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ACTED Strategic Program Framework 2014 - 2016 P a g e | 0

Act for change I Invest in potential


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Foreword – From the Office of the General Delegate/CEO 3 1. About ACTED 4

2. Humanitarian and Development Cooperation in a Rapidly Changing World: Megatrends 7 Megatrend 1: Demographic Change and Urbanization 8 Megatrend 2: Resource Scarcity and Climate Change 8 Megatrend 3: Decline in Poverty but Rising Inequality 9 Megatrend 4: Diffusion of Power and New Political Dynamics 10 Megatrend 5: Increased Conflict and Fragile States 10 Megatrend 6: Technological Advancements 11 3. The Post-2015 Development Agenda 12

4. ACTED’s 2014 – 2016 Strategic Program Framework 15 Program Pillar 1. Responding to Emergencies and Building Disaster Resilience 17 Core Area 1.1. Mitigation and Prevention 18 Core Area 1.2. Preparedness 19 Core Area 1.3. Emergency Response 20 Core Area 1.4. Rehabilitation and Recovery 21 Program Pillar 2. Co-Constructing Effective Governance 22 Core Area 2.1. Pluralistic and Empowered Civil Society 23 Core Area 2.2. Effective Public Institutions 24 Core Area 2.3. Social Cohesion 25 Program Pillar 3. Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Growth 26 Core Area 3.1. Climate-Smart Agriculture 27 Core Area 3.2. Employment, Income and Financial Inclusion 28

Table of Contents


In the past decade, we have seen significant progress on some key development indicators. The number of extremely poor people in the world has halved. The proportion of underweight children has significantly decreased. Far more people have access to clean water which has also greatly improved health. However, the world is changing rapidly and tough new challenges and obstacles have emerged: the growing gap between rich and poor, urbanization, climate change, resource scarcity, shifting global power dynamics and threats from instability, fragility and conflict. These challenges will shape the lives of current and future generations on this planet. For ACTED to play the most effective role possible to contribute to addressing these challenges and meeting the changing needs of poor, vulnerable and marginalized populations, we also need to change. We need to build on our experience and capacities and evolve rapidly. On behalf of ACTED, it is my great pleasure to share with you our Strategic Program Framework 2014-2016. This program framework constitutes a road map for ACTED’s worldwide activities in the coming three years. In our 2014-2016 strategic plan, we will focus on three strategic priorities: 1. Responding to Emergencies and Building Disaster Resilience; 2. Co-Constructing Effective Governance; and 3. Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Growth.

This is the first global strategic plan since ACTED was founded in 1994 and draws on our technical expertise and organizational strength we have developed over the last 20 years. It brings our country programs together in one single and coherent strategy – speaking with one voice; and positions our global brand identity as an international non-governmental organization. It strengthens our effectiveness and relevance as a global civil society organization that addresses the challenges of the 21st century. Finally, it holds us accountable and tracks our progress against our strategic priorities. A set of 16 simple and aggregable indicators measures the impact our activities have on the populations we serve across all our countries of intervention.

It is through the generous support of our international donor partners as well as the dedicated efforts of our committed staff that ACTED is able to deliver the services that it does and plans to do over the coming years. I am confident that our new program strategy will make giant strides towards achieving ACTED’s vision that every human being has the right to live in dignity with ACTED chosing to act for immediate change in the lives of those in urgent need and co-creating possibilities and sustainable change by investing in people’s potential.

Marie-Pierre CALEY General Delegate/CEO ACTED

Foreword


Section 1.

About ACTED


Background Founded in 1994, ACTED is a non-governmental organization with headquarters in Paris, France. Independent, private and not-for-profit, ACTED respects a strict neutrality and impartiality in its decisions, and operates according to non-discrimination and transparency principles. With a budget of 140 million EUR in 2013, ACTED is active in 34 countries and implements more than 380 projects a year reaching over 18 million beneficiaries with 160 international staff and more than 3,500 national staff.

Our Mission ACTED’s mission is to save lives and support people in meeting their needs. ACTED develops and implements programs that target the most vulnerable amongst populations that have suffered from conflict, natural disaster, or socio-economic hardship. ACTED’s approach looks beyond the immediate emergency towards opportunities for longer term livelihoods reconstruction and sustainable development.

Our Tagline Act for Change I Invest in Potential

Our Vision and Core Values

An International Network to Influence ACTED’s representative and regional offices in Paris, Geneva, Washington DC, Dakar, Nairobi, Amman, Delhi, Bangkok and Melbourne are transmitting our field operations and experiences to international humanitarian institutions and our donors. Through these offices, we also monitor progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and participate in dialogue and consultations on key humanitarian and development initiatives, such as the post-2015 development agenda.


Section 2.

Humanitarian and Development Cooperation

in a Rapidly Changing World: Megatrends


The context of ACTED’s work to support vulnerable populations to live in dignity and develop their

potentials changes constantly. International humanitarian and development cooperation is currently

impacted by a number of social, economic and ecologic global megatrends that will shape the world in the

coming years. ACTED needs to understand these megatrends and react with agility and effectiveness to

maximize its impact on vulnerable populations. Therefore, ACTED’s Strategic Program Framework 2014 –

2016 has been developed based on a careful analysis of key megatrends that define the global context.

Megatrend 1: Demographic Change and Urbanization

The main trend for the next 20 years

are a growing and aging population that

moves into the cities. By 2030, the

world population is expected to grow

by 20% to 8.3 billion people. The focus

of population growth will be on

developing countries. Their populations

will grow seven times faster than that

of developed countries, reaching 7

billion people by 2030. At the same

time, rising life expectancy is set to

drive an ongoing increase in the

proportion of over-60s from 10% of the

global world population in 2010 to 20% in 2030. This ageing population will mainly live in the developed

countries. Additionally, rapid urbanization seen in recent decades will continue. Accelerated by

agricultural mechanization, urban/rural inequality and climate change, the proportion of people living in

cities will surge to 59% by 2030, up from 43% in 1990. Urban population will grow fastest in regions where

population growth is highest and the proportion of city dwellers is currently relatively low. This will be

predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The social and economic implications of these trends are

severe: Expanding city populations, especially in developing countries, will demand rising investment in

urban infrastructure and social services, putting further strains on vital resources. One billion new job-

seekers are expected to enter the global labour market over the next seven years, mainly in urban centres,

making the problem of access to employment even more acute. Not only must they have the right skill set

to be employable, but the local economy must also be able to absorb them from the labour market. On

the other hand, with 360 million older workers set to leave the global workforce by 2050, the burden of

supporting the ever-expanding ranks of retirees will put the working population under increasing strain in

some countries.

Megatrend 2: Resource Scarcity and Climate Change

The growing world population will lead to an increase in consumption

of energy, water, food and other resources. The global demand for

energy will increase by as much as 45% by 2030. The total annual water

demand will increase by 40%. The share of the developing world’s

global energy and water consumption will increase to 65% and 75%

respectively, with rapid urbanization playing a key factor. At the same

time, 50% of the world’s population will be living in areas of high water

stress. The rising population will also demand 35% more food by 2030.

Yet, 842 million people or one in eight people in the world suffer

already chronic hunger. The vast majority of hungry people – 827

million of them – live in developing regions, where the prevalence of

undernourishment is now estimated at over 14%. Higher energy

By 2030, the world will need…

Population growth and urbanization by 2030


Inequality in the world as measured by the Gini index

consumption will lead to 16% rise in world carbon emissions between now and 2030 with developing

countries increasing their emissions by 38% to a global share of 68%. Changes in land use to increase

agricultural production to feed ever more people will put eco-systems at risk and biodiversity in both

developing and developed countries will be further reduced. As a result, global temperatures will rise by

between 0.5°C and 1.5°C. This is on top of a 0.5°C rise already seen over the past 20 years. Climate change

will lead to increases in extreme weather, rising sea levels and intensifying water shortages. Already

today, disasters linked to weather such as destructive sudden rains, intense tropical storms, repeated

flooding and droughts account for

almost 75% of all disaster events

recorded between 2000 and 2012 up

from around 50% two decades ago.

More frequent and severe extreme

weather, combined with ever growing

numbers of people and assets in exposed

coastal areas and floodplains, will lead to

massive economic losses. This is

particularly so in Asia, where 125 million

people are expected to be exposed to

cyclones by 2030, double the number of

1990. Climate change will exacerbate

rural to urban migration.

Megatrend 3: Decline in Poverty but Rising Inequality

The world has witnessed strong and steady economic growth of an average 3.5% during the last two

decades. Many developing countries have shown even more impressive GDP growth rates averaging

between 5% - 7%. This has propelled a large number of people out of poverty with corresponding

improvements in education, life expectancy, and access to public services. The share of the world

population living below 1.25 US$ a day was cut in half, fulfilling the most important MDGs five years ahead

of schedule. Despite this remarkable achievement, about 17.7% of the world’s population (1.25 billion

people) still live in extreme poverty. Sub-Saharan Africa still accounts for more than one-third of the

world’s extreme poor and it has been the only region in the world for which the number of poor

indiciduals has risen. Nonnethless, if the same rate of global GDP growth is sustained, extreme poverty will

be almost eliminated by 2030. While global poverty rates have and will continue to fall sharply, the global

distribution of income has become much more unequal. High-income countries have average incomes

that are up to 70 times

higher than those of low-

income countries. 42% of

total world income goes to

16 countries which make

up the richest 10% of the

world’s population, while

just 1% of total world

income goes to those

countries that make up the

poorest 10% of the world’s

population. While the

average country per capita

incomes have generally

Climate-related disasters are on the rise (© Reuters/Erik de Castro)


Climate change and resource scarcity – a multiplier for instability

increased, citizens are moving further away from earning the average per capita income as within country

inequality is increasing. 71% per cent of the world’s people live in countries where income inequality has

been increasing. In a paradox development, this means that 70% of the world’s poor are now living in

middle income countries. Increasing inequality contributes to rural to urban migration and thus

urbanization. It increases political instability and at worst provokes violence leaving states fragile.

Inequality is a major driver of environmental degradation, concentrating natural resources in the hand of a

powerful actors with few incentives to conserve, while leaving the poor with inadequate resources on

which to survive.

Megatrend 4: Diffusion of Power and new Political Dynamics

Over the past few years, the global balance of economic and political power has been shifting from developed to developing countries. From an economic perspective, emerging economies are expected to generate growth of 6.7% per annum and a 73% share of world exports by 2030. This economic rebalancing is also resulting in a diffusion of power and new political dynamics. Based upon GDP, population size, military spending and technology, Asia will have surpassed North America and Europe by 2030. The growing influence of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and G-20 countries has enormous potential to bring more than half the world’s population together and define a common destiny. Indeed, Brazil, India, China and some Arab countries have grown rapidly as new donors for development financing and have started to shape and support the work of multilateral agencies. The shift in national power may be overshadowed by an even more fundamental shift in the nature of power: To be effective, countries will have to learn to operate in networks and coalitions, including sub-national and non-state actors as well as the private sector, in an increasingly multipolar world. Urban centres’ growing size and economic power will see a resurgence of the City State. Their growing political role can already be seen by the growing number of networks of cities, increasing bilateral relationships between regions, and the role of cities in shaping global policy debates. Regional integration is likely to increase in importance, suggesting the possibility of a world order built more around regional structures dealing with particular problems such as trade, financial regulations or environmental hazards. Finally, increased civic engagement and activism will change political dynamics. Growing middle classes in developing countries will demand the rule of law and government accountability. The spread of IT use will give individuals and groups capabilities to organize and collaborate in new ways and to draw global attention to the need for political and social change. IT devices will play an increasing role in the fight against governance gaps and the demand for equality, transparency, and accountability from governments. Megatrend 5: Increased Conflict and Fragile States

Although inter-state

conflicts have reached

historically low levels in

the past decade, over

1.5 billion people in the

world still live in areas

affected by fragility,

conflict or criminal

violence. It is estimated

that 1.6 million people

die each year due to

violent conflict. By 2030,

there is a real risk that

even more countries will

experience periods of

conflicts and fragility


Forecasted increase of mobile broadband users in million

due to three factors: 1. Worsening socio-economic disparities; 2. Resource scarcity and environmental

constraints; and 3. Technological advancement. A widespread phenomenon will be the evolution of a

range of radical and often violent social movements, frequently transnational in development as well as

impact. They will be essentially anti-elite movements that may have a focus in religious beliefs, ethnic

identity, nationalism, political ideology or a complex mix of these. They will arise largely in middle-income

countries where people do not live in abject poverty and have clear perspective on their own

marginalization. In contexts of conflict and fragility, people will be more than twice as likely to be

undernourished as those in other developing countries; more than three times less likely to be able to

send their children to school; and more than twice as likely to die before their 5th birthday. Children who

do live to the age of five are more than two times as likely to have growth retardation and develop-mental

delays. Illness borne out of conflict puts an added strain on health systems that have deteriorated due to

the conflict. Intergenerational transmission of poverty is a result of prolonged conflict. This is due to the

destruction and loss of capital, including human, physical, financial, natural, political and social. Nine out

of ten of the countries with the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) have experienced conflict since

1990. Struggling to meet the challenges of basic survival, poverty-stricken populations in fragile countries

(by 2015, it is estimated that half of the world’s population living on less than 1.25 US$ a day will live in

fragile states) are less equipped to deal with volatile changes, be they economic, political or

environmental. The conflicts that do take place will likely be protracted – lasting from an average three

years for interstate wars, five years for civil wars to ten years for ethnic wars – and demand a long-term

humanitarian response. Additionally, violent conflict has a significant impact on regional stability. Apart

conflict spill-over, increased arms movement and drug trade, there is also an increase of large-scale inter-

state migration and negative ecological impacts. Mass migration can put a strain on already fragile

economic, social and infrastructure systems in host countries.

Megatrend 6: Technological Advancements Economic growth, especially in emerging economies, will stimulate increased technological innovation which in turn will shape socio-economic developments. New technologies are being adopted faster and innovation cycles become ever shorter. The technology gap between the developed and developing countries will narrow. With regards to the information and communication technologies sector, by 2030, 60% of the world’s population will be connected to mobile broadband, up from less than 1% today. Social media will continue to expand, enabling both useful and dangerous communications across diverse user groups and geo-political boundaries. Information will lead to increased popular action, as demonstrated in the Arab Spring. New health technologies will continue to extend the average age of populations, with the greatest gains in longevity to occur in developing countries with strong economic growth as the size of their middle class will increase. Resource scarcity will lead to breakthroughs for technologies aimed at securing vital resources such as food, water and energy. Already today, the world’s population growth is at least partly the

result of higher crop yields which resulted from improved agricultural technology diffusion. These type of technologies will become more important in developing countries given their vulnerability to key resource supplies, price fluctuations as well as the impact of climate change. Finally, new manufacturing and automation technologies will improve productivity and address labour constraints but at the same time make more low- and semi-skilled manufacturing and service workers redundant, thus making the problem of access to employment for the increasing number of new job-seekers even more acute.


Section 3.

The Post-2015 Development Agenda


Launched in 2008 by ACTED, Convergences is a true multidisciplinary platform for thought, that

brings together a network of more than 200 partners from a variety of sectors towards a

common goal: linking these sectors and allowing dialogue, debate, and co-creation between all

actors involved towards a more inclusive and

responsible economy. Every year, more than 5,000 representatives from NGOs, associations,

social and traditional businesses, researchers, media, public actors and governments have

gathered in Paris for the Convergences World

Forum to share their experience and exchange their opinions. This meeting, which is unique in

Europe, has allowed these different actors to collectively think the economic, social and

environmental challenges of our century.

Convergences works specifically on “Forging a

new global partnership” – one key transformation called for by the UN High Level Panel of which the

Convergences Chairman, John-Michel Severino, is a member.

As the 2015 target date for reaching the eight MDGs approaches, a wide range of activities are being undertaken by governments, UN institutions, civil society, private sector, academia, research institutions and others on identifying the shape and priorities of an international post-2015 development agenda. As an organization that actively contributes to reaching the MDGs, both through project implementation at field level as well as through global advocacy initiatives, the formulation of the post-2015 development agenda is of key importance to ACTED’s future program strategy. ACTED believes that the adoption in 2015 of a unique and universal agenda – informed by learning from the MDGs – to address the multiple interlinked global challenges posed by megatrends will be essential if we are to have a hope of ensuring a decent life for the 8.3 billion people living on our planet by 2030. The MDGs have brought about change for the better: The number of extremely poor people in the world has halved, far more people have access to clean water, and this alone has also greatly improved health. However, these positive results do not represent the whole story: Progress is uneven within and across countries and regions and inequality has grown tremendously. 842 million people are still chronically undernourished. Moreover, and most worrying of all, rapid climate change and depletion of the planet’s resources threaten to undermine progress in rich and poor countries alike.

Following the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 (Rio+20), it was decided to formulate a new set of global development goals from 2015 that would be especially focused on the issue of sustainability – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDG formulation is currently under process by a 30-member Open Working Group (OWG). In parallel, the United Nations (UN) launched its post-2015 Development Agenda formulation process: To create a global conversation, different consultations were conducted such as My World or The World We Want After 2015 that enabled about 2 million people to participate. In addition, two panels were launched: one independently led by Jeffrey Sachs (UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network) and another called the High Level Panel (HLP), made up of 27 eminent civil society, private sector, and government leaders from all regions of the world. The HLP calls for the eradication of poverty by 2030 and the transformation of economies through sustainable development based on a principle of leaving no one behind. Both panels recommended to merge the UN’s Post-2015 Development Agenda and the SDG process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Conference_on_Sustainable_Development

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Conference_on_Sustainable_Development

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro


Sustainable development framework

In addition to the OWG working on the formulation of the SDGs and the UN’s Post-2015 Development Agenda process, an Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing was set up to tackle the issue of financing the post-2015 development agenda. The Committee insists especially on the resources of private funding to co-finance the agenda. The post-2015 debate has highlighted the following issues which are also shared by ACTED:

The goals must intrinsically link the social, economic and environmental dimensions of development with sustainability. There is urgent need to slow the alarming pace of climate change and environmental degradation.

The goals must acknowledge that economic growth is not sufficient to ensure social justice, equity and sustained prosperity for all people. Therefore, the goals must integrate peace and stability as well as governance factors such as transparency, accountability, civil and political freedoms and effective institutions of the state.

The various debates and processes that are currently ongoing must converge into one global development agenda for the post-2015 period, with sustainable development and poverty reduction at its centre.

The focus of the goals must be on pro-active resilience building through adaptive management rather than reactive response and damage control. Given the increase in frequency and severity of hydro-meteorological disasters, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) must play a key role in future sustainable development frameworks.

The new global set of goals should not only be the responsibility of states but should rely on the forging of a new global partnership, committing and empowering a much wider range stakeholders. A new spirit of solidarity, cooperation, and mutual accountability should underpin the post-2015 agenda. This new partnership should be based on a common understanding of our shared humanity, based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. It should be centred on people, including those affected by poverty and exclusion, women, youth, elderly, disabled persons, and indigenous peoples.

The goals must be action-oriented, concise and easy to communicate, limited in number, aspirational, global in nature and universally applicable.

For the goals to be seen as legitimate and worth pursuing, the process must be knowledge-based and inclusive. It must balance equitable political engagement with expertise and perspectives from academia, international institutions, the private sector, civil society and communities.

Crucial to ACTED’s future work in addition to the debate about the post-2015 development framework, are the discussions around a new post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction to replace the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015 Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters that was signed at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in 2005 in Kobe, Japan. The consultations so far re-affirmed that the existing HFA strategic objectives and priorities should remain in place, however, with more emphasis on local action (involving communities, building capacities of local and sub-national government and the role of the private sector, especially the insurance industry), integrated approaches and creating an enabling environment which facilitates and establishes the conditions and incentives for building disaster resilience. In its 2013 Disaster Risk Management Strategy: Towards Resilient Communities, ACTED has formulated a clear position on the post-2015 framework on DRR (HFA 2).


Section 4.

ACTED Strategic Program Framework

2014 - 2016


3 Pillars and 9 Core Areas of ACTED’s 2014 – 2016 Strategic Program Framework


Three key capacities to enhance resilience

Contiguum approach to disaster risk management

Disaster Risk Management (DRM) is increasingly at the

core of ACTED’s work. Under this pillar, ACTED works

within the DRM cycle which includes all activities,

programs and measures which can be taken up before,

during and after a disaster - whether natural or man-

made - with the purpose to avoid it, reduce its impact

or recover from its losses. ACTED does not consider a

linear continuum approach to DRM and building

disaster resilience but rather a cyclical contiguum

approach, which forms part of a holistic cycle, with

different interventions combining response, recovery,

mitigation and preparedness while Linking Relief,

Rehabilitation and Development (LRRD). Better

development can reduce the need for emergency relief;

better relief can contribute to development; and better

rehabilitation can ease the transition between the two.

ACTED places resilience at the heart of its disaster risk management approach. ACTED recognizes that

shocks and stresses are just one of many factors driving vulnerability and filmy believes that building

resilience of affected populations in a holistic way is effective, cost efficient and sustainable. Resilience

refers to the capacity of an individual, household, population group or system to absorb, adapt, and

transform from shocks and stresses without compromising - and potentially enhancing - long-term

prospects. Absorptive capacity covers the coping strategies individuals, households, or communities use to

moderate or buffer the impacts of shocks on their livelihoods and basic needs. Adaptive capacity is the

ability to learn from experience and adjust responses to changing external conditions, yet continue

operating. Transformative capacity is the capacity to create a fundamentally new system when ecological,

economic, or social structures make the existing system untenable. The resilience concept is thus not just

looking at the impact of disasters but also at what makes communities vulnerable to multiple shocks and

stresses. It further examines to what extent communities are

able to bounce back after a disaster, conflict or shock,

therefore addressing their core vulnerabilities and putting

more emphasis on the need for recovery from such shocks

to mitigate future risks. ACTED’s efforts to build resilience

aims at contributing to a sustainable reduction in

vulnerability through increased absorptive, adaptive and

transformative capacity of local populations, governments

and other actors; improved ability to identify, address and

reduce risk; and improved social and economic conditions of

vulnerable populations. A resilience approach within the

disaster risk management cycle provides the crucial link

between emergency response, early recovery and long-term

development.

Pillar 1. Responding to Emergencies and Building

Disaster Resilience


Core Area 1.1. Mitigation and Prevention

Rationale

Over the past 20 years natural disasters have caused more than 1.3 million deaths, affected, 4.4 billion

people (64% of the world’s population) and led to US$ 2 trillion in economic damages and losses. The

intensity and possibly frequency of hydro-meteorological disasters such as floods, cyclones and droughts

can be expected to rise as climate change proceeds. Population growth, migration and increasing

urbanization, especially in low-lying, hazard prone coastal areas, entail accumulated risk and increasing

potential for human and economic loss. Poor natural resource management and degradation of key

ecosystems, weak institutional capacity and governance, non-enforced or missing policies as well as

financial constraints compromise low-income and lower-middle income countries’ resilience to shocks

resulting in more severe impact and weaker response. However, through disaster mitigation measures the

impacts and risks of hazards can be reduced.

Activities

Promoting and institutionalizing ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction with a specific emphasis on

Climate Change Adaptation (promotion of climate-smart agricultural practices, energy efficiency, etc.)

and Integrated Natural Resource Management (watershed management, sustainable land use, etc.);

Implementation of structural mitigation activities (building flood dikes, drainage system

improvements, etc.);

Implementation of non-structural mitigation activities (land-use zoning, formulation of safety

regulations, public education and training, etc.);

Hazard and vulnerability mapping and modelling and their integration and mainstreaming in

development plans;

Protection of livelihood assets.

Impact Statement and Indicators of Achievement

Peoples' vulnerability to natural hazards is reduced by investing in simple measures to reduce the

underlying risk factors.

Number of people who have become less vulnerable to natural hazards.


Core Area 1.2. Preparedness

Rationale

It must be recognized that despite the best mitigation efforts, hazards and shocks cannot be entirely

prevented and will still strike. People need to be prepared to cope with stress or destructive forces, to

manage and maintain basic functions and services during disastrous events and have the capacity to

recover and ‘bounce back’ after an event. The need for adequate preparedness systems, and the

importance of applying a multi-

hazard approach, will continue to

grow as global threats such as

population growth, urbanization,

food insecurity, climate change and

competition over access to scarce

resources become increasingly

important drivers of humanitarian

need. Preparedness interventions are

less costly than emergency relief and

response: For every US$ 1 spent on

disaster preparedness, about US$ 7

are saved on possible disaster relief

expenses. Indeed, more effective

prevention strategies would not only

save tens of billions of dollars, but

tens of thousands of lives.

Activities

Strengthening Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) and integrating CBDRM into

governments’ development planning processes;

Capacity building of authorities in preparing and replicating preparedness and contingency plans,

search and rescue, incl. provision of required assets;

Support to coordination and data sharing systems, incl. developing and promoting Early Warning

Systems (EWS);

Provision and pre-positioning of contingency stocks;

Strengthening the national and regional-level disaster risk management policy framework.


People are enabled to become more resilient to

natural hazards by strengthening disaster

preparedness for effective response at all levels

of society.

Number of people covered by disaster risk

management plans/activities and early

warning systems;

Number of people reached through

awareness activities that can demonstrate

understanding of current/likely future

hazards and corresponding preparedness

measures.


In contexts of conflict and disasters, aid actors face challenges in collecting data in a systematic

and comprehensive way. As a result, there are often critical gaps in the information required for

designing and planning aid. REACH supports aid actors to address these gaps through coordinated

assessments and information management.

Emergencies are highly dynamic environments.

Aid actors often do not take into account the

broader context in which communities reside.

REACH promotes the use of socio-economic units

as a basis for planning and delivering aid.

REACH is a joint initiative of two international

non-governmental organisations, ACTED and

IMPACT Initiatives, and the United Nations

Operational Satellite Applications Programme

(UNOSAT). REACH was created in 2010 to

facilitate the development of information tools

and products that enhance the capacity of aid

actors to make evidence-based decisions in

emergency, recovery and development contexts.

All REACH activities are conducted in support of

and within the framework of inter-agency aid

coordination mechanisms.

Core Area 1.3. Emergency Response

Rationale

Conflict, insecurity and natural

disasters affect millions of people

every year, destroy livelihoods and

reverse hard-won development

gains. Emergencies can quickly

overwhelm the existing capacities of

governments and communities and

often require immediate external

assistance that can effectively and

rapidly meet the multiple needs of

affected populations. Indeed, there

is a widening gap, between the

needs of people affected by crises

for humanitarian assistance and

protection, and the ability of governments and international humanitarian actors to meet those needs. In

the immediate aftermath of a disaster, ACTED's emergency response and relief activities offer context-

specific solutions and aim to save lives, ensure public safety and meet the basic needs such as shelter,

water and food of the people affected in close coordination with the relevant clusters/sectors.

Activities

Food and nutrition assistance;

Provision of shelter;

Distribution of Non Food Relief Items (NFRIs);

Provision of safe drinking water and hygiene

facilities and promotion of good hygiene

practices;

Protection activities, for example child and

women friendly spaces;

Refugee and IDP camp management;

Emergency logistics;

Support to public institutions and service

providers that provide life-line services like

water, health and education;

Support to information management systems for

better targeting and planning of relief assistance

in collaboration with REACH.


Humanitarian assistance is provided to crisis affected

population based on principles of impartiality and

non-discrimination to uphold their right to life with

dignity.

Number of crisis-affected people provided with

assistance and protection supporting their basic

human right to life with dignity.


Core Area 1.4. Rehabilitation and Recovery

Rationale

Once emergency needs have been met

following a disaster and the initial crisis

is over, people affected are still in a

state of heightened vulnerability.

Rehabilitation and recovery activities

are an important aspect for the

restoration of basic services to enable

the population to return to normalcy.

The idea is to ‘Build Back Better, Safer

and Fairer’- seeing rehabilitation and

recovery also as an opportunity to

address root causes of vulnerability and

future risks and lay the groundwork for

resilience to future crisis as well as

sustainable development.

Activities

Construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure and productive assets;

Support to public institutions that provide basic services;

Promoting household food security and nutrition literacy;

Construction and rehabilitation of shelter;

Improving access to safe drinking water, provision of adequate sanitation facilities and promoting

good hygiene practices;

Restoring livelihoods and fostering self-reliance through household economy approach.


Disaster and conflict affected people have the ability to build back their lives better, and root causes of

vulnerability and future risks have been addressed thus promoting sustainable development in the future.

Number of people assisted through access to basic socio-economic services and means supporting their recovery and building their resilience;

Number of social infrastructure and productive asset resources restored/built.


In line with the High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, ACTED believes that peace and stability as well as open, effective and accountable government and public institutions are core elements to fight poverty, improve living standards and raise development outcomes – not optional extras. An analysis of MDG progress has revealed that weaknesses in effective governance have been a central cause of gaps in development progress. ACTED therefore promotes effective governance so that the state provides essential services and fairly redistributes resources; government officials and public service providers are held accountable; the population has access to a fair system of law and due processes and can participate in governance through civil society organizations, an independent media and political parties. ACTED believes that effective governance is the mechanism through which most basic human needs can be met, human value and well being is recognized, equal access to opportunities, rights and social justice is ensured, vulnerable and disadvantaged people are protected, conflicts are managed peacefully through inclusive political processes, and competition for power occurs nonviolently. ACTED’s conceptual approach to effective governance is based upon an empowered, pluralistic civil society, social cohesion and effective and responsive public institutions. The current thinking on the principles of transparency and accountability forms the entry point for ACTED’s approach: the dual promise embedded in transparency and accountability of more enlightened and engaged citizens demanding greater accountability around issues they care about, and the impact this can have on development has tremendous transformational potential. While empowering citizens to make demands and hold to account those who are meant to be responsible for delivering services and at the same time supporting local public institutions to provide better, more effective services to their constituents, ACTED specifically encourages different stakeholders – from groups of citizens, CSOs and private sector to (local) governments and supportive sector institutions – to work effectively together in co-constructing ways to act collectively and in their own best interest and thus be agents in, dynamic development processes.

Convergences, launched by ACTED in 2008, is a dedicated platform to co-construct global partnerships between public, private and solidarity-based actors to promote the MDGs and reduce poverty. Convergences builds a wide-scale gathering project to debate ideas, to advocate for economic alternatives, and to frame innovative action plans through a collective approach. Working groups consisting of public, private and civil society actors as well as media and researchers work on the following topics: Microfinance – North and South; Solidarity and sustainability in the South as well as in the North; Post-2015 development agenda; New technologies.

Pillar 2. Co-Constructing Effective Governance


Core Area 2.1. Pluralistic and Empowered Civil Society

Rationale

Civil society has grown in size and importance around the world. A vibrant civil society can ensure that

millions of poor people have a voice and that they play a central role in the struggle to further political,

social, economic and constitutional rights. Civil society can identify and amplify the problems around

which collective problem solving needs to take place. CSO are also becoming more important as a result of

state service reduction or lack of services. However, in many countries where ACTED works, and especially

in fragile and conflict-affected states, the civil society is still in a nascent state, poorly organized and/or

restricted and thus citizens cannot claim their rights and make their voices heard on issues that affect

their lives and hold the state to account for its

performance in reducing poverty. In these

countries, CSOs are often small and informal

and do not have the means and capacity to

effectively advocate beyond their immediate

local communities. Institutional capacity to

promote dialogue and coordination

mechanisms within civil society and between

civil society and public institutions is often

lacking. Joint initiatives and networking at local,

national and regional level need to be

developed in order to amplify voices and

defend citizens' interests. The lack of

sustainable resources and weak governance

both in the external environment and within

CSOs hinders their effectiveness.

Activities

Strengthening the institutional capacity of CSOs (for example organizational and financial

management, program implementation, external relations and fundraising);

Supporting the formation of civil society initiatives, including developing alliances and promoting

networking among CSOs at local, national, regional and global levels;

Provision of training and small grants to CSOs to support their core mandate programming;

Supporting CSOs and individuals for more effective engagement to promote their rights;

Strengthening communication and advocacy capacity for interest groups through media;

Supporting civil society to deliver quality services in the absence of state actors (for example in

contexts of conflict or fragile states).


Citizens are supported to have a more articulated voice

to actively claim their socio-economic, civic, political

and cultural rights and engage with decision-makers

and duty bearers in a meaningful and constructive way.

Number of CSOs with increased capacity to engage

with state institutions addressing issues affecting

their lives;

Number of campaign actions directly undertaken or

supported by type.


Core Area 2.2. Effective and Responsive Public Institutions

Rationale

Poor and marginalized people, more than

any other group, rely on public institutions

to provide them with services to meet their

education, healthcare and livelihood needs.

Access to education is the main route for

escaping poverty, while lack of healthcare is

one of the main reasons why households

fall into poverty. However, in many

instances, policies and strategies for service

delivery and local development are

implemented through centralized, top-

down bureaucratic approaches in which

local citizens are treated as passive

recipients, and service providers are not

fully effective, as not accountable to their

clients. There is often no or very limited citizen's participation in defining public goods, policy formulation

and monitoring of public institutions and service delivery agents. Supply-driven approaches to give service

users more choice by expanding the number and types of providers through decentralization, outsourcing

and privatization have often failed, as have demand-driven approaches to strengthening direct

accountability of service providers to individual users. It is of little help to poor people who have no access

to services in the first place – and who are too vulnerable to undertake the effort and risks involved. There

is need to go for a collective action approach – beyond supply and demand – under which service delivery

and local development is a co-construction of communities, civil society, local governments, and

supportive sector institutions and their programs, with collaboration from the private sector.

Activities

Provision of training, technical assistance and/or resources to authorities and service delivery agents;

for example municipal waste management, decentralization, transparent procurement, etc.

Facilitation of inclusive and participatory local development planning through a bottom-up process;

Provision of block grants for local public projects and/or direct support to the construction, operation

and maintenance of social infrastructure;

Promoting multi-stakeholder dialogue through organization of platforms, fora, public hearings, etc.;

Empowering citizens to ensure that services are delivered in a transparent and accountable manner

(using social accountability tools such as Citizen Report Cards, Community Scorecards, social audits);

Supporting the creation of an enabling environment for effective service delivery and participatory

local development processes, including the formulation and/or application of policies and reforms.


People benefit from high quality and increasingly accountable and transparent essential service delivery

by local state and non-state actors which improve their living conditions and state actors are more

responsive to the needs and interests of their constituents.

% of people who report benefiting from improved services in target areas as a result of the support provided;

% of people who report being more engaged in planning and decision-making at local level.


Core Area 2.3. Social Cohesion

Rationale

Over 1.5 billion people live in

areas affected by fragility,

conflict or criminal violence. It

is estimated that 1.6 million

people die each year due to

violent conflict. This number is

becoming even greater as many

areas become more vulnerable

to violence due to scarcity of

energy, food and water.

Political transitions can

exacerbate resource scarcities

and create inter-communal

divisions which lead to more

intense, prolonged and

intractable conflict. Additionally, conflict-affected areas are often hit by natural disasters which in turn

exacerbates conflict. About 40% of total official development assistance is spent in fragile states and other

countries affected by large-scale violence. Fragility locks countries in poverty, and affects their neighbours

and regions. Countries with recent violent conflicts have a 70% higher risk of disease and deficiency and

suffer the most from hunger and food scarcity with 18 war-torn nations on list of the 20 hungriest

countries. None of the conflict-affected countries are on track to achieve even one of the Millennium

Development Goals by 2015 and many have seen a rise in poverty of at least 10%. Conflicts, even low-level

skirmishes inhibit development and hinder democracy. Thus, ACTED actively supports the early

identification of conflict and promotes community led early response to emerging conflicts. Decreased

communal tensions will promote better governance; increase livelihoods and access to essential services.

Activities

Development of conflict early warning systems, for example measurement and monitoring of a

predetermined set of indicators to identify the potential for conflict by citizen groups;

Training communities to respond to emerging conflicts;

Supporting dialogue and peaceful interactions between communities in conflict, incl. people-to-people

approach to build tolerance and trust (intra and inter-group dialogue sessions, sport competitions);

Conducting information campaigns and awareness raising to dispel rumours and promote change;

Provision of infrastructure and/or services to reduce sources of tension and conflict;

Legally literate citizens to seek redress for legitimate complaints and to use the justice system to

safeguard their rights;

Empower civil society organizations to advocate for better access to justice, and bring representative

cases on behalf of low income or disadvantaged groups.


Peace-building, reconciliation and conflict resolution efforts contribute to stabilization, recovery and

development and generate immediate peace dividends for the population.

Number of people reached through activities aimed at increasing social-cohesion and peaceful coexistence in/between communities adversely affected by conflict and division;

Number of dispute resolution and peace initiatives developed/strengthened.


ACTED lays the foundations to promoting inclusive and sustainable growth during its work in the rehabilitation and recovery phase. The first step is made when promoting household-level food security, restoring livelihoods, fostering self-reliance and income generation through a household economy approach. During the development phase, this approach is expanded. On the one hand, ACTED focuses on sustainable, climate-smart agriculture by taking an ecosystem approach to agriculture. ACTED promotes the efficient production of safe, high quality agricultural products, in a way that protects the natural environment and improves the social and economic conditions of farmers and local communities. On the other hand, ACTED focuses on private sector development, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and on rising productivity in the informal economy, particularly in urban and peri-urban contexts. ACTED supports these private sector actors to realize their growth potentials and strengthens institutions that can help increase private sector participation in the formal economy. Inclusive growth which advances equitable opportunities for economic participants and promotes social justice is a key feature of ACTED’s approach. ACTED focuses in particular on youth, women and ethnic minorities. The inclusive growth approach takes a longer-term perspective, as the focus is on productive employment as a means of increasing the incomes of poor and excluded groups and raising their standards of living. Supporting social protection schemes and promoting access to quality education for marginalized and vulnerable children and youth are ACTED’s key activities to promote inclusiveness.

Access to financial services is the backbone of economic development. Without a well-functioning financial system, it is not possible to create good conditions for long-term sustainable economic growth. ACTED therefore considers

access to appropriate and affordable financial services for disadvantaged and low-income segments of society a fundamental right. Inclusive finance – offering people living in poverty a diverse range of financial instruments to run their businsesses, build assets, stabilize consumption and shield themselvese against risks – has been a corner stone of ACTED’s development strategy since 1997. As such, the OXUS Group was created in 2005 to progressively take over ACTED’s interventions in the micro-finance sector. In countries with limited or no financial institutions and service providers, OXUS usually sets up Greenfield Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) to take over clients after ACTED has provided humanitarian assistance and supported rehabilitation and recovery efforts putting populations on a solid economic base. In such instances, ACTED works as a “breeding ground” for OXUS. Nevertheless, certain individuals in a situation of extreme vulnerability do not always fullfill OXUS’s selection criteria. For this reason, ACTED maintains its microfinance activities for the most vulnerable community members.

Pillar 3. Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Growth


Core Area 3.1. Climate-Smart Agriculture

Rationale

Despite increasing urbanisation, over 70%

of the world’s poor live in rural areas.

Many of them are landless or smallholder

farmers whose low productivity

contributes to poverty, food shortages and

hunger. Indeed, 845 million people or one

in eight people in the world suffer chronic

hunger, not having enough food for an

active and healthy life. The vast majority of

hungry people – 827 million of them – live

in developing regions, where the

prevalence of undernourishment is now

estimated at over 14%. Around 25,000

people die from hunger each day. Hunger and malnutrition remain among the world's top public health

challenges. Shocks related to climate change - increased frequency and intensity of hydro-meteorological

disasters -, and increasing competition for access to, and control over natural resources, especially land

and water, further exacerbates food insecurity. The complex interaction between food, land, water, trade

and energy, combined with price volatility, and the growing climate crisis means over the next decade the

food system is under severe stress. Subsistence farmers, small-scale producers and cooperatives must be

supported through the development of locally adapted climate smart-agricultural production systems that

safeguard ecosystem services and their position in the value chain must be strengthened in order to strive

and develop greater resilience.

Activities

Facilitating access to agricultural inputs, such as improved seeds, organic fertilizer, etc.;

Through extension services, promoting scalable climate-smart agricultural production systems and

practices that sustainably increase yields and/or are more resource efficient;

Promoting integrated natural resource management;

Supporting subsistence-based farmers to transform into market-based small-scale producers;

Facilitating farmers to develop their organizational capacity for better collective action vis-à-vis service

providers and market actors, for example through support to cooperatives;

Supporting value chain approaches to help poor farmers to increase their production, capture market

opportunities, obtain fair deals, and produce higher-quality products;

Developing agricultural markets, expanding trade and using mobile phone, radio, and other media

channels, phones to provide real-time prices, so farmers can sell what they grow at a profit ;

Helping farmers access capital, incl. in collaboration with OXUS;

Facilitating an enabling policy framework for pro-poor agriculture development (land reform, market

access, subsidies).


More people enjoy greater food and nutrition security through investments in sustainable food

production systems, access to markets and increased resilience of their livelihoods.

Number of farmers benefiting from activities/services increasing their productivity in a climate-smart

and resource-efficient manner;

Number of farmers with increased profitability.

http://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/expanding-and-enhancing-agricultural-markets-and-trade


Core Area 3.2. Employment, Income and Financial Inclusion

Rationale

Worldwide, more than 200 million people – among them 75 million young people – are officially out of a

job, leaving them economically and socially excluded. Between 25% - 35% of the labour force in many

developing economies is also underemployed and hence without adequate income. Furthermore, over

620 million young people are not in school or training and not actively looking for work, risking a

permanent exclusion from the labour market. Creating almost 90% of jobs in developing countries, the

private sector is a driving force for poverty reduction. However, young jobseeker often do not match the

skills required by the private sector. With one billion new job-seekers expected to enter the global labour

market until 2020, mainly in urban centres, the problem of

access to employment will become even more pertinent.

Labour markets in developing countries are often highly

segmented and informal with a low quality of employment:

low earning, high levels of insecurity, limited chances for

advancement, and a lack of social protection. Interventions

to enhance productive, fair and inclusive employment

opportunities need to focus on quality education,

vocational training, support to the creation and growth of

MSMEs, especially in employment-intensive sectors, and

social protection schemes. Finally, an estimated 2.5 billion

working-age adults globally have no access to the types of

formal financial services delivered by regulated financial

institutions. Advances in technology and falling costs offer

the chance to bring financial services to even poor and

remote populations. For many developing countries,

especially in Africa and South Asia, there continues to be a

need for financial inclusion players who are committed to

providing services to those at the bottom of the pyramid.

Activities

Promoting access to quality education for children and youth;

Supporting technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and apprenticeships with a specific

emphasis on youth and women;

Stimulating entrepreneurship, incl. business advisory and financial services and advocating for an

enabling business environment;

Promoting a safe and dignified work environment;

Value chain approaches, particularly in the informal sector in urban and peri-urban settings;

Facilitating access to affordable credit and financial services, incl. in partnership with OXUS;

Supporting social protection schemes such as safety-nets (pension, insurance), incl. policy formulation

Awareness raising and protection activities for potential economic migrants;

Supporting social business, for example community-based eco-tourism initiatives.


The proportion of people living in extreme poverty is reduced and people are able to achieve greater

security of income and earn more income.

Number of people provided with educational and/or skill development opportunities;

Number of jobs and income generating activities created.

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