RESULTSof UNISDR-Asia Pacific

Stakeholders Knowledge Demand Assessment

From the TOR

Terms of Reference (September 22, 2009) of this project:

“KM is one of the mandates of UNISDR in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction. In the last internal evaluation it was identified that, rather than having a supply-driven knowledge management (KM) the office should focus on a demand-driven KM and so a demand study of knowledge in DRR among stakeholders was envisaged as priority, focusing on the Hyogo Framework of Action.”

Methodology

• Face-to-face interviews of stakeholders (government, NGO/CSO, UN agencies, donor institutions) in 4 selected countries: India, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, donor and INGO partners in Bangkok

• Telephone interviews: UNISDR headquarters, donor institutions (Canada and Australia), partners in Iran and ASEAN Secretariat

• Emailed survey: Form A (generic) and Form B (=prototype HFA scorecard, applied to governments)

• Study of documents and websites

Results

Findings and Recommendations

• Differences in understanding of scope of DRR Mind map

• A standard vocabulary exists must be upgraded to a DRR knowledge taxonomy which is the common basis for:– Organization of information: expertise and institutional

directories, metadata and tags for documents/files, best or exemplary practices and other knowledge objects

– Search keywords

– Interest profile of subscribers to any email alert systems

• Knowledge products/services for “mainstreaming DRR” (horizontal and vertical capacity building): a huge task

• DRR/CCA websites are mostly “knowledge push”: install a DRR/CCA Help Desk

First-Pass DRR-CCA Mind Map

Findings (continued)

• Differences in understanding of scope of DRR Mind map

• A standard vocabulary exists must be upgraded to a DRR knowledge taxonomy which is the common basis for:– Organization of information: expertise and institutional

directories, metadata and tags for documents/files, best or exemplary practices and other knowledge objects

– Search keywords

– Interest profile of subscribers to any emailed alert systems

• Knowledge products/services for “mainstreaming DRR” (horizontal and vertical capacity building): a huge task

• DRR/CCA websites are mostly “knowledge push”: install a DRR/CCA Help Desk

Findings and Recommendations (continued)

• Differences in understanding of scope of DRR Mind map

• A standard vocabulary exists must be upgraded to a DRR knowledge taxonomy which is the common basis for:– Organization of information: expertise and institutional

directories, metadata and tags for documents/files, best or exemplary practices and other knowledge objects

– Search keywords

– Interest profile of subscribers to any email alert systems

• Knowledge products/services for “mainstreaming DRR” (horizontal and vertical capacity building): a huge task

• DRR/CCA websites are mostly “knowledge push”: install a DRR/CCA Help Desk

Knowledge Products for Capacity Development

• adaptation of tools to local context• translation to local dialects• capacity development of local communities, local civil societies and local governments• use of indigenous knowledge

Good/Exemplary PracticesVietnam

• Organization of provincial, district and commune level DM committees under the Central Committee on Flood and Storm Control chaired by the Prime Minister

• DRR education integrated in grade school system• Government policy and program to support

community-based DRM, currently targeting 6,000 communes

• Three-way agreement in civil-military cooperation between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

• Cost-effective retrofitting for flood and typhoon-resilient houses

• Cultural activities to communicate DRR• Compilation of lessons learned in CBDRM

Good/Exemplary PracticesIndonesia

• Civil society-led Indonesian National Platform for DRR

• School-based disaster preparedness developed by UNESCO and LIPI

• Climate Change Trust Fund, which has two sub-funds: an Innovation Fund and a Transformation Fund

• University Forum on DRR, linking 27 schools and universities

• “Build Back Better” initiative for DRR-oriented reconstruction of houses

• DRR education for school teachers and students

Good/Exemplary PracticesIndia

• DR Audit, a self-certification procedure by every Ministry applied before a proposed project is approved by the Ministry of Finance for public funding

• Community Disaster Resilience Fund whereby civil society organizations collectively manage a fund that local communities can access

• e-Learning programs in DRM

• Compilation of good practices in incorporating gender dimensions in DRM programs

• Ancient engineering designs to harvest water

• Traditional earthquake-resilient structures in Kashmir

• Training of imams in disaster management

• Community-based participation and endowment fund to maintain natural water bodies which moderate against floods

• Pre-positioning of life-saving resources at the community level

• “Mobile university” to raise DRR awareness

Good/Exemplary PracticesPhilippines

• Movie to promote DRR• Participatory community-based disaster mapping

reconciling and integrating scientific knowledge with indigenous or local knowledge

• Two legislations: on CCA in 2009 and on DRRM in 2010• e-Learning courses in DRR/DRM (with Word Bank

Institute)• DM Award: “Kalasag”• Training program to mainstream DRR in local

development planning; training course to integrate gender in community-based DRM.

• Hazard-resistant building practices• Manual on local flood early warning system

Good/Exemplary PracticesSri Lanka

• Participatory (including children) rainfall monitoring and early warning system for floods and landslide

• Drought and saline-resistant crop varieties and practices

• Integrating DRR in village development planning

• Disaster inventory database

Knowledge Networks in DRR/CCA

Problems and Issues:

• Many are donor driven

• Must be problem-driven to be useful to members, e.g. Solutions Exchange in India

• Internet access and language problems in many local communities

• Numerous DRR/ CCA networks in Asia

• Mechanisms for knowledge sharing

• Facilitated by ICT including Internet

Findings and Recommendations (continued)

• Differences in understanding of scope of DRR Mind map

• A standard vocabulary exists must be upgraded to a DRR knowledge taxonomy which is the common basis for:– Organization of information: expertise and institutional

directories, metadata and tags for documents/files, best or exemplary practices and other knowledge objects

– Search keywords

– Interest profile of subscribers to any email alert systems

• Knowledge products/services for “mainstreaming DRR” (horizontal and vertical capacity building): a huge task

• DRR/CCA websites are mostly “knowledge push”: install a DRR/CCA Help Desk

“Knowledge Push” by most DRR/CCA websites

Help Desk

Proposed HFA Scorecard:a Tool for Anticipating Knowledge Demands

KM in Development Organizations

Knowledge demand

assessment

Basic Idea

“Yes” or “No” Data

1. Any program/project started or done?2. Studies or researches undertaken?3. Any formal system/process adopted?4. Included in existing or new training?5. Annual budget allocated by government?6. Engaged a network of stakeholders?7. Legal/policy instrument enacted?8. Gender considerations included?9. Regulations or standards established?10.Institutional responsibilities set or

agreed?

Unit of HFA Action Unit of KM

Considerations Taken

• Only one important actor was selected: the national government.

• Government actions that enable other actors are monitored, instead of monitoring actions by numerous or undermined actors.

• Government actions towards desired social outcomes are monitored, instead of the social outcomes themselves.

• Operational or behavioral indicators are used.• Distinct knowledge-and-action categories are used.• As much as possible, indicators in current use by

UNISDR is preserved.

Advantages

• Based on HFA categories• Complements existing HFA monitoring system• Easy to implement• Country specific• Enables anticipation of next DRR knowledge

needs in any country• Provides a basis for organizing and delivering

various types of DRR knowledge: expertise directory, best practices, institutional directory, document management, etc.

Thank you for your attention