Philippines: Measuring Community Resilience: Participatory Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning in Disaster Risk Reduction

The topic of community resilience has become more prominent in the recent years and is discussed together with themes such as climate change, social protection, sustainable development, macro-economic development and humanitarian response to emergencies. This is not without basis as in the past decades, the world has seen the impacts of disasters to community development. Disasters happen when a community with very low capacity cannot cope on their own when a hazard strikes.
In 2012 alone, there were 357 recorded disasters that killed about 9,000 people and affected 124 million people. These disasters have cost the world US$ 157 billion of economic losses. This shows that disasters can automatically undo years of development efforts.

Enter climate change altering the face of disaster risk, not only through increased weather related risks and sea-level and temperature rises, but also through increases in societal vulnerabilities such as stresses on water availability, agriculture and ecosystems. Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation share a common space of concern: reducing the vulnerability of communities and building resilience brought about by increasing uncertainties and risks.

The most important question for those who acknowledge the importance of building community resilience is how to measure it. How do we know that we are on the right track towards community resilience? Measuring resilience and understanding the effectiveness of programs is a subject of several discussions in many development organizations. Based on literature, community resilience can be measured as an outcome, an end state that has to result from a set of interventions. The literature also point to measuring resilience as a process of how communities develop towards their own resilience.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants shall have:

• Identified the building blocks of community resilience; • Discussed the approaches towards building community resilience; • Compared a range of frameworks for measuring resilience; • Develop a framework that suit their project/program; • Used participatory tools that complements their measuring resilience framework; and • Identified specific action for applying learnings in their specific work context.

Who should attend

• Middle-level Managers • Field Workers • Facilitators • Trainers

Methodologies

The course uses a participatory training approach. Short lectures are complemented by group exercises, case study analysis, plenary discussions and field visits to communities. The trainers are experienced IIRR professionals.

Contents

Module 1: Resilience Building: Concepts, Principles and Practices

This module will tackle the concept of community resilience and the major approaches to facilitate resilience building. Participants will be introduced to a whole range of framework that brings together community development work, disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation and mitigation as important elements for building community resilience. Participants will share their current work and how these contribute to resilience building.

Module 2: Designing Community Resilience Measurements Framework

This module will look into designing community resilience measurement frameworks.The measurement framework includes identifying the outcomes to be measured using a set of indicators and how these can be measured. The participants will critically look into various community resilience measurement frameworks available. They will design community resilience measurement frameworks that fit their programs/projects. These will carefully consider. participatory approaches and facilitating learning into the overall design process.

Module 3: Participatory Tools in Measuring Community Resilience

The participants will be introduced to using various tools in Participatory Learning and Action as a methodology for facilitating a participatory approach to measuring community resilience. This module will also bring the participants to an actual on-going community resilience program to do field practical exercises. Participants will use select tools to measure some of the indicators of the program/project of IIRR.

Module 4: Action Planning

Participants will develop an action plan for implementation which are based on the realities of the communities and implemented in line with organizational, program or project thrusts.

Course fee and related training fee

The training fee of 1,800USD covers: • course fee • meals and coffee breaks • double occupancy accommodation • course-related materials • field and agency visits, and • airport transfers.

Single room occupancy is available upon request and at extra cost. Fees do not include international airfare, laundry and incidental expenses. Applicants are encouraged to secure financial support from their organizations or donor agencies. IIRR reserves the right to cancel the course one month before the course starts if the required quorum is not met. This will be conveyed immediately to the applicants. Course fees will be refunded in full.The training fees cover meals and coffee breaks, double occupancy accommodation, course-related materials, field and agency visits, and airport transfers. Fees do not include international airfare, laundry and incidental expenses. Applicants are encouraged to secure financial support from their organizations or donor agencies.

When and where

The 10-day course will be held at IIRR’s Y.C. James Yen Center in Cavite, Philippines. Course participants are expected to arrive one day before the start of the course. IIRR offers an ideal environment for learning and reflection. Courses are held in our 50-hectare campus in Silang, Cavite, about an hour’s drive from Manila. Facilities include air-conditioned training rooms, open-air centers for outdoor sessions, a dining hall, and participants’ hostel and dormitories. We also have recreational facilities and nature trails.

Course Highlights

• Highly participatory methods (simulation exercises, focus group discussions, workshops, role play, video showing, case stories, games, fi eld practicum, etc.) • Participants are active key resource persons, facilitators and learners • Field practicum that allows participants to practice participatory tools in measuring community resilience in an on-going resilience building program of IIRR • On-site visits to IIRR’s demonstration garden and farm featuring climate-smart agriculture as a strategy for building resilience in livelihoods, food security and nutrition • Action planning

For details, email:

Dulce Dominguez

Dulce.dominguez@iirr.org

For more information and to receive an application form, contact:

Dulce Dominguez
Email: dulce.dominguez@iirr.org