Addressing Challenges in Fulfilling Accountability Standards in

Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction Program

Hepi Rahmawati – YAKKUM Emergency Unit

Why?

• Accountability is the means by which power and trust are used responsibly and it is the main significant foundation in carrying out humanitarian assistance.

• Accountable humanitarian assistance will ensure the quality of assistance and humanitarian work carried out by an organisation.

• Greater accountability is recommended to strengthen local risk governance according to findings of Views from the Frontline survey

To what extent?

• At the practical level, accountability to the beneficiaries consists of: information provision, participation, and active listening.

• Accountability to the organisation internally involves competency, awareness of the importance of accountability and commitment to the application of accountability standards, and problem solution.

How?

1. Transparency and Information Availability– easily accessible and available information on the

information board, poster/leaflet, and other media around the programme area.

– Provide information verbally through formal and informal meeting is highly significant for the beneficiaries.

– Complain handling mechanism, using negotiation and discussion to reach a consensus

How?

2. Community Representation and Participation– Community representative from all elements – Decision making (including role-distributions) is

made through consensus building with the community members in public places

How?

3. Active listening – community members had been given sufficient

time and opportunity to talk and provide recommendations.

4. Ensuring staffs' competencies in implementing DRR program through proper recruitment and considering the experiences in DRR

Challenges and Strategies

1. Christian organisation in Moslem population First, YEU made introduction and trust-building to

government apparatus and prominent figures, and gradually introduce to wider community members in a number of community organising processes.

The presence of YEU Moslem staff have helped to boost the trust and acceptance of the wider community.

Establish contacts with influential local religious leaders who have moderate point of view.

extreme but interesting example

the broadcast of a religious prejudice against YEU in a private radio station, warning the community of the YEU presence in the area. The following day, the same private radio station broadcast the explanation and defence from a representative of the community against the previous day’s warning.

Challenges and Strategies

2. Community members can be easily influenced by information spread through words of mouth

Oral dissemination of information through formal or through informal meetings and even one-to-one meeting.

Challenges and Strategies

3. Cultural constraints: reluctant to complaint Active listening and explore complaints through

informal discussion or through discreet one-to-one meeting.

The project manager should monitor and evaluate on a periodical basis on how far accountability in humanitarian assistance has been achieved and should immediately provide the direction when otherwise it has not been fully achieved.

Challenges and Strategies

4. Staffs' competencies may not be adequate for fulfilling program tasks

applying 360 degree performance monitoring and evaluation followed by feedback from upper line supervisors.

skills coaching during implementation especially for local staffs

Another lesson-learnt

• The applications of standards of accountability in community organising and empowerment have led to high appreciation and acceptance of the intervention. As a result, community is committed to continue the program using their own resources. It can be concluded, therefore, that there is a positive correlation between accountability of assistance, community organising and intensive strengthening, and programme sustainability

Thank you!