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Description
End of 2020, devastating earthquakes affected Sisak-Moslavina County (SMC) causing damages to the extend that a nationatal state of emergency was proclaimed. The NGO and local community lack adequate capacity and tools to ensure a needs-based humanitarian response and enable readiness for an early response. Digitization would allow for a more effective humanitarian response and efficient allocation of resources. Public and donor interest have been declining, and the SMC falls risk of becoming a protracted forgotten crisis. There is a unique window of opportunity with Government and civil society working closely together in the context of the Humanitarian Coordination Forum SMC,and to take advantage of the current momentum. The goal is to develop a unified, digitized needs assessment tool and procedures based on best practice and lessons learnt in the earthquake in SMC. A needs-based approach will contribute to rapid response and targeting of vulnerable populations. The final beneficiaries of the project are affected populations in the deprived, earthquake affected area of SMC. Expected results of the projects are the following:
- Rapid response to needs of vulnerable populations affected by crisis due to a faster, coordinated humanitarian action
- Strengthend evidence-based decision-making allowing efficient allocation of resources and rapid identification of needs of vulnerable populations.
The project partner, the Croatian Red Cross (CRC), and the project applicant, ADRA Croatia, complement each other in terms of knowledge and value added. ADRA Croatia positioned itself as an experienced NGO in information management, while the CRC spearheads the Humanitarian Coordination Forum SMC, which enables collective humanitarian action, and has the potential to replicate project results to other regions of Croatia. ADRA Norway is the partner for sharing lessons learnt across countries.
Summary of project results
The devastating earthquakes that hit SMŽ on December 28 and 29, 2020, caused additional unexpected damage to the extent that the Government of the Republic of Croatia declared a disaster caused by the earthquake on January 4, 2021. After the earthquake, civil society organizations were additionally engaged in helping the local population, while organizations that were registered in the earthquake-affected areas themselves suffered significant damage and their work was hampered or completely impossible when it comes to the preparation and implementation of projects. CSOs in the local community lack adequate capacities to ensure a humanitarian response based on needs and enable preparedness for possible future earthquakes in accordance with international, EU and national standards. Furthermore, digitization and the responsible use of technology are largely lacking in the field. Adequate use of technology would make humanitarian response significantly more efficient, responsive and cost-effective. This project aims to contribute to all three effects of the ACF program, specifically in the area of "Supported building of networks and coalitions", "Support for good governance", and "Support for vulnerable groups and their empowerment".
The urgency of the initiative is manifested through two things. First, there is currently momentum and political will to develop a needs assessment tool for the benefit of the entire humanitarian community, but it is diminishing over time. Second, with the coming winter and the slow reconstruction process, the humanitarian needs of the population are increasing.
The following activities were carried out:
-digitized needs assessment questionnaires were created for each crisis situation, Strictly defined processes in the event of a new crisis situation for members of the Humanitarian Coordination of SMŽ and HCK
- Held consultations with local/state/international entities.
- Inter-organizational conference on the newly created digitized and standardized inter-organizational tool for assessing needs. This conference gathers all organizations, state bodies and CSOs, which are normally involved in the response to crisis situations, regardless of their direct involvement in the response to the Earthquake 2020/21.
- Press release on that topic.
- Exchange of international experience through an online conference with ADRA Norway, which will share its experiences and practices in crisis preparedness.
1. creation of a universal questionnaire for assessing needs during crisis situations that corresponds to the local context. The local context indicator was achieved by including all members in the creation of the questionnaire. Created video instructions for easy navigation in the digital collection of needs.
2. Prepositioning of referrals in order to address the needs of vulnerable groups immediately after the crisis.
2. Achieved contribution to the idea of unity of work during and after crisis situations at local CSOs.
3. Established direct cooperation with local Civil Headquarters in the preparation of questionnaires.
4. The created questionnaire became a benchmark for use in post-crisis situations or as a resource from which extremely specific questionnaires are created for a specific assessment of needs.
In the creation of the questionnaire, there were 13 entities, of which; 2 civil protection headquarters and 11 civil society organizations that actively contributed to the process of creating the questionnaire. With their contribution, the questionnaire received a contextualized local perspective of the dynamics that are encountered in the field and are thus reflected in the questionnaire.
The effect of this is the strengthened relevance of the questionnaire itself, which continues to meet the international standards of questionnaires for gathering needs during crises.
Also, organizations that are more focused on certain vulnerable groups have made a contribution that will result in better quality data and opportunities to address the needs of vulnerable groups.
Finally, 16 organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding in which they agree to use a unified needs assessment questionnaire during and after crisis situations.
Summary of bilateral results
The project partner, the Croatian Red Cross (CRC), and the project applicant, ADRA Croatia, complement each other in terms of knowledge and value added. ADRA Croatia positioned itself as an experienced NGO in information management, while the CRC spearheads the Humanitarian Coordination Forum SMC, which enables collective humanitarian action, and has the potential to replicate project results to other regions of Croatia. ADRA Norway is the partner for sharing lessons learnt across countries.