The Panama Regional Delegation of the IFRC, together with the National Societies of Central America, facilitated the development of two regional centres of reference focusing on community preparedness and institutional preparedness.

The Centre of Reference in Costa Rica focuses on community based disaster preparedness and the Centre of Reference in El Salvador focuses on institutional disaster preparedness

The overall goal of the consultancy is “to design and facilitate a participative consultative process that results in a stakeholder approved long-term sustainability strategy for the two Centres of Reference. Specifically the study will meet the following objectives:

1. Develop a strategic plan and three year implementation and marketing plan for the two centres focusing on the relationship between the centres, the wider RC/RC context and the wider government and NGO sectors
2. The roles and of the different RC/RC actors in relation to the direction and operations of the centres (NS, Federation Secretariat, REDCAMP, two hosting NS, etc.) including a proposed governance/management structure
3. A self-sustaining ‘marketing’ strategy that will support the long term financial viability of the centres including the marketing of centre products and expertise
4. The development of a work plan process including the creation of baseline information, expected results and accompanying success/impact indicators and monitoring and evaluation

In order to compete the tasks identified, a variety of information collection and consultative approaches will be incorporated into the study methodology including:

• Review of documents:
• Visits to selected countries in the Americas to carry out meetings, interviews and group discussions with all relevant stakeholders including Federation staff (Geneva, Regional Delegations in Panama and Lima), NS, hosting NS management and staff, external partners and in particular those using centre products, PNS, government agencies and selected private sector representatives
• Included in the visits will be an analysis and production of a marketing strategy

Once a draft document is completed, it will be circulated to stakeholders for comments, changes made and a 1-2 day stakeholder workshop will be held to gather further information and to arrive at a consensus on the final product

The final product of the study will be the strategic/business plan. This will include the main findings, recommendations and an implementation plan including the marketing strategy

In May 2006 the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) established the International Operations Zone delineated into three separate operational units: Development Programs, Emergencies and Recovery, and Humanitarian Issues Program. The mandate of the Development Programs is “management of CRC international development programs in the areas of health, capacity building, disaster preparedness, and organizational development.”

As part of a process to consolidate and clarify programming for the period 2008-2010, the International Development Program Unit (IDP) commissioned this study to identify strategic directions on where to place emphasis in current programs and where to build new capacity. This process represents the initial steps leading to a more comprehensive institution wide strategic planning process that the CRC will undertake over the next two years.

This final product consisted of a discussion paper to guide future decision-making. At the end of the document a series of proposed programmatic recommendations were presented aimed at supporting a more in-depth process of identifying a full strategic plan, complete with mission statement, goals and specific strategic objectives.

Increasingly, countries are experiencing complex emergencies where conflict and natural disasters overlap and where chronic poverty, weak governance and lack of security compound the impacts of crises.

As part of the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery of the United Nations Development Programme ongoing approach to address all aspects of crisis as part, a study was commissioned to:

1. Obtain a detailed understanding of the disaster-conflict interface scenario in each context, including an analysis of the interface dynamics, strategies and interventions across agencies, and UNDP placement and approaches;
2. Identify key elements for an Integrated Crisis Prevention and Recovery Framework; and
3. Document and collate examples of good practice of integrated programming, or examples of where there is clear potential for the development of existing practices.

AguaConsult Ltd. (UK) was commissioned to undertake this study that included country level studies in Haiti, Kyrgyzstan, Bolivia, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea Sudan, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Indonesia-Aceh. The participation of the DFI staff person was team member of the study carried out in Haiti and lead consultant for a smaller analysis of the situation in Bolivia.

The third Partners’ Consultation of the Canadian Lutheran World Relief was carried out in Lima, Peru from July 09 to 20, 2007. Fourteen country program staff as well as three staff from the NHQ participated in the workshop which focused on: 1) Results Based Management (RBM) refresher course, review and consolidation of the RBM Framework; and 2) the standardization of a data collection system at the global level.

The purpose of this participatory process was three fold:

1. Bring CLWR and its partners to a common understanding of results-oriented planning, monitoring and evaluation;
2. Streamline and standardize data collection system in view of reducing the amount of time spent annually on reconciliation data against projected results, and make the reporting as accurate, measurable and reliable as possible;
3. Strengthen the spirit of cooperation between CLWR and its service delivery partners.

Specifically the workshop aimed to meet the following objectives:

1. Refresher workshop on key Results Based Management (RBM) concepts and their application
2. Review and finalize/ consolidate draft CLWR Global Program RBM Framework 2008-2013
3. Review and standardize CLWR’s monitoring and data collection system (baseline data, indicators)

Priority Five of the Hyogo Framework is entitled “Disaster Preparedness for Effective Response”. Humanitarian agencies played a key role in shaping the discussion of this priority area; they have important responsibilities in its implementation and in monitoring progress in enhanced preparedness capabilities and systems. To this end, generic indicators and benchmarks are needed to measure progress in strengthening preparedness for effective response.

This contract entailed developing guidance notes including measurable indicators for Priority 5. A wide ranging methodology was utilized to complete the task including:

• Reviewing and analyzing ISDR documents, preparatory documentation for the WCDR, the Hyogo Framework for Action, and tentative guidelines for its implementation;
• Conducting a desk review of existing literature on disaster response preparedness to identify key issues to be taken into account in the development of generic indicators and benchmarks on this subject;
• Proposing a typology of the indicators (i.e. number, content, etc.), taking into consideration draft ISDR HFA implementation guidelines on indicators for measuring progress on disaster risk reduction;
• Consulting widely with key partners (ISDR Secretariat, UNDP/BCPR, IFRC, and other IASC members) and relevant OCHA staff, including field personnel, and with all other relevant stakeholders, to elicit their comments and suggestions;
• Consulting closely with the ISDR Secretariat so that the draft indicators and benchmarks for Priority 5 are compatible with those being developed for the other Priority areas of the HFA;
• Providing feedback and proposals, as deemed appropriate, on tools and guidance available (including draft tools) and/or required to assist in the implementation of the HFA in relation to preparedness;
• Developing draft guideline notes and indicators;
• Consulting with all relevant stakeholders to elicit their feed-back and comments on the draft indicators and benchmarks including the facilitation of a 2 day multi-stakeholder workshop; and
• Finalizing the development of indicators and benchmarks, that are relevant and user-friendly, taking account of feedback on draft material.

The process is now near completion and will be submitted to the relevant UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee for approval

The rapidly evolving political and economic situation in Bolivia along with the challenge of designing and implementing effective program delivery require an in-depth analysis of results achieved and lessons learnt in order to focus future programming which will be beneficial to Bolivians. Since 1994/1995, Canadian International Develoment Agency (CIDA) investments, mostly from Americas branch and the Canadian Partnership Branch have totalled over 168 million dollars spanning over 287 investments.

The evaluation examined the extent to which CIDA’s approach in Bolivia continued to evolve to reflect the new realities of the Agency’s policies and approaches as well as the evolution of Bolivia’s own development cooperation strategy. In this context, the evaluation determined the extent to which changes were made to assure that programming was (and continues to be ) aligned with Bolivian priorities.

The evaluation focused on (but was not be limited to):

• Assessing achievements and progress resulting development cooperation between Canada and Bolivia during the period 1995-2007;
• Assessing the extent to which the evolving socio-political context affects the planning and delivery of programmes;
• Identifying relevant lessons for input into updated CDPF and new results framework;
• Assessing one or two new programming modalities (e.g. donor coordination, policy dialogue, program-based approaches etc.) in order to document experiences, share lessons and identify factors that need to be monitored and/or nurtured in these new approaches; and,
• Assessing how the Agency managed the delivery of the program (allocation of human and financial resources, coordination within the Agency and other external partners).

This 6 month extensive piece of work included a comprehensive review, both in Canada and Bolivia, of 65 projects and sub-projects through a review of documentation, over 100 interviews and 11 site visits both in Bolivia.