In 2001, disaster preparedness delegates from the IFRC and staff from different National Societies defined the characteristics of a well-prepared National Society. Their aim was to prepare a simple tool for disaster preparedness planning. Based on this definition, Well-prepared National Societies (WPNS) is a self-assessment tool that helps National Societies recognize, prioritize and plan activities to improve their disaster management capacity. WPNS gives National Societies the opportunity to reflect on existing capacities and identify areas that need attention. Phase I of WPNS was conducted over the period of 2002–2004. A global report on the findings was published in 2005.