies, procedures, standard operating procedures and systems, run simulation exercises and create space within the organisational structure.

8. Composition of multi-disciplinary team to respond, with clear roles and responsibilities and delegated authorities, linked to the various teams and functions of the organisations.

edness

3. R oll o ut a nd o per atio nalise pre par edne ss pla ns

To e nsu re e ffec tive r oll o ut a nd o per atio nal isa tio

n, orm p nd f ted a gra nte t be i s mus lan ess p edn par pre

art RP p al/L nnu he a nd t er a y pap teg tra try s oun he c of t

lan

s t ing e ls g tha ge s und riahol t lanes ledurin ate im al p he w now e tha al t y and f s ens re, mor t nnu n, k asis olic orm plie ctu ble f atio s in a s, p mph ilas im struing n itieorm age fra s thi rs.t to e e ava ctiv inke dur g inf ste tan erm t of in al a nd l rtin isaal t por t don e mad orm men ns a mpa ny d ctic s im tiolops bes nd i or a itu, and b . It i f the n n pra rouess i nst ets ets ss f , deve n. I art o d, i ineedn tio udg ies audg kills ll p uire par era ivitead and b fedact and s reqare a and b pre in r

The f ollow ing s tep s sho uld b e tak en b y the m em ber /co unt

ry d: erio ar p o two ye r a one t e ove mm gra pro

1. A ctio nAi d par tne rs s hou ld d eve lop t hei

r own o the A k int h lin hic s, w lan ess p edn par pre

ctio nAi

d s lan RP p nd L nal a atio

2. c apa city -bu ild ing o f Act ion Aid s taff a nd p artn ers

3. c om mun ity l eve l tra ini ng o n em erg enc y pre par edn ess

ns l pla l leve oca t of l men lop eve nd d e, a ons esp and r

4. b uild ing c om mun ity l eve l ins titu tio ns a nd l ink ing t hes

e res ctu t stru men age r man ste isa nal d atio l and n oca to l

5. f und rai sin g to s upp ort p rep are dne ss a ctiv itie s fro

m s ard l upw eve ity l mun com

6. i nte gra tin g pre par edn ess a ctiv itie s with o ngo ing

es. amm ogr pr Aid ion Act

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6.0.6

4. Building networks

Member/country programme preparedness plans are developed in the context of existing plans from governments and other actors. A synergistic approach should be developed to implement preparedness plans at all levels by networking and collaborating with government, UN systems and other civil society actors, and establishing/strengthening co-ordination mechanisms. Some of the activities could be:

1. Establish links with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and participate in Inter-agency co-ordination meetings at the national and sub-national level.

2. Build/promote/strengthen working groups/forums/

common platforms to facilitate enhanced planning.

3. Develop links with the local/sub-national and national preparedness planning process.

5. Monitoring and evaluation

1. Preparedness plans and their implementation should be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis, and updated to integrate emerging trends and needs.

2. Any learning should be shared with other actors and within the ActionAid federation to contribute to knowledge creation.

edness

All Acti onA id p repa redn ess

d: houl s s tie ivi act

• Bu ild o n exi stin g cap aci ty, a nd b e inf orm

ed rin nd p is a lys y Ana bilit era uln ry V ato cip arti by P

cip les .

• P rio ritise the role of t he c om mun itie s w

e lay le p g and m eop nin ded p n defi xclu hip i ers nd e ead en a om e and l h. W l rol tra k wit wor a cen

ana gin

g ly ive e act . ld bess hou roc nd s f the p g, a es o nin lantag ll s ess p d at a edn age par pre eng

• Be inte grat ed a nd c onn ect ed.

Pre par edn ess p lan

s , rna iesxte teg tras of e lanal s ern s the p t int ll a van ele nd we ith r es a ked w ess rlin roc nte nd p t be i ns a mus pla

l dne are s at rep lan ss p d with p dne ate are egr rep e int ple, p uld b xam l sho . For e eve ers ity l old mun keh stacom

ss y y. teg teg ll ken tra tra e rta ur s nde ide s lso bg as we ith o -w nin ng u ionuld a ink wlan rat. s bei uld l s sho ors ede ent p tive lan r act rnmh sho der f nitia ss p the hic roaove ess i dne l, wal g nd o ur b edn are eve nd o o loc par ent a rep rnmted tr pre t LRP l ntry a Aid p theove nec ionns a cou pla in-Act con as o by g

Bel ow i s spe cifi c gui dan

ce red repa ng p nti eme mpl on i

nes

s ls. eve nt l ere iff s at d tie ivi act

Prio ritis ing pre par edne ss i n c oun try leve l pla ns:

1. E nsu re c om mun ity p rep are dne ss i s inc lud ed a

s nd a er a y pap teg tra ntry s r cou f you ent o pon a com

llo cat

e . ies ivit g act nin lan ess p edn par o pre et t udg nt b cie suffi

2. D eve lop l oca lly a ppr opr iat e pro ces s gui del ine

s for par pre ty uni omm nd c ld a eho hous sing res add

edn ess .

3. I nvest i n the c apa city o f sta ff, L RP, p artn ers a

nd ge ana nd m ead a s. s to l tie tor tivi lita ac aci ess ity f edn mun par com pre

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6.0.8

Household and community level preparedness planning:

4. Use participatory tools and methodologies to ensure that people have relevant information about the hazards they might face, and are able to understand the causes (including climate change) and impact of disasters.

Work with the community to develop an action plan to address the underlying causes of their vulnerability to hazards, including policy-advocacy activities (social actions, support movements) as relevant to hold duty bearers to account.

5. Understand the institutions that exist at local level, led by both men and women. What role can they play during and after a disaster?

6. Examine what capacity already exists in the community.

Support people to identify capacity gaps and plan how to fill these from within existing resources (e.g. through training).

7. Facilitate development of preparedness plans at individual household level. Develop and share a brief checklist that households can use to draw up preparedness plans.

Develop and share simple messages (e.g. through information, education and communication materials) about actions people can take at household level to ensure they are prepared for emergencies, e.g. what people should do before, during and after a disaster, how people can protect themselves and their property/

assets during disasters, etc.

8. Ensure communities have access to information about current and future disaster risks.

edness

Pre par edne ss pla nni ng at par tne r le vel

9. C ons ide r col lab ora tin g with d ono rs o f exis tin g par tne

rs g. nin lan ess p edn par t pre oin te a j lita aci to f

10.

Su ppo rt p artn ers t o inc lud e disa ste r risk a sse ssm

ent nd y, olic ses a ir p ces n the g pro ent i s. min gem ces ram ana rog g pro nin nd p r risk m lanis a ste lys y and p r ana e disa teg hei lud in tincstra

11.

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