The FedEx Award for Innovations in Disaster Preparedness Submission Form

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I. Contact Information The FedEx Award for Innovations in Disaster Preparedness Submission Form Organization: World Vision International Nepal II.

1 I. Contact Information The FedEx Award for Innovations in Disaster Preparedness Submission Form Organization: World Vision International Nepal II. Basic Information on Project Title of Project: Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into Udayapur West Area Development Program, Udayapur District, Nepal Location: Udayapur District, Nepal Scale (choose one): x Local/Community State/Provincial/Sub-national Regional International National Target Population(s): Community members, World Vision staff Number of Beneficiaries: - Communities : 4653 (male), 5772 (female), 5027 (boys), 5068 (girls) - WV Int l Nepal staff WV Asia Pacific country, regional and int l staff benefit through replication of Nepal s pilot experience using the DRR Toolkit Partners: Local government, local non government organizations and community members Funders/Donors: World Vision Taiwan (for the local development program), Australia & Canada (DRR Toolkit development) 1

2 Total Funding: 1,547,000 USD for the 5 year development program beginning in 2012; 15,000USD for the DRR Toolkit development Website: III. Project Details 1. Intervention background and goals and objectives (maximum 250 words) Please describe the intervention and its goals and objectives. Include details on the intervention s timeline. World Vision uses a participatory approach to design and implement community-based development programs called Area Development Programs (ADP). We work with the local people to determine their specific needs and help them develop and carry out projects over years to improve children s wellbeing. World Vision Nepal began the ADP process in Udayapur West in 2012, and the project will run for five years. Nepal is disaster-prone and a high risk country for natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and landslides; the World Bank classifies Nepal as one of the global hot-spots for natural disasters. As a result, a DRR lens was used from the very beginning of the design process to create a development program that safeguards the interventions and supporting investment by considering the risks, vulnerabilities and local capacities involved. Holistic risk assessment and action planning to proactively prepare for and mitigate the potential risks in the Udayapur West area better protects the community and other stakeholders as well as WV staff. Working together with the Udayapur West area communities, the following goal was created together: Empowered and resilient communities in the Udayapur West ADP area with improved well being of children and families. The goal of the development program is to build on existing capacities the people possess and strengthen their resilience. This program has three major focus areas: livelihoods, education and nutrition. All the sectors are designed in such a way that the community disaster risks identified will be addressed accordingly. 2. Please describe the project s key activities (maximum 250 words) Please describe the intervention s main activities. Activities already completed include: Community summits to define program goals and outcomes, and facilitate ongoing conversations about the design Community volunteer training to conduct vulnerability and capacity assessments World Vision staff training on DRR integration into development programming Hazards, vulnerabilities and capacities of the communities were confirmed and 2

3 recommendations to address the risks were jointly created The development design plan was finalized incorporating the recommendations As a result, the livelihood sector will implement activities such as integrated pest management training to farmers, irrigation resources and risk mapping for repairing and maintenance of small irrigation canals, livestock risk management and organization of natural hazard risk management training. The nutrition sector includes orientations to mother/father in law and husbands of pregnant and lactating mothers to promote breastfeeding, complementary feeding programs, and provision of building materials to renovate local health centers to a higher degree of disaster resilience. Communities will be educated about household water purification methods and good hygiene. Health Facility Management Committees will be trained on DRR and disaster simulation exercises. The education sector focuses on four major areas including influencing education stakeholders on school safety, non-structural and structural interventions, and emergency preparedness. Activities such as construction of model earthquake resilient child friendly classrooms, emergency drills and preparation of school disaster management plans are included. 3. Please explain why the intervention is an innovation. Provide evidence in the following areas: (maximum 750 words) Effectiveness/evidence of success: Evidence is provided demonstrating the impact of the intervention to increase awareness; build capacity and knowledge; promote community involvement; foster collaboration between civil society, local governments and the private sector; and/or mainstream disaster preparedness activities. Sustainability: Information is provided describing the steps taken or mechanisms put in place to ensure that the intervention will be socially, financially and environmentally sustainable in the long-term. Equitable outcomes for women and men: Evidence is provided to document that the intervention enables or facilitates the participation of, and results in, equitable benefits for both women and men. Efficiency/cost-effectiveness: Evidence is provided demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of the intervention compared to traditional disaster preparedness interventions. Replicability/adaptability: Information is provided documenting how the intervention has been or could be replicated or adapted in other settings; or how the intervention could expand operations based on demonstrated success in its pilot or phase one areas of operation. When we began this ADP design with Udayapur West, World Vision Nepal was not that intentional about integrating DRR into our development programs. We enlisted the help of our Asia Pacific team for technical expertise, as they had just produced a new DRR resource into which we had given input as well. We used the new DRR Toolkit, a user-friendly resource in a bright red box jointly developed by a small diverse team of regional and country staff. Tested over several years, this practical step-by-step set of four tools & worksheets was produced in 2012 to support field teams incorporate DRR and climate change principles, approaches, analysis, and practical interventions into the daily work that we do. It can also be easily used with other stakeholders such as local governments and civil society organizations in joint risk assessment and analysis processes & programming. 3

4 We trained our development staff in DRR, and our community facilitation tools were adapted to include hazard profiling. As we got started, we increasingly realized the importance of incorporating disaster risk assessment together with poverty mapping. Our senior leadership recognized weaving DRR into our development programming should be the way we always operate. We have begun to prioritize DRR integration into our programming, and this is now reflected in World Vision Nepal s country strategy. The DRR Toolkit is being applied in all new program designs and staff have found this a useful and practical resource, well suited for front line development managers. With the visibility of our new approach in Udayapur West, we have seen staff awareness in DRR increase. This new interest and commitment to DRR is strengthening our organizational foundation and facilitating a risk reduction approach to all of our programming. For example, risk assessments are now incorporated as a matter of course. Since all activities are designed together with communities, after World Vision projects phase out our the legacy to them is a more resilient way of living the activities aren t special activities anymore, but rather simply lifestyles and behaviors which are more centered around being aware of risks and what to do about them. Local governments are also involved in the process of project designs. Some activities are planned for implementation together with other actors in the area. This allows project activities to continue after World Vision phases out. This program has integrated DRR into livelihoods, nutrition and education sector projects. The awareness raising activities can be linked with regular development activities, thus reducing cost as we don t need to implement separate activities for DRR. The activities are designed in such a way that the development gain will be better protected through the reduction of disaster risks. A simple example is the inclusion of school disaster management plans in school improvement plans, which is already a regular activity of schools. We have learned from this process. As an organization, we have learned from this successful pilot experience, and are replicating the process in other areas. Staff from three other program areas were trained on integrating DRR into their programming. So far, 12 colleagues have been trained to lead using the DRR Toolkit. Those programs are now following the same method what was done before in Udayapur West. Staff are gaining confidence and are more comfortable to integrate DRR into their work. One program manager was so motivated that he undertook disaster risk assessment of all the schools (altogether 73 schools) in his program area! The risk assessment findings will be shared with his area communities, and corresponding risk reduction measures will be placed in their project designs (currently underway). World Vision Nepal plans to conduct similar training to other program staff in the future so that our DRR capacity continues to grow. In addition, we welcome sharing our experience and DRR Toolkit with other agencies. Other NGOs have started coming to World Vision asking how they can get the DRR Toolkit, and we are happy to share it. The DRR Toolkit was designed with a minimal amount of World Vision jargon for precisely this reason. The country director of one International NGO working in Nepal visited World Vision to hear how DRR is integrated by World Vision. He has taken the DRR Toolkits to share with his team, and discussions with us continue about its adaptability in his geographical context. 4

5 We are convinced that benefits will reach more people in the community, and it helps us to reach out to the most vulnerable - children, women, elderly, and the disabled, etc. 4. Challenges & Lessons Learned (maximum 250 words) Please describe the main challenges or obstacles you faced or are facing in this intervention and how they were addressed. What are the most important lessons that a reader should take from this experience? It has been a significant organizational decision to bring the issues of DRR on board and commit to incorporating DRR in all WV Nepal development programs. This change has required a commitment of resources and changing the way we do our development work. Building awareness among staff and partners is a challenging job. It took more than two years for WV Nepal to reach this stage. Why? Because it took time for leadership approaches and ways of thinking to accept the organizational changes this would require. While everyone understood the logic that DRR is necessary and important, making the shift to actually integrate it into how we run our organization required foresight and dedication. Our systems are quite well established, so change necessitated strategic thinking and managerial courage. It is often the tendency of our staff and communities alike to focus on relief response, and changing this mindset to also prioritize prevention and preparedness (DRR) the front end of disaster management is sometimes challenging. It also requires adequate time with the community people when undertaking vulnerability and capacity assessments, because we found this is something communities had not practiced before. Sometimes communities do not recognize their own capacities. However, it has become a big lesson for us that igniting community passion isn t necessarily easy, but once the flame is lit, their enthusiasm produces a prioritization of risk reduction measures. We see evidence of this by the program goal of Udayapur West ADP, which was created by community themselves. 5. Have you held or do you plan to hold a consultative process with target groups in which you gather feedback? If yes, please explain. (maximum 150 words) As we worked our way through the DRR Toolkit process, the people who used the DRR Toolkit were interviewed so we could hear their views and ideas on how the process worked. Their feedback is taken into consideration as we apply the same DRR Toolkit process now in other locations. Their views and opinions, and how their feedback was incorporated not only informs our development program approach, it is also shared with other staff and community members as well (as a learning mechanism). While developing the community consultation tools, community volunteers were trained on vulnerability and capacity assessment and they were consulted in the development of the project design process, and their input was solicited as well for the final ADP project design. 5

6 6. Please provide a testimonial from someone who has benefited from this intervention. (maximum 200 words) Hira Adhikari, Program Manager, Udayapur West Area Development Program: The process to utilize the DRR Toolkit in designing a more holistic program in Udayapur was most beneficial. In my 10 year career in WV Nepal, I have been involved in a number of new ADP designs, but this is the only design which has systematically integrated DRR. During community conversations in the design phase, we did Community Owned Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis (COVACA) with a number of community groups which made them aware of the hazards around them, their level of vulnerability and especially helped them identify local capacities they hadn t realized they had. This process helped us uncover detailed information about the impact of hazards, and how to build on existing capacities to minimize vulnerabilities. This process has helped my colleagues and I consider mitigation and preparedness more closely. The outcome of this intervention is reflected by the significant program goal which was created in an Udayapur area summit: Empowered and resilient communities in the Udayapur West ADP area with improved well being of children and families. I look forward to the benefits our new integrated DRR approach provides to the vulnerable children, their families and communities we will serve, because our ADP will implement from July If selected, how will your organization use the funds? (maximum 150 words) The funds will be used for safe school assessment, training and a model disaster resilience school. While conducting community consultations, and vulnerability & capacity assessments, communities realized that the majority of their schools are vulnerable to earthquake and fire risk in Udayapur district. However, a thorough technical assessment has not been done due to resource constraint. An inventory will be undertaken of schools and their disaster risks, especially in the areas of earthquake and fire hazards. This will be important information for the communities and they will be able to prioritize their resources to address the disaster risks of the schools. In addition, disaster risk management plans of several schools will be prepared in collaboration with other projects running in the program area. We will create a model disaster resilient school which can be an example for people to learn how to build a disaster resilient school. completed applications to: mappinginfo@interaction.org. 6

Second Annual FedEx Award for Innovations in Disaster Preparedness Submission Form I. Contact Information

Second Annual FedEx Award for Innovations in Disaster Preparedness Submission Form I. Contact Information Name: James Lothrop Title: Manager, Partnership Innovation and Strategy Organization: Save the