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DRN-Balakot – A Replicable Model:
In 2007 LEAD had piloted a project on
volunteerism in six Union Councils (UCs) of Balakot
Tehsil. Through this project 150 local volunteers
and six Local Support Organizations (LSOs) were
provided trainings on volunteerism and volunteers
network management. A network consisting of these
volunteers and six LSOs was established which was
named as Disaster Response Network-Balakot (DRN-Balakot).
Upon completion of this pilot project, LEAD
Pakistan successfully solicited monetary support of
OXFAM Novib for its phase-II i.e.
DRN-Balakot Project. The project was
rolled-out in target region through well-reputed
LSOs. These LSOs were made an integral part of
project roll-out strategy by bringing them onboard
as co-implementers. Objective was to capacitate them
(during course of the project) to take full
ownership of DRN-Balakot beyond life of the project.
A two-prong strategy was adopted for DRN-Balakot’s
horizontal and vertical expansion.
DRN-Balakot was horizontally expanded into remaining
six union councils of Balakot Tehsil as a result
number of total network members increased from 150
to 400. Through vertical expansion of DRN-Balakot
under-mentioned accomplishments were made:
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400 members of DRN-Balakot were provided intensive
trainings on volunteerism with an emphasis on
DRM.
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133 members of
DRN-Balakot were provided
specialized trainings in First Aid.
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133 members of
DRN-Balakot were provided
specialized trainings in SAR (Search And
rescue).
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Through trainings, 133 members (at least 11
from each Union Council) of
DRN-Balakot were capacitated to formulate DRM
plans of their respective Union Councils. DRM
plans developed through these trainings were
finalized with the technical input of training
resource persons and in consultation with
respective communities of all 12 target union
councils.
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Frontline leadership of DRN-Balakot was provided training
on integration of 12 target union councils
specific DRM plans. Outcome of this training was
an integrated DRM plan for Balakot Tehsil.
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12 PSF (public support forums) were formed with one PSF in
each of the 12 union councils of Balakot Tehsil.
Objective of these PSFs is to establish advocacy
portfolio within DRN-Balakot and keep its
volunteers motivated and mobilized by engaging
them in downward advocacy campaigns (within
local communities) on international best
practices and upward advocacy campaigns on basic
rights of local communities. Requisite skills
sets were developed in top, mid and lower tier
managers of DRN-Balakot to enable them to
promote DRN-Balakot’s advocacy portfolio within
the circles of policy-makers and implementers
(government and civil-society) and at the level
of end-beneficiaries.
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12 VCs (vigilance committees) were formed with one VC in
each of the 12 union councils of
Balakot Tehsil. Role of these VCs is to oversee
conduct of volunteer members of DRN-Balakot and
LSOs and act as watchdog in terms of holding
District Government of Mansehra responsible for
ensuring DRN-Balakot’s effectiveness beyond
project life.
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12 sets of emergency stockpile and 144 first aid kits were
provided to DRN-Balakot. As each of the 12
implementing arms of DRN-Balakot was provided 12
first aid kits and 1 set of emergency stockpile.
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An MOU was signed with District Government of Mansehra for
the integration of DRN-Balakot into Civil
Defense Department (CDD) of District Government
of Mansehra. Upon completion of the project DRN-Balakot
was merged with CDD. After its merger DRN-Balakot
has become officially recognized implementing
arm of CDD.
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Project culmination workshop was held in which DRN-Balakot
was officially handed over to CDD. This
opportunity was seized to enable DRN-Balakot’s
linkages with national and international
agencies dealing with emergencies resulting from
natural hazards.
Upon successful culmination of DRN-Balakot/Phase-II
Project, OXFAM Novib extended its duration until 15th
March 2009. Objective of this extension was to
enhance DRN-Balakot’s capacity to ensure its
complete sustainability in future. This extension
period was covered under the project titled DRN-Balakot
Phase-III/Extension Project. Key activities of this
project included:
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12 women’s PSFs were formed with one PSF in each of the 12
target Union Councils.
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120 new female volunteers with 10 from each of the 12
target Union Councils were registered with DRN-Balakot.
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120 new male volunteers with 10 from each of the 12 target
Union Councils were registered with DRN-Balakot.
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Trainings on vulnerability assessment and mapping leading
to localized solutions were offered to 12 Men’s
and 12 Women’s PSFs. 12 batches of 20
participants in each batch were offered this
training. Each training batch received three
days of training.
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Leaderships’ training on gender issues related
to volunteerism was offered to Chairpersons,
Vice Chairpersons and Secretaries of 24 PSFs, 12
VCs and 12 LSOs. Seven batches of 20
participants in each batch were offered this
training. Each training batch received three
days of training.
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Training on integration of UC Level gender specific action
plans was offered to the leadership of PSFs,
LSOs and VCs. Two batches of 24 participants in
each batch were offered this training. Each
batch received three days of training.
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Five workshops were held to promote advocacy portfolio of
DRN-Balakot Project.
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Training in First Aid was provided to 120 new female
volunteer members of DRN-Balakot. Six batches of
20 participants in each batch were provided this
training. Each batch received three days of
training.
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Training in SAR was provided to 120 new male volunteer
members of DRN-Balakot. Six batches of 20
participants in each batch were provided this
training. Each batch received five days of
training.
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Primary role for officiating and managing
DRN-Balakot’s chapters at the level of Union
Councils lies with 12 LSOs {1) Haroon Abad
Jable Rehmat WS, 2) DTT, 3) SWO, 4) IW Dhandan
Jared, 5) WO, 6) Qazi Abad Jabri, 7) Chammber
Berkot RDO, 8) Kaghan Welfare, 9) Al-Khair Dhai
Tanzeem, 10) CCB Patling Balla, 11) WUA Jageer
12) Umeed Welfare Trust}. At the
inception of DRN-Balakot Phase-II Project these
LSOs were brought onboard as project IPs. This
was done with an aim of capacitating these LSOs
(during course of the project) to manage DRN-Balakot
beyond life of the project. Towards culmination
of DRN-Balakot Phase-II Project, these LSOs had
fully taken over responsibility of managing DRN-Balakot.
Now, during DRN-Balakot Phase-III Project, these
LSOs have been further equipped with leadership
skills required to map out to address gender
related vulnerabilities in an event of a
disaster.
DRN-Balakot – the way forward:
In the wake of October 2005 earthquake, LEAD
Pakistan piloted a project on volunteerism in
Balakot Tehsil. Building upon volunteers’ network
(named as DRN-Balakot) created through this pilot
project LEAD Pakistan successfully completed two
subsequent extension projects. DRN-Balakot was
expanded by increasing its outreach and equipping it
with specialized skills and SAR items. To ensure
sustainability of DRN-Balakot, besides primary
support functions (mainly responsible for disaster
response) secondary support functions were also
woven into it. These include 12 men’s and 12 women’s
PSFs. Through upward advocacy on basic rights of
local communities and downward advocacy on
international best practices PSFs not only keep DRN-Balakot
actively functional but also ensure widespread
outreach and activism at grassroots. Scope of the
advocacy portfolio of DRN-Balakot needs to be
broadened by shaping it around sustainable
development approaches that should look at DRM,
environmental conservation and climate change
adaptation through the lens of sustainable
development models such as SLA (Sustainable
Livelihood Approach). In order to maximize impacts
of advocacy portfolio requisite skill sets shall be
transferred to top, mid and lower tier managers of
DRN-Balakot. This will enable them to promote
DRN-Balakot’s advocacy portfolio within the circles
of policy-makers and implementers (government and
civil society) and at the level of
end-beneficiaries.
Achieved and envisaged impacts:
LEAD Pakistan looks at the impacts of this intervention at
various levels. Immediate and visible impacts of the
primary support functions of DRN-Balakot including
First Aid, Search And Rescue and Action Plan teams
based at 12 Union Councils of Balakot Tehsil are
that these teams mobilised local resources swiftly
to prevent human lives and properties from losses
that could’ve resulted from range of cyclical
disasters that occurred during previous and current
year. Envisioned long-term impacts of the primary
support functions of DRN-Balakot include gradual
reduction in losses to human lives, properties and
livelihoods that may result from occurrence of
natural hazards. Immediate and visible impacts of
the secondary support functions of DRN-Balakot
including 12 men’s PSFs and 12 Women’s PSFs are that
around 240 members of these PSFs are aware of the
basic rights of local communities, international
best practices that could be replicated in local
settings to protect local environment, ways to
improve local communities resilience against future
hazards and improve local communities livelihood
conditions on sustainable grounds. Envisaged
long-term impacts of the secondary support functions
of DRN-Balakot include a climate-friendly community
in Balakot able to adapt to changes in climate and
avert potential losses to human lives, properties
and livelihoods that may result from occurrence of
unprecedented hazards in future.
Why is this model innovative?
Uniqueness of this initiative lies in its operational
mechanism devised around vertical and horizontal
linkages with range of key stakeholders including 12
LSOs operating at grassroots level, DRN-Balakot
consisting of over 1150 local male and female
volunteers and vertical linkages with CDD of
District Government of Mansehra by virtue of merger
of DRN-Balakot with CDD. The initiative is unique
due to richness in its all-rounded approach. All 12
LSOs have track-record of working closely with
communities on range of issues in their
constituencies. They’ve successfully implemented
range of local community-driven initiatives on DRR
(structural & non-structural), livelihood and health
and hygiene.
Sustainability of the model:
The element of sustainability was materialized even before
the project was grounded. This will also be
demonstrated by project’s operational mechanism
elaborated above. DRN-Balakot is a joint-venture of
12 LSOs based in Balakot Tehsil. These LSOs have
maintained a strong, visible and respectable
presence within their respective communities for
over a decade so far. DRN-Balakot’s 12 chapters
based at the level of Union Councils are managed by
these LSOs. All 12 chapters of DRN-Balakot liaise
with each other through the leadership of LSOs. With
the help of a database cum-web-portal liaison among
them has been made more convenient and
result-oriented. Sustainability of this model also
lies in the fact that it is managed by 12 LSOs under
the patronage of District Government of Mansehra.
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