Page 10 - DDME "The Disaster Forum"

'Partnership in Preparedness'
- A Relief Management PerspecTve -
wriSen by Ms Joanne Persad, Programme Manager, Preparedness and Response at CDEMA
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“No man is an island” (John Donne, 1624), a centuries old statement but s@ll very appropriate in many ways when speaking about disaster management and at the same @me applicable to the main theme “Partnership in Preparedness”. This paper will discuss na@onal and regional partnerships from the perspec@ve of the development of a relief management system. It will be demonstrated that many, ins@tu@ons, organiza@ons, governmental and non- governmental agencies must work together in a coopera@ve framework, based on good partnerships for effec@ve disaster management and by extension relief management.
Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) promotes an approach to disaster management that incorporates “all peoples, all phases and all hazards”. This is a simple catch phrase in recogni@on that disaster management involves mul@ - sectoral and mul@ - ins@tu@onal planning, mi@ga@on, response and recovery, for all types of hazards whether natural or man- made. The Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduc@on (DRR) (2015) noted the need for interna@onal coopera@on and global partnerships in DRR. Hence, partnerships have to occur at all levels.
The na@onal disaster management system is designed around, the roles and responsibili@es of State ins@tu@ons, the capacity and knowledge and shared economic interest of private sector actors, the experience and core competency of nongovernmental organiza@ons, and the priori@za@on of the safety and security of its ci@zens, among others. All designed within the context that the government is in the leadership role for coordina@on and regula@on.
Partnerships at the regional and interna@onal level symbolize knowledge exchange, informa@on sharing, and opera@ons within a shared space. Regional and interna@onal ins@tu@ons must see the value added of others and at the same @me recognise their own compara@ve advantage.
Partnership in preparedness is well illustrated in the recently developed CDEMA regional and na@onal logis@cs and relief management programme. Following on the devasta@on of the 2017 Hurricane Season, the arrangements for the movement of relief supplies, deployed personnel and equipment were supported through horizontal coopera@on within the CDEMA Par@cipa@ng States, support from partner na@ons, regional military and private sector ins@tu@ons, donor partners and development banks in the region. Whilst many successes were noted, there is area for improvement. Fundamental for future successes are strengthen and enhanced partnerships at all levels and in all phases of disaster management.
THE GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK
In this regard, one of the fundamental pillars for the success of regional and na@onal relief management and logis@cs includes a governance framework which cons@tutes a na@onal policy and plan on relief.
The policy and plan development is spearheaded by the government, with technical support from the na@onal disaster office and includes the engagement of several other ins@tu@ons. The partnership therefore involves those in the various sectors to guide on relief supplies, to inform on the transport networks and the local government
and community based organiza@ons to map the communi@es, understand where those who are most vulnerable live and strengthen rela@onships so that in @mes of crisis, there is an exis@ng coordina@ng mechanism built on the partnership, coordina@on and communica@on among the actors.
The governance framework outlines the roles and responsibili@es for each ins@tu@on coordinated by the na@onal disaster office. The na@onal policy on relief management outlines the State’s posi@on, the guiding principles, the role of the ins@tu@ons among many others.
Planning is a crucial step in this process. A relief management plan should include a process for the iden@fica@on of priority needs of the impacted popula@on, before, during and aOer impact; a process for the development of the needs list; a methodology for circula@on of the needs list; a process for reconcilia@on of needs once met and a mechanism for the storage, labeling, transpor@ng and distribu@on of relief supplies. These processes should be developed with the involvement of cri@cal state agencies, private sector, CBOs and NGOs among many others.
THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
The role and responsibility of any ins@tu@on in disaster management is always aligned with the primary func@on of that ins@tu@on. For example, the health sector’s func@on is aligned to mass casualty management, epidemiological surveillance, health disaster preparedness, among others, while an ins@tu@on such as the Planning Department is required to consider