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Report on Emergency Capacity

Countries
World
Sources
ECB
Publication date

The Interagency Working Group on Emergency Capacity (IWG) is a consortium of seven NGOs undertaking a collaborative capacity-building effort. Its members - CARE USA, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Mercy Corps, Oxfam GB, Save the Children US (SC-US), and World Vision International (WVI) - are
leading relief and development organizations that, combined, program $3 billion annually in over 100 countries around the world. In early 2004, the IWG hired a consultant to conduct a detailed analysis of their member organizations' emergency capacity. This report presents the results of the review and of subsequent consultations regarding funding initiatives in support of emergency capacity.

The review found that over the past five years, IWG members have made significant progress in building their emergency capacity, most notably in rapid funding, rapid response systems, adoption of Sphere and other standards, analyses of required competencies, staff safety and security, and organizational commitment. Major capacity gaps remain, inhibiting both the speed and effectiveness of humanitarian action.

The report identifies those areas most critical to future humanitarian performance and most likely to benefit from collective action, and proposes four major initiatives: Increasing the Pool of Humanitarian Workers, Accountability and Impact Measurement, Improving NGO Models for Building Local Capacity, Improving Information and Communications Technology.