Report on Emergency Capacity
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.