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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is committed to building safety and resilience through its Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) programmes.
The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (RCRC), of which the IFRC is a key part, has significant knowledge and experience of implementing CBDRR programmes, yet defining the objectives of these programmes and the critical factors that influence their success remains a challenge. This is particularly acute when comparing outcomes and approaches between communities, countries and regions.
Identifying lessons learned
Arup International Development was commissioned to identify and document lessons learned in implementing at scale CBDRR programmes, research new ideas and contribute to the wider efforts in building community resilience within the IFRC.
We combined desk-based research and analysis with fieldwork. In our first study phase in Asia, we undertook workshops with 30 communities and conducted over 70 key informant interviews across four countries.
Our project team included experts in community and urban resilience and researchers with experience in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, community engagement and participatory research methodologies. Through our partnership with University College London we worked with John Twigg - a global expert in disaster risk reduction - drawing on his experience in defining the characteristics of a safe and resilient community.
Improved programmes worldwide
Our work has contributed to an improved understanding of community resilience as well as influencing the design and implementation of successful CBDRR programmes implemented by RCRC movement actors in numerous locations
Our research focused on two key areas: identifying the ‘characteristics of a safe and resilient community’ in order to better define what CBDRR programmes are trying to achieve, and researching the ‘key determinants of a successful CBDDR programme’ to support the RCRC in scaling-up programme activities. Both workstreams were captured in research reports, with a ‘lessons learned’ report providing guidance for practitioners on the implementation of the findings from our work.
