Emergency preparedness planning for small NGOs
A simple preparedness plan for small NGOs: rank your risks, set minimum actions, write a short contingency plan and test it before the next emergency.
Short answer
Emergency preparedness means getting ready before a crisis so you can respond fast. A small NGO should list the hazards it faces, rank them by likelihood and impact, complete a set of minimum actions, and write a short contingency plan for the highest risks. Assign roles, check supplies and contacts, practise the plan, and review it at least once a year.
Key points
- Rank hazards by impact and likelihood, then plan for the high ones.
- Minimum actions are basic, cheap and useful for any emergency.
- A contingency plan covers the first three to four weeks.
- Monitor risk indicators so you can act early.
- Test the plan, record actions and review at least yearly.
Why prepare before an emergency?
A cyclone warning arrives at 6 p.m. Who calls staff? Where are the stocks? Which partner can lend a vehicle? Teams that answered these questions earlier respond faster.
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Emergency Response Preparedness approach states that experience shows there is usually an initial assistance gap, because major response operations take on average at least three to four weeks to reach full capacity. Preparedness aims to reduce this gap. The approach is designed for inter-agency country teams, but its logic can be scaled down for a small NGO.
What are the main parts of preparedness?
The IASC approach has three connected parts.
| Part | What it means | Small NGO version |
|---|---|---|
| Risk analysis and monitoring | List hazards, rank by impact and likelihood, track early warning indicators | One-page risk list, reviewed each month |
| Minimum preparedness actions | Core actions every team should complete | A checklist of roles, contacts, assessment tools and stocks |
| Advanced actions and contingency plan | Risk-specific actions and a plan for the first three to four weeks | A short plan for your top one or two hazards |
The minimum actions are not specific to one risk. According to the guidance they usually do not need large additional resources, and they include risk monitoring, coordination arrangements, preparing for joint needs assessments, information management and operational capacity to deliver relief and protection. Contingency planning is recommended when risk is rated medium or higher.
How to build a plan: seven steps
- List your hazards. Include floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, fire, disease outbreaks, conflict-related displacement and economic shocks. Add risks to your own operations.
- Rank them. Score each from 1 to 3 for likelihood and impact. Multiply. Focus on the top two.
- Choose early warning indicators. For floods, this could be rainfall alerts and river levels reported by community contacts. Assign someone to check them.
- Complete minimum actions. Do these first:
- a staff contact list and call tree;
- named decision makers and deputies;
- a short assessment form ready to use, see rapid needs assessment;
- a list of partners, suppliers and local authorities;
- a list of items you could distribute and where they are stored.
- Write a contingency plan. For each top hazard, describe the scenario, what you would do in week one, who does it, the resources needed and the gaps to fill.
- Practise it. The IASC guidance recommends simulations so that problems are anticipated, sources for relief items are identified in advance and roles are understood. A half-day table-top exercise is enough to start.
- Review. The IASC says minimum actions should be reviewed and updated at least once a year, when risk monitoring shows an emerging risk, or when there is significant staff turnover.
Who should be involved?
The guidance says the process should be participatory and that planning works best when everyone who must work together is engaged from the start. For a small NGO this means field staff, finance and logistics, volunteers, and partners, and also community representatives. Link with your community-level work on disaster risk reduction so the two plans match.
Myanmar context
Access limits, unreliable power and communications, and cash constraints change what "ready" means.
- Have two ways to communicate. For example, phone plus a messaging group, with a rule on what to do if both fail.
- Pre-agree cash handling. Know who can approve emergency spending and how, in line with your finance policy.
- Plan for staff welfare. Staff in affected areas may be affected themselves. Include family contact and rest plans. See duty of care for staff.
- Link to local networks. Local partners and community groups are often first on the ground. Agree roles before a crisis.
Common mistakes
- Writing a long plan and never testing it.
- Planning for one hazard only, then facing another.
- Keeping the plan with one person who may not be reachable.
- Forgetting records: who did what and when. The IASC guidance stresses recording accountabilities, deadlines and actions.
How EMPO can help
EMPO is a trusted, Myanmar-based training and consultancy provider and one of the country's leading names in practical NGO training, with 1,200+ people trained and 15 partner organisations. We run workshops on disaster risk reduction and resilience in English and Burmese, online or in person across Myanmar. Commission a session for your team through our training services or contact us.
Sources
- Emergency Response Preparedness approach (IASC) — UNHCR Emergency Handbook, 2020
Questions people ask
What is the difference between preparedness and DRR?
DRR reduces the chance and size of a disaster, for example by protecting a water source. Preparedness gets you ready to respond if the event happens, through plans, roles, stocks and contacts.
How long should a contingency plan be?
Short enough that staff will use it. A few pages with scenarios, first actions, roles, resources and gaps is better than a long document nobody reads.
Do small NGOs need to follow the UN preparedness guidelines?
No, but the logic is useful. The guidelines are written for UN and Humanitarian Country Teams, so small NGOs should scale the steps down and link with local clusters or networks.