November 30, 2014
Between 2013 and 2015, the IFRC contracted Oxford Policy Management and the University of East Anglia to conduct “Strategic Research into National and Local Capacity Building for Disaster Risk Management”. The research was funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
To date there has been little formal, empirical research that has been conducted on capacity building for disaster risk management (DRM) and, as a result, international actors lack robust, evidence-based guidance on how capacity for DRM can be effectively generated at national and local levels. This research project was designed as an initial step towards filling that knowledge and evidence gap. The research project’s central aim was to draw lessons and guidance on ‘how to’ build DRM capacity in a range of contexts. This was done by analysing the characteristics, effectiveness and relative importance of a range of capacity building for DRM interventions across a variety of country contexts. The main focus was on ‘what works and why?’
The research methodology was based on a case study approach representing a range of capacity building interventions, including in fragile and conflicted-affected states, and involving fieldwork in Ethiopia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Philippines, Haiti and Mozambique. Additional methodologies included a global literature review, a global study of perceptions of and financial spend on DRM capacity building in key humanitarian organizations, and the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework.
The project has a range of outputs, all available below.
- Six country case study reports, including a pilot in Ethiopia, and full case studies in Pakistan, Myanmar, Philippines, Haiti and Mozambique.
- The final synthesis outputs, including a synthesis report that contains key findings and policy and programme recommendations, an executive summary of this report available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic, Annex B of the synthesis report (which presents an M&E Framework) and a global literature review on DRM capacity building.
- Three policy briefing notes aimed at DRM policy makers and practitioners.