As part of the Caucus of Development NGO Network’s (CODE-NGO) aim to continue information exchange among civil society organizations (CSOs) on social development issues, regular online fora through its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/caucusofdevelopmentngonetworks, as well as face-to-face discussions are being conducted.

Recognizing the vital role that CSOs play in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), CODE-NGO with its projects, Citizens Monitoring of LGU Performance (CML, supported by the Delegation of the European Union) and Advancing CSO Engagement in DRR-CCA (ACED, supported by Christian Aid), hosted a series of discussions on DRRM.

On January 27, 2015, a 1.5-hour online forum on “Understanding the Hazard, Capacity, and Vulnerability Analysis (HCVA)” was conducted with Mr. Jorge Ebay, Associate Professor of Community Development and Head of the Center for West Visayan Studies, the research arm of the College of Arts and Sciences of UP Visayas, as the resource person. There were about 45 participants composed of CODE-NGO member networks, partners, DRRM advocates and the CODE-NGO secretariat, who posed questions to better understand HCVA and how it can help communities plan strategically for DRRM. Highlights, as discussed by Mr. Ebay, included:

What are the salient features of an HCVA that makes it a good tool for strategic planning in the communities?

• The HCVA can be administered together with other participatory tools that many of us are already familiar with. Since it is participatory, it provides people, especially the vulnerable groups, a window of opportunity to better understand their conditions and, more importantly, to take actions to improve the conditions.
•  As a participatory tool, the HVCA is sensitive to local contexts, including diversity and differences in attitude and behavior. It is capable of offsetting biases because it obtains differing perspectives from groups of people through the realities that they present and analyze.
• The HCVA allows us to integrate DRR into our existing programs, or to use the results to inform our new programs with DRR perspectives. Example, the Iloilo CODE, in their UN-WFP Project, is helping local communities develop strategic development proposals using the HCVA results and access BUB (Bottom-up Budgeting) and NCDDP (National Community Driven Development Program) project funds.

How do we use HCVA to help communities plan strategically for DRRM?

• Enable communities to see and understand the sets of information that can be derived from the HCVA. With that, people would have options as to what strategies best suit their needs and capacities.
• The HCVA may be used to guide thinking on courses of action. For every identified hazard and the corresponding vulnerability and capacity of a community, recommendations are made. In the language of planning, capacities are “strengths”, vulnerabilities are “weaknesses”, hazards are “threats”, and recommendations are “opportunities.” This is SWOT planning.
• Identify capacity gaps under four (4) headings: Prevention, Mitigation, Survivability, and Community Readiness, and come up with recommended measures for each heading. Once the community agrees on the recommended measures, ex. “build a dike to prevent flooding”, the community can create a matrix reflecting the set of activities, expected outputs for each activity, time frame of each activity, and expected impact. When finalized, these can later be included in the barangay sectoral plans so that funding/resources can be allotted for the recommended activities.

Recommendations / Next steps:

• Conduct face-to-face, small group discussions and online forums on HCVAs in island municipalities.
• Check on a general manual that the NDRRMC (National DRRM Council) is developing (with the Centre for Disaster Preparedness).
• The UP Visayas is currently developing a DRR/CCA Resource Hub to assist their partners and other stakeholders within the region.

Last February 27, 2015, a face-to-face discussion titled, “Office-based Contingency Planning” was organized. Mr. Dick Balderrama, National Coordinator of the Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies (PHILSSA), was the resource person. Around 19 participants from CODE-NGO member networks participated to know the importance of having a contingency plan in the office. Just as we prepare for hazards in our community, it is as vital to be prepared in the workplace. Here were some interesting points from Mr. Balderrama:

What comprises the contingency plan? How can we be prepared for hazards?

• Maps and studies about the hazards in a locality are available. For example, for Quezon City: How far is it from the West Valley Fault? These studies should be collected to deepen understanding of the hazards present in the area. Check the physical condition of the office. For possible sources of fire hazards, check electrical wirings, areas where papers are stored, if there is a stove in the office. Usually, hazards at home are also the hazards in the office.
• What are the capacities of those who are in the office? Swimming, life-saving skills, monitoring blood pressure (BP).
• What are the vulnerabilities in the office? A medicine/health kit can be made available for specific needs of an employee.
• As we learn the hazards, capacities and vulnerabilities in a community, we should also do the same in the office to know what we need to do.

How do we plan for all these hazards?

• It is difficult to plan for all eventualities. For the main hazards, we should have an analysis of the situation. Key hazards would be fire, earthquake, flooding (e.g., being trapped in the 3^rd floor). There are standard policies and procedures for fire.
• Note your needs in every aspect. If you don’t have an emergency fund, invest on the things you need little by little. Be clear on what you need to do to know the necessary equipment and training that go with it.
• There are also a lot of materials on the policies and systems for an earthquake which is part of office risk management (e.g., How can you properly exit from the 3^rd floor?).
• Be creative in collecting and improvising for the things you need for hazards (e.g., hard hat, ax, rope, health kit, blood pressure monitor). No need to buy them all at the same time, you can use stuff that you no longer need at home. Eventually, your list will be completed.
• Maximize training opportunities. For example, the staff can attend the Rescue Training organized by a project funder (e.g., Christian Aid) in a community.
• Allot time to do your contingency plan. Review your Operations Manual and include contingency planning in it.
• From experience, community and family preparedness are practical and useable especially for beneficiaries and partners.

Recommendations / Next steps:

• Check where you are now (hazard analysis).
• Draft/complete/review your office DRR and contingency plan.
• Slowly invest on the materials needed for your contingency plan.
• After a disaster strikes, know how you can get back to the normal operations.

On July 9, 2015, another online forum was conducted on “Community-based Contingency Planning”, with Ms. Agnes Bolanos, Executive Director of the Agri-Aqua Development Coalition-Mindanao (AADC), as resource person. Around 46 participated to learn more about how contingency planning prepares a community to respond well to an emergency or disaster and its potential impact to people. Effective contingency planning should guide effective and timely disaster-relief operations. Here were some highlights, as discussed by Ms. Bolanos:

What is a contingency plan (CP) and why must every community have it?

• Contingency planning in DRR is the process of establishing disaster response arrangements in advance so that these are timely, effective and appropriate in the event that a disaster strikes.
•  The community contingency plan is a plan developed by the community to avoid or reduce the adverse effects of disasters and to outline actions to be performed in emergency situations. Appropriate steps for preparation, carrying out, and monitoring are specified. It is formulated before the potential emergency or disaster happens.
• A community contingency plan also clearly defines roles and responsibilities of key members of the community. The planning process encourages community leaders to take the lead for better risk management. This enables the community to know in advance who does what and when in case of emergency.
• Here are its characteristics:
  • Hazard specific
  • Produced in advance of an emergency
  • Simple, short and can be easily understood
  • Developed by BDRRMC (Barangay DRRM Council), volunteers, community members including most vulnerable households in the community
  • Developed at least in coordination with the MDRRMC (Municipal DRRM Council)
  • Shared with all the members of the community

What are the usual challenges encountered in community contingency planning and how do we address these?

• Resistance from the LGU and/or from the community is usually a problem. Some reasons for their resistance are:
• One challenge is the lack of plans of the participants. They want to be stakeholders of the CP; however, their own organization does not have a contingency/business continuity plan. It’s about time to make sure that before we help our communities make plans, we should have our own.
  • The LGU does not want the community to find out that they are not prepared. We can explain to the LGU that this is one step in building their capacity. This would allow them to direct their resources to where it is needed the  most.
  • The community feels there are no threats in their community because they have not experienced any disaster in recent memory. We can use the recent typhoons as examples: TS Pablo – first storm to hit Compostela Valley; TS Yolanda – strongest typhoon to ever made  landfall in the world. Nobody was prepared for these scenarios.
  • They lack the technical capacity to facilitate. Nobody knows how to do it. Invite DRRM experts or champions who can help the LGUs and communities. Technical inputs from relevant agencies like PAGASA, PHILVOCS,  DOST are also important.

The complete threads of these discussions may be accessed from these links:

https://code-ngo.org/home/reports-a-resource-materials/item/understanding-the-hcva.html

https://code-ngo.org/home/reports-a-resource-materials/item/office-based-contingency-planning.html

https://code-ngo.org/home/reports-a-resource-materials/item/community-based-contingency-planning.html

Celia de Jesus is the Program Officer for Knowledge Development and Management of Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO).

Deanie Lyn Ocampo is the Capacity Building Officer of the Citizen’s Monitoring of LGU Performance Project of CODE-NGO and the European Union.