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Characteristics of a Disaster-Resilient Community

DFID’s Conflict and Humanitarian Fund is funding six international agencies (ActionAid, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Plan UK, Plan International, Practical Action and Tearfund) to work on disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives. The agencies collaborate with each other wherever possible to avoid duplication and ensure good use of resources and combined learning.

One area of collaboration is the development of a common approach to monitoring and evaluation (M&E), particularly at community level. Little work has been done on this, although national-level indicators of progress in DRR are being formally developed by UN agencies within the Hyogo Framework of Action 2005 – 2015 approved at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in 2005.

The agencies therefore commissioned work to develop a set of ‘characteristics of a disaster-resilient community’ that can be used by local partner organizations to demonstrate the impact of community DRR projects.
The project’s main output is ‘Characteristics of a Disaster-resilient Community’: a guidance note for government and civil society organisations working on DRR initiatives at community level. It shows what a disaster-resilient community might consist of, by setting out the many different elements of resilience. It also provides some ideas about how to progress towards resilience. It can be used at different stages of project cycle management, particularly in planning and assessment, and monitoring and evaluation. It can also be linked to other tools used in DRR projects and research (e.g. vulnerability and capacity analysis). The guidance note is designed to support processes of community mobilisation and partnership for DRR but the findings of reviews and assessments carried out using the note may also have some value in advocacy work at local and higher levels.

The first edition of the guidance note, published in October 2007, is a pilot version, which is now being tested in the field. It will be revised in the light of those experiences. Everyone is welcome to use the note, and feedback is similarly welcome.

For English and Spanish versions of the guidance note, download here.

Other project outputs:

Twigg J, 'Hyogo and other indicator frameworks: convergence and gaps'. Note to Interagency Coordination Group, Nov. 2006 (text and annexes)

Bibliography pdf 33kb on community resilience and indicators of DRR.

Liebmann M, Pavanello S 2007, 'A critical review of the Knowledge and Education Indicators of Community-Level Disaster Risk Reduction' (download here pdf 291kb).

Piloting the characteristics of a disaster-resilient community (download here pdf 20kb)

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