Assessment and evaluation of the Danish Red Cross (DRC) integrated programmes of the past 10 years

The Strategy 2020 of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) proposes that resilience and integrated programming approaches will inform much of the future work of the IFRC and the wider Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. As a result of this increased focus on building resilience within the context of long-term development efforts, the Danish Red Cross (DRC) was exploring a desire and need for further integration within its own programming.

The Danish Red Cross has been implementing integrated programmes – that typically combine elements of disaster risk reduction, health, livelihoods, food security, and water and sanitation – for the last 10 years. Integrated programming represents a new approach to creating safer and more resilient communities through the design and implementation of community-based programmes that respond holistically to a community’s needs, priorities, risks and vulnerabilities.

The DRC wanted to better understand the theory and practice of integrated programming – asking us to identify where it is appropriate and to define how best to approach design and implementation. Our research comprised key informant interviews, community focus groups and visits undertaken as part of a field mission to Nepal, and a review of contextual literature and programme documentation.