TOOL 19
GUIDANCE ON ADDING CEA TO THE EMERGENCY PLAN OF
ACTION (EPoA)
Community Engagement and Accountability / IFRC / June 2016
A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
In this section be sure to highlight any specific issues relating to lack of information or communication issues.
For example, are telecommunications systems down? Is the population informed about what is happening or
are there major information needs, which are causing added frustration?
Summary of the current response
Overview of Host National Society
Does the National Society have any experience of CEA? If so, what activities are they undertaking and
since when? For example do they have a complaints and feedback system? Have they used radio, mobile
cinema or SMS?
Overview of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in country
Do any of the Movement partners have experience of CEA?
Movement Coordination
If Movement partners do have CEA expertise, can a working group be established to address this together
and coordinate?
Overview of non-RCRC actors in country
Describe what others are doing in relation to CEA (Government, Civil Protection/Defence, Military, UN,
INGOs, local NGOs) and any coordination mechanisms in place, such the Communicating with Disaster
Affected Communities working group.
Needs analysis, beneficiary selection, risk assessment and scenario planning
What are people’s current information needs? Do they lack information on where to access support, such
as medical help or clean water? Are people frustrated by a lack of information on what is happening? Do
people need life-saving information, such as which areas are safe in a conflict or a disaster or how to avoid
a secondary disaster, such as an outbreak of disease? Do people have a means of asking questions,
making their needs clear or raising complaints? Are there key issues affecting the safety and recovery of
the population that need to be addressed by other key stakeholders, such as Government?
Risk Assessment
What are the potential upcoming risks in relation to communication needs, community engagement and
accountability? For example are there issues that are making it difficult to engage with the community, such
as ethnic tensions, unsafe travel areas or hostility towards the Red Cross Red Crescent? Are people
engaging in potentially unsafe behaviours that could put them at risk, such as drinking unclean water or
staying in unsafe shelters? Is there a risk of rumours spreading? Do people have a method to raise
complaints, especially serious ones about fraud and physical and sexual exploitation and abuse – if this
were to occur and the population could not report it, what could be the consequences for the operation?
B. Operational strategy and plan
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
2 I Community Engagement and Accountability / IFRC / June 2016
Outline here how CEA will support the main operational strategy. Don’t have a separate section for CEA
activities, it should be incorporated under each of the sector headings to show how CEA will contribute to
the operation, rather than be stand-alone activities. CEA activities should always be in support of
operational aims AND based on the needs assessment.
Examples of what to include are:
 How you will assess for CEA needs as part of the overall needs assessment
 How will the community be consulted and engaged before and during the assessment and planning
processes
 Information as aid activities that can support early warning and emergency response preparedness
 How can community feedback and complaints be collected and acted on as part of regular
monitoring
 Behaviour change communication activities such as mobile cinema or radio spots/shows in support
of Health & Care or Water Sanitation & Hygiene Promotion and all other sectors
 Two-way communication activities to ensure affected communities understand the response
operation and how they can access services and make their needs and opinions heard
 Are there opportunities to advocate for community needs that can’t be met by the operation?
Overall objective
It is good to include here that part of the overall objective is to deliver an accountable operation that meets
the needs of the affected population.
This should entail that affected people have access timely, accurate and trusted information that enable
them to take action about their safety, health and wellbeing and engage in two-way communication with the
RCRC to influence and guide decisions, enabling them to adapt, withstand and recover from external and
internal shocks
Proposed strategy
Outline the key ways the operation will ensure participation and feedback, provide life-saving information,
support positive behaviour change and advocate for the needs of affected populations.
This includes:
 How will we be accountable to the people we reach, how will we consult with communities,
including what feedback mechanisms will be put in place
 How will we include community participation, building on local capacities and knowledge
 How will we ensure that specific needs are taken into consideration in relation to gender, ethnicity,
age, disability, people living with HIV/AIDS, or other factors that may increase vulnerability 1
Community engagement and accountability: taking into account gender and diversity sensitive needs as
well as other needs of affected communities across the country, measures will be put in place to enhance
community and local government participation and improve programme accountability to communities. The
National Society will use appropriate communication channels to disseminate important information and
participate through community engagement and communications systems to address: whether assistance is
appropriate and contextualized, and to engage communities in design of early recovery assistance. These
communication channels will utilize existing cultural and traditional systems and processes, such as radio,
participatory activities and other innovative means such as mobile phone technology to capture feedback
from beneficiaries to be linked to respective programme sectors for analysis and follow up. IFRC will initiate
1
Refer also to Sphere Handbook, page 10, cross-cutting issues
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
3 I Community Engagement and Accountability / IFRC / June 2016
and support the discussion with the National Society on how best to mobilize community engagement and
accountability within the relief and early recovery activities. You should also refer to the Sphere standards
and how they have been considered and respected in the proposed response.
Operational support services
Human resources
Are there specific CEA staffing or volunteer resources available to support the operation? Are more
needed?
Logistics and supply chain
Are there any specific procurement needs to deliver planned CEA activities? For example mobile cinema
equipment?
Information technologies (IT)
Are there any specific IT needs to deliver planned CEA activities? For example use of SMS systems?
Communications
Will communications and CEA teams work together on any advocacy issues? Or to share community
experiences and stories?
Security
Are there any security issues related to community engagement that need to be considered?
Planning, monitoring, evaluation, & reporting (PMER)
Indicate how monitoring of the implementation of CEA activities will be carried out – as part of the
operational monitoring plan.
Working with the PMER team, are beneficiary satisfaction surveys planned? How will a feedback and
complaint system fit into wider monitoring? How will feedback from communities be shared and acted
upon? Are lessons learned workshops planned?
Administration and Finance
Any specific issues for CEA relating to admin and finance.
REFER TO TOOL 7.1 FOR MORE IDEAS ON INDICATORS AND ACTIVITIES TO BE INCLUDED IN
EPoA