ECB Project
Encyclopedia
The Emergency Capacity Building (ECB) Project is a collaborative capacity building project aimed at improving the speed, effectiveness and delivery of humanitarian response programs. The ECB Project is a partnership between six non-governmental organizations(NGOs) (CARE, Catholic Relief Services
, Mercy Corps
, Oxfam
, Save the Children
and World Vision
), and implements programs in one region and five countries known as consortia (Horn of Africa
, Bolivia
, Bangladesh
, Indonesia
and Niger
).
(IRC) who together shared challenges of working in the humanitarian sector, and identified key capacity needs for their humanitarian response staff. These discussions led to the definition of the core themes of the project in Phase II: accountability
and impact measurement, disaster risk reduction
and staff capacity. The results of these findings were shared in a report entitled Report on Emergency Capacity, published in 2004. The project's core funding began with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
, and has since expanded to include support from the Department for International Development
(DfID / UKAID) and the ECHO (European Commission)
.
and impact measurement, disaster risk reduction
and staff capacity) and global level technical specialists from within the ECB partnering NGOs. Each consortium is led by a different ECB organization, working closely with ECB agencies and other NGOs, INGOs and partners from across the humanitarian sector.Each program activity has a variety of core outputs and learning materials that are shared and made freely available across the wider humanitarian community. New project activities are developing with plans for a new Practitioner's Guide to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and a new Guide to Impact Measurement expected in 2012. The website has more information about new activities planned for between 2011-2013.
, Bolivia
, Horn of Africa
, Indonesia
, Niger
). These five consortia are made up of the ECB partnering agencies at the global level together with additional partners in each country. The consortia develop their own program activities using ECB tools and approaches to improve upon their capacity to respond to disasters and develop their knowledge and skills around disaster risk reduction
, accountability
and impact measurement. Recent collaboration has led to joint emergency programming for Needs Assessments in Bolivia and Indonesia, and the development of disaster engagement protocols in Indonesia and expected soon in Bangladesh.
. A guide entitled What We Know About Joint Evaluations of Humanitarian Action: Learning from NGO Experiences to assists humanitarian organizations with practical guidelines on how to effectively conduct a joint evaluation.
, Uganda
, Bolivia
, Kenya
and Bangladesh
in partnership with many different stakeholders, including UNICEF and local NGOs.
and Impact Measurement for the ECB Project team is focussed on the ways in which NGOs provide information to beneficiaries in times of crisis, and how agencies can measure the effectiveness of the assistance they provide. "Evaluations of emergency response frequently highlight insufficient accountability, especially to the people affected by emergencies, such as failure to provide communities with even the simplest information on what programs are there, and why. Country offices often lack clearly defined accountability frameworks and related tools that would enable them to systematically assess performance and ensure their response meets sector-accepted quality standards.".
The ECB Project has engaged with this theme through the development of reports, tools and inter-agency activities. Some of these include the Good Enough Guide, Joint Evaluations and Joint Needs Assessments. The Project also works with partners in Quality and Accountability Initiatives including ALNAP
, Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International
, People in Aid and the Sphere Project
. The Department for International Development
is funding a new specialist Good Enough Guide to Impact Measurement, which will be most useful for rapid-onset natural disasters. This guide is being developed in partnership with the University of East Anglia
..
In addition, the ECB Project published recent findings on addressing the challenges of staff retention with a case study of the Horn of Africa
in partnership with People in Aid.
(DRR) as "the process by which disaster risks and vulnerabilities are identified, analyzed, and minimized to avoid or limit the adverse impacts of hazards". UNISDR(2007) defines DRR as "the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events". DRR encompasses early warning and prevention systems, disaster preparedness, and disaster risk management, and can take the form of disaster risk tracking systems and training of nationals in disaster preparedness. The ECB Project consortia have developed programs designed to raise awareness of disaster risk reduction as well as improve capacity in DRR at the local level. A Practitioners' Guide to Disaster Risk Reduction
is currently being developed by a specialist committee within the ECB Project.
, Sphere Project
, Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies
, Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International
, People in Aid, Humanitarian Practice Network and the Inter-Agency Working Group.
The Project partners have collborated to publish papers with the Humanitarian Practice Network, which include "Getting better results from partnership working", and "NGO–government partnerships for disaster preparedness in Bangladesh".
Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the U.S. bishops, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 90 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and...
, Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a global aid agency engaged in transitional environments that have experienced some sort of shock: natural disaster, economic collapse, or conflict. People working for it move as quickly as possible from bringing in food and supplies to enabling people to rebuild their economy with...
, Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
, Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
and World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
), and implements programs in one region and five countries known as consortia (Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
).
Background
The ECB Project concept came about through a series of meetings which began in 2003-2004 between members of the Inter-Agency Working Group (IWG), . This group of NGOs includes the six ECB partners and the International Rescue CommitteeInternational Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee is a leading nonsectarian, nongovernmental international relief and development organization based in the United States, with operations in over 40 countries...
(IRC) who together shared challenges of working in the humanitarian sector, and identified key capacity needs for their humanitarian response staff. These discussions led to the definition of the core themes of the project in Phase II: accountability
Accountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
and impact measurement, disaster risk reduction
Disaster risk reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster. It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them: here it has been strongly influenced by the...
and staff capacity. The results of these findings were shared in a report entitled Report on Emergency Capacity, published in 2004. The project's core funding began with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
, and has since expanded to include support from the Department for International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
(DfID / UKAID) and the ECHO (European Commission)
ECHO (European Commission)
The Humanitarian Aid department of the European Commission , formerly known as the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office, is the European Commission's department for overseas humanitarian aid...
.
Phase II (2008-2013)
Phase II of the ECB Project includes multiple objectives and program activities which are developed by team within the five field consortia, including technical advisors from each program theme (accountabilityAccountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
and impact measurement, disaster risk reduction
Disaster risk reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster. It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them: here it has been strongly influenced by the...
and staff capacity) and global level technical specialists from within the ECB partnering NGOs. Each consortium is led by a different ECB organization, working closely with ECB agencies and other NGOs, INGOs and partners from across the humanitarian sector.Each program activity has a variety of core outputs and learning materials that are shared and made freely available across the wider humanitarian community. New project activities are developing with plans for a new Practitioner's Guide to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and a new Guide to Impact Measurement expected in 2012. The website has more information about new activities planned for between 2011-2013.
The ECB Project Consortia
The major themes of the project are integrated into the work of the five ECB Project Consortia (BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
). These five consortia are made up of the ECB partnering agencies at the global level together with additional partners in each country. The consortia develop their own program activities using ECB tools and approaches to improve upon their capacity to respond to disasters and develop their knowledge and skills around disaster risk reduction
Disaster risk reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster. It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them: here it has been strongly influenced by the...
, accountability
Accountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
and impact measurement. Recent collaboration has led to joint emergency programming for Needs Assessments in Bolivia and Indonesia, and the development of disaster engagement protocols in Indonesia and expected soon in Bangladesh.
Good Enough Guide
The Good Enough Guide is a publication that is one of the results of the collboration between partners in the ECB Project. It is a guide focused on accountability to beneficiaries, and provides guidelines and practical tools on how to ensure that beneficiaries are involved in every step of the process in a humanitarian emergency: "In The Good Enough Guide, accountability means making sure that the women, men, and children affected by an emergency are involved in planning, implementing, and judging our response to their emergency too. This helps ensure that a project will have the impact they want to see." The Good Enough Guide is accompanied by communications materials such as posters, leaflets and films, and is available in eight languages.Building Trust in Diverse Teams
A facilitation handbook designed to build trust in situations where diverse teams are coming together for humanitarian emergencies. The Building Trust handbook includes exercises on measuring trust between team members (a Trust Index),and supports emergency teams in building staff capacity during emergencies.Joint Needs Assessments (JNAs)
Needs assessments are conducted in order to determine the needs of beneficiaries in the first 72 hours following a disaster. Multi-agency, or joint needs assesssments are increasingly perceived as being more beneficial than single-agency assessments as they provide better opportunities for improved coordination, and prioritization of assistance both in terms of resources and geographically The ECB Project developed the joint needs assessment template and tools so that agencies could begin to coordinate their disaster response programs, and co-develop operating proceedures, common standards and a common platform for assessment data capture. in ECB countries. .Joint Evaluations
Several joint evaluations have been undertaken by ECB NGO agencies, following natural disasters such as the Haiti earthquake of 2010 and the Yogyakarta earthquake in IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. A guide entitled What We Know About Joint Evaluations of Humanitarian Action: Learning from NGO Experiences to assists humanitarian organizations with practical guidelines on how to effectively conduct a joint evaluation.
Simulations
Simulations exercises in the humanitarian sector are meant to prepare humanitarian staff for emergencies, such as quick onset disasters. Simulation participants engage with disaster scenarios such as floods or landslides, with the expectation that participants will be able to practice and reflect upon their response strategies and therefore be better equipped to deal with future disasters. In Phase II of the ECB Project, there have been multi-agency simulations in NigerNiger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
in partnership with many different stakeholders, including UNICEF and local NGOs.
Simulations Administrators Guide
The Simulations Administrators Guide is designed for trainers and facilitators in the humanitarian sector to prepare for and implement a single or multi-agency Simulation exercises. The Simulations tools which accompany the guide are designed to support the detailed planning and preparation required for a simulation and consists of materials including a detailed timeline form, evaluation forms, situation report templates, and role-playing materials.Accountability and Impact Measurement
AccountabilityAccountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
and Impact Measurement for the ECB Project team is focussed on the ways in which NGOs provide information to beneficiaries in times of crisis, and how agencies can measure the effectiveness of the assistance they provide. "Evaluations of emergency response frequently highlight insufficient accountability, especially to the people affected by emergencies, such as failure to provide communities with even the simplest information on what programs are there, and why. Country offices often lack clearly defined accountability frameworks and related tools that would enable them to systematically assess performance and ensure their response meets sector-accepted quality standards.".
The ECB Project has engaged with this theme through the development of reports, tools and inter-agency activities. Some of these include the Good Enough Guide, Joint Evaluations and Joint Needs Assessments. The Project also works with partners in Quality and Accountability Initiatives including ALNAP
ALNAP
ALNAP is a sector-wide network in the international humanitarian system made up of key international humanitarian organisations and experts...
, Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International
Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International
Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International is the humanitarian sector's first international self-regulatory body, working towards the promotion of "Humanitarian Accountability"...
, People in Aid and the Sphere Project
Sphere Project
The Sphere Project was launched in 1997 to develop a set of minimum standards in core areas of humanitarian assistance. The aim of the project is to improve the quality of assistance provided to people affected by disasters, and to enhance the accountability of the humanitarian system in disaster...
. The Department for International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
is funding a new specialist Good Enough Guide to Impact Measurement, which will be most useful for rapid-onset natural disasters. This guide is being developed in partnership with the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
..
Staff Capacity
The Staff Capacity theme of the Project encompasses several sub-themes, all of which are aimed at increasing staff capacity to respond to humanitarian emergencies and engage in disaster preparedness at the national level. The ECB Project is working with the Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies (CBHA) to support the implementation of their Humanitarian Staff Development Project and two core programs designed to build staff capacity at the national level: the Humanitarian Management & Leadership Skills Development Programme, and the Humanitarian Core Skills Development Programme .In addition, the ECB Project published recent findings on addressing the challenges of staff retention with a case study of the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
in partnership with People in Aid.
Disaster Risk Reduction
The ECB Project website describes disaster risk reductionDisaster risk reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster. It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them: here it has been strongly influenced by the...
(DRR) as "the process by which disaster risks and vulnerabilities are identified, analyzed, and minimized to avoid or limit the adverse impacts of hazards". UNISDR(2007) defines DRR as "the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events". DRR encompasses early warning and prevention systems, disaster preparedness, and disaster risk management, and can take the form of disaster risk tracking systems and training of nationals in disaster preparedness. The ECB Project consortia have developed programs designed to raise awareness of disaster risk reduction as well as improve capacity in DRR at the local level. A Practitioners' Guide to Disaster Risk Reduction
Disaster risk reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster. It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them: here it has been strongly influenced by the...
is currently being developed by a specialist committee within the ECB Project.
Partnerships and Networks
The ECB Project works with several partners and networks in the sector, sharing learning, and drawing on the work of various organizations. Some of these partners include ALNAPALNAP
ALNAP is a sector-wide network in the international humanitarian system made up of key international humanitarian organisations and experts...
, Sphere Project
Sphere Project
The Sphere Project was launched in 1997 to develop a set of minimum standards in core areas of humanitarian assistance. The aim of the project is to improve the quality of assistance provided to people affected by disasters, and to enhance the accountability of the humanitarian system in disaster...
, Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies
Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies
The Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies consists of 15 UK based NGOs - ActionAid, Action Against Hunger, CARE International UK, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, Helpage International, International Rescue Committee, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Merlin, Oxfam GB, Plan International...
, Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International
Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International
Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International is the humanitarian sector's first international self-regulatory body, working towards the promotion of "Humanitarian Accountability"...
, People in Aid, Humanitarian Practice Network and the Inter-Agency Working Group.
The Project partners have collborated to publish papers with the Humanitarian Practice Network, which include "Getting better results from partnership working", and "NGO–government partnerships for disaster preparedness in Bangladesh".