Disaster risk reduction begins at home--in our schools, places of work and worship, and through our local communities. It is here where we will either save lives -- or lose them -- depending on the steps we take today to reduce our vulnerability to tomorrow's hazards.
Margareta Wahlström
Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs
OCHA
About us
We live in a world in which disasters and humanitarian emergencies are increasing in magnitude and complexity. This presents a major challenge to NGOs which have a humanitarian mandate to respond to these emergencies.
In order to address this challenge, emergency directors from 7 agencies - CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam GB, Save the Children and World Vision International- came together in 2003 to discuss the most persistent obstacles in humanitarian aid delivery. The Inter-Agency Working Group (IWG) on Emergency Capacity that emerged from this meeting launched a systematic analysis, resulting in the publication of a Report on Emergency Capacity in 2004.
Phase I - Four initiatives
This analysis found that IWG members had made significant progress in building their emergency capacity, but it also revealed four major capacity gaps, where collaboration could accomplish more than agencies acting alone. These areas were formed into four initiatives: Staff Capacity, Accountability and Impact Measurement, Risk Reduction, and Information and Technology Requirements.
With two-year funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and later assistance from Microsoft Corporation, the IWG formed the Emergency Capacity Building (ECB) Project.
Phase II - launched in 2008
The ECB Project aim is to improve the speed, quality, and effectiveness of the humanitarian community in saving lives, improving welfare, and protecting the rights of people in emergency situations.
With 5 years of additional funding support from the The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and new project grant from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO), the ECB project has entered an ambitious second phase.
Phase II of the project spans three Objective areas and three Cross-cutting Themes which are each being developed through Consortia Engagement Plans (CEPs) and Agency Performance Improvement Plans (APIPs). To learn more about each of these initiatives click here
Working together
Rather than duplicating the work of others, the ECB Project is committed to working with and through important existing sector standards and networks, such as Sphere, People in Aid, ALNAP and HAP International. The Project is further committed to sharing of knowledge. All Project publications and resources are freely available here, and a quarterly Newsletter provides updates.
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