Strategic Planning Evaluation Study, OFDA Non-Relief Activities. Volume 1. Main Text

摘要

A.I.D.'s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is known primarily as an action-oriented entity providing rapid response to disasters. However, during the period 1979-89, OFDA had funded 478 non-relief activities dealing with disaster preparedness and mitigation. The evaluation illustrates the importance of these activities in promoting both disaster preparedness (e.g., via early warning systems, trained search and rescue teams, and public awareness campaigns) and disaster mitigation (e.g., by improving building codes and construction practices, promoting crops that are less susceptible to floods and wind damage). It also identifies program weaknesses. In conclusion, the study suggests changes in the management and conceptualization of the non-relief portfolio; proposes methodologies for design, monitoring, evaluation, and planning; highlights the need for long-term objectives; identifies themes for a comprehensive strategic plan; and suggests changes in OFDA's relationships with other A.I.D. programs and the donor community. Includes 227 case studies of disaster preparedness/mitigation activities.