Interagency Working Group (IWG) - 7 Member Organizations

1. Emergency Capacity Building (ECB) ProjectA collaborative effort of the Interagency Working Group on Emergency Capacity (IWG)

2. Interagency Working Group (IWG)- 7 Member Organizations • CARE International • Catholic Relief Services (CRS) • International Rescue Committee (IRC) • Mercy Corps (MC) • Oxfam–GB (OGB) • Save the Children–US • World Vision International (WVI) - Emergency/Humanitarian Directors & CEOs

3. The Emergency Capacity Building Project • An activity of the Interagency Working Group on Emergency Capacity (IWG) • Funded by: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ($5.12 m) and Microsoft Corporation ($1 m) • Two-year time frame: ending 31-Mar-07 • Four initiatives: 1) Staff capacity, 2) Accountability and Impact Measurement, 3) Risk Reduction, 4) Information and Technology Requirements

4. Overarching Principles of the ECB Project • Benefits intended for the entire humanitarian community. • Committed to transparency and sharing of research with as wide an audience as possible. • Efforts not duplicative – will work through or with existing bodies or networks to build synergy and reinforce those efforts.

5. Initiative 3: Risk Reduction “the key to putting us all out of business”

6. Initiative 3: Risk Reduction- Context “only 4% of the estimated $10 billion in annual humanitarian assistance is devoted to prevention” and yet “every dollar spent on risk reduction saves between $5 and $10 in economic losses from disasters” - Eric Schwartz, The Boston Globe, 23rd March 2006

7. Initiative 3: Risk Reduction- Goal ECB Overall Project Goal: To improve the speed, quality, and ultimate effectiveness of the humanitarian community in saving lives, improving the welfare, and protecting the rights of people in the emergencies ECB3 Initiative Goal: To improve capacity for risk reduction among IWG agency staff, affected communities, and local and national authorities

8. Initiative 3: Risk Reduction- Outcomes & Results Outcomes • IWG agencies will have implemented a variety of promising community-based DRR projects in at least 3 pilot countries, and disseminated the results widely • Targeted local communities in the 3 pilot countries are better prepared to respond effectively to disasters • Local and/or national authorities in the 3 pilot countries, and/or at least 1 academic institution are more aware of DRR principles Results • Models and promising practices for disaster risk reduction designed and tested in three pilot countries • Hands-on training package for program staff and community members in disaster risk reduction • Advocacy initiatives piloted in three countries to promote the acceptance of and commitment to disaster risk reduction principles by local and/or national authorities and other key stakeholders

9. Initiative 3: Risk Reduction- Strategic Approach • “Don’t reinvent the wheel” • A listening and learning approach that embraces innovation • Focusing on collaborative and value-added work • Building effective local-level partnerships, and engaging extant risk reduction initiatives, networks, and resources • Make a better case for investment in preparedness to donors

10. Initiative 3: Risk Reduction- Action Areas Pilot Projects Research/ Review Training Advocacy

11. Initiative 3: Risk Reduction- Field Focus ….. 3 pilot countries • Ethiopia (led by SC-US) - 20+ years of emergency program experience • Guatemala (led by Mercy Corps) - Post-Hurricane Mitch & CAMI work • Indonesia (led by CRS) - Post-tsunami recovery N.B. All 3 pilot countries have been subject to emergencies during 2005/6.

12. Initiative 3: Risk Reduction- 9 field pilot projects ($630,000 total) Ethiopia (led by SC-US) 1) CRS: Flood risk mitigation (Dire Dawa Admin. Council & Shinile Zone, Somali Region) 2) Mercy Corps: DRR strategies in CARE's, CRS' and MC's operational areas (W & E Harrarghe) 3) SC-US: "Writeshop" project for a Handbook on Disaster Risk Reduction (with IIRR) 4) SC-Canada: Sensitization workshop Guatemala (led by Mercy Corps) 1) CARE & Mercy Corps: Strengthening preparedness and risk reduction capacities (Senahú, Alta Verapaz and surrounding communities) 2) CRS: Community & municipal strengthening of risk management & disaster preparedness 3) Mercy Corps & SC-US: Integrated Risk Management as a Tool for Reduction and Mitigation of Disasters (Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán, Nahualá, San Lucas Tolimán y Santiago Atitlán) 4) Oxfam-GB: Strengthening emergency preparedness capacities (Nuevo Amanecer, zona 21, Guatemala City) Indonesia (led by CRS) 1) Mercy Corps: Community-based disaster risk reduction capacity building, with KOGAMI (Padang, W. Sumatra)

13. Initiative 3: Risk Reduction- Learning Greatest Benefits of Collaboration: • Advocacy - focus on raising the bar • Support - communities of practice • Innovation Most Significant Learning: • Build on existing knowledge & experience • Integrated community-based approach • Advocacy for increased DRR resource investment • Connect 1) HQ with field; and 2) intra-agency coordination and learning

14. What Have We Learnt? • TIME: Time spent in setting up collaborative processes should not be underestimated. • TRUST: Trust is essential – nothing moves forward without it. • FIELD UP: Buy in from the field is key for sustainability. • LARGE INVESTMENT: Organizational learning requires a large investment of staff time. • INTRA-AGENCY BUY-IN: Engagement by senior management and across departments is critical.

15. What Next? ECB Phase II!

16. For further details, please check out http://www.ecbproject.org Thank you!