Practitioner Guidelines for Capacity Building for Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia

Disability inclusive disaster risk reduction (DiDRR) is increasingly recognised as an important component of community resilience in the event of a natural disaster as documented in the recent outcome of the 3rd World Conference, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Central to disability inclusive disaster risk reduction is people with disabilities themselves and their capacities to participate in, and contribute to disaster risk reduction policies, practices and programs.

These Practitioner Guidelines provide orientation to the Work Packages undertaken to build the capacity of people with disabilities in disaster risk reduction in Indonesia as part of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australian Development and Research Awards Scheme funded project, 2013-2015, Promoting the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Disaster Management in Indonesia. These Work Packages formed one component of the project with knowledge transfer and capacity building supplemented by other methods within the project, including coaching and sponsoring participation of select trainees at key post-2015 DRR policy events.

The structured Capacity Building component, as described herein, involved 5 work packages each with a different thematic focus.  Each work package involved presentations, workshops and skills building for DPO representatives, with pre and post tests and opportunities for workshop evaluation. DPO representatives were encouraged and supported to extend their learning in their own communities and DPOs outside of the formal capacity building activities.

Although the process of capacity building was mainly targeted for disabled people’s organisations, the process involved participation of village volunteers (cadres) and DRR-related government officials. It is important to build working linkages between DPOs with government and the community to enable implementation of DiDRR at the community level within a whole-of-community approach.