Flood rehabilitation program update-2
The devastating floods during 2008 which swept across the states of Bihar, Orissa, Assam and parts of West Bengal resulted in immense damage to human life, property and crops.
ICICI Groups' Relief Mesures for Year 2008 floods in India
ICICI Bank responded immediately to mobilize a significant contribution for helping flood-affected people in Bihar. An appeal was made to its internet banking customers that received spontaneous and overwhelming response. Around 55,000 individual customers responded and made contributions totalling INR 31.70 million. ICICI Group companies and its employees contributed INR 106.5 million.
ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth and CSO Partners worked with Give India (India’s largest online giving platform) to make optimal use of the fund mobilized. A rehabilitation programme was designed based on updated and composite situation analysis reports, intervention and gap analysis facilitated by Sphere India (a voluntary association of organisations engaged in disaster response which prescribes minimum standards for disaster preparedness and response.
Programme Strategy
- Generally, after disasters of high magnitude NGOs face a resource crunch during the rehabilitation phase. Hence the focus of the programme is on long-term rehabilitation rather than short-term relief measures.
- Children are most vulnerable after a disaster. Enabling them to cope with loss and damage has the potential to have a long lasting impact on the community’s resilience to disaster.
- Food security is usually a major area of concern during and after a disaster. Addressing the issue of livelihood has the maximum potential to make the affected population self-reliant and put them back on the track of development.
- In order to leverage resources optimally, support has been provided to organisations engaged in rehabilitation programmes predominantly to complement existing initiatives or fill in gaps. The support enables rehabilitation programmes to cover a wider geography or develop a more holistic programme which enhances impact of interventions.
- To have macro level impact, advocacy is one of the components of the programme.
- Though India has been experiencing floods on an annual basis, our ability to respond to disasters has largely remained the same mainly due to the lack of coordination among various government and relief agencies. Care has been taken to address this issue within the programme.
- Quality Standards: All the organisations chosen for funding are either members of Sphere India or committed to comply with their norms. Sphere India (www.sphereindia.org.in) promotes quality and accountability in disaster response and management.
Execution Strategy
It was strategically decided to provide financial support directly to organizations which work on rehabilitation. These organizations broadly fall under one of two categories:
- Anchoring Partner: Such organizations have good experience in identified themes and also work directly in a few flood affected regions. They provide technical support to implementing partners.
- Implementing Partner: These organizations have ongoing projects in affected areas.
Partnership with Sphere India has brought in a macro level coordination partner.
Monitoring and Reporting Strategy
In order to ensure a robust monitoring process the following process is adhered to:
- Enlistment as Tier II organization with Give India (www.giveindia.org). Fulfilment of this criterion implies that organizations receiving support are complying with all statutory norms.
- Maintenance of a separate bank account by implementation partners to restrict transactions to activities related to this programme.
- Submission of audited financial statements on completion of programme to ensure accountability and effective financial management.
- Periodic monitoring and reporting of implementing organization by anchoring organizations to ensure effective implementation of the programme. In a few cases CSO Partners also undertakes monitoring.
- Comprehensive reports would be provided by partner organizations on a periodic basis. Half yearly reports will be available publicly on this website.
Should you be interested in providing additional support, or volunteering your services, or if you want to visit the field to have hands-on experience, do contact us.
Flood rehabilitation program update-1
