In 2006, as part of the BOND DFID DRR Subworking Group, Tearfund together with ActionAid, ChristianAid, Plan International, Practical Action, and the British Red Cross along with the International Federation of the Red Cross/ Crescent commissioned DRR Consultant John Twigg to define a Disaster Resilient Community. This came about after it was recognised that there were no resources that illustrated what Hyogo Framework for Action empowered community looks like - and yet, we were asking Governments, Organisations and communities to embrace this global framework. £13 million had just been committed by DFID over 5 years execute HFA at community level.
The publication was launched on October 10th 2007 to coincide with the International Day for Disaster Reduction. The 6 commissioning agencies are now in the process of field testing the characteristics across their projects, with the aim of producing an updated version in time for the Global Platform in Geneva, 2009.
Tearfund is fieldtesting the characteristics in the following ways:
- Mid-Term Evaluation (April - September, 2008)
- Participatory M&E with communities to identify what characteristics they possess as a result of DRR intervention and which additional characteristics we (community, partner and DRR Team) should be aspiring:
- Capacity Assessment of Partners
- Comparative Analysis Post Disaster
Bob Hansford (DMP Advisor), and Angela Mugore (DRR Technical Advisor) have identified 20 priority Characteristics that Tearfund can use in it's DRR mainstreaming effort across Tearfund partner, and directly implemented projects. According to it's Ten Year Vision, Tearfund would like to see Local Churches working with vulnerable communities to achieve these characteristics.
The DRR Team would like to extend an open invitation to practitioners to use this resource. Practitioners and agencies are encouraged document their processes and send the reports to Angela Mugore. This information will be used in developing the updated version in approximately 14 months' time. Also contact Angela to discuss further Tearfund's own field testing processes at: angela.mugore@tearfund.org