PROSE POST September 2024

John Carter on December 18, 2024

This third edition of the PROSE POST provides updates on technical assistance and PROSE engagements.  This issue also highlights my engagements with two civil society partner agencies in Barbados, and the various technical assistance activities which were undertaken under the period in collaboration with stakeholders across the public and private sectors and civil society. 

With the passage of Hurricane Beryl through the region in early July of this year, the PROSE team is hopeful that all our partners and stakeholders, and their respective families remain safe. This unprecedented early-season hurricane highlights the new climate realities faced by our Caribbean Small Islands Developing States (SIDS).

Within this context, PROSE aims to continue support towards the enhancing of resilience through policy and regulatory reform and the strengthening of legal frameworks among our many partners, which include regional entities, sectoral stakeholders, vulnerable groups and communities.  

We hope you enjoy this issue of the PROSE Post. 

Sincerely,


Marianela Guzman


PROSE Chief of Party

PROSE ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS

Public Sector Engagement:

Select on-going collaborations with the National Disaster Offices
include:

  1. Update on Public Sector Technical Assistance. 
  2. Technical Assistance Spotlight: Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Disaster Risk Management Bill Review Workshop. 
  3. Stakeholder Engagement: Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships for Long-Term Resilience in Grenada. 
  4. Technical Assistance Spotlight: Saint Kitts and Nevis Country Work Programme (CWP) Consultations.

Event: Suriname Disaster Risk Reduction Gap Analysis Workshop

Private Sector Engagement:

  1. PROSE Engagement with the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC) and the Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association. 
  2. Stakeholder Engagement Spotlight: Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association.   

Event: 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States

Civil Society Engagement

  1. Update on ongoing civil society Technical Assistance.   
  2. Technical Assistance Spotlight: Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) 

Event: Barbados Early Warning For All (EW4ALL) National Consultative Workshop 

PUBLIC SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS

PROSE is supporting several public sector technical assistance initiatives which include: 

  • Disaster Management Bill Review Workshop with the CDC.
  • Development of a new CWP for St Kitts & Nevis. The Consultants have engaged with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and are working to organize initial consultations. 
  • Update the National CDM Strategy and Implementation Plan in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  
  • Review & Update of the Dominica CDM Legislation (Draft 2016) in Dominica.  

Technical Assistance Spotlight: CDC Disaster Risk Management Bill Review Workshop 

The CDC in Guyana received support from USAID PROSE to host a three-day Disaster Risk Management Bill Review Workshop. The workshop, which was conducted on 29-30 April and 2 May 2024 at the CDC’s Headquarters in Georgetown, aimed to enhance Guyana’s CDM legislation, providing a platform for key stakeholders to review the provisions of the 2019 Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Bill and its alignment with regional and international models. The workshop was attended by representatives from 15 institutions, including national and regional governmental ministries and agencies, private sector, and non-governmental institutions.

The Workshop Report highlights the outstanding issues to be addressed within the Bill and presents recommendations of the proposed next steps towards finalization, approval, and enactment of the Bill, guided by workshop deliberations. The CDC is now better positioned to execute the amendments, where in agreement, and to implement a clear plan of action towards strengthening, finalizing, and approving the Bill. 

Stakeholder Engagement Spotlight: Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships for Long-Term Resilience in Grenada 

Engaging Public Sector Actors: PROSE is actively engaging with wider public sector actors to reduce risk and ensure their meaningful participation in Grenada’s climate-smart country work planning process. This collaborative approach is essential for creating a holistic and integrated disaster management framework that benefits all sectors in Grenada. 

The goals for this initiative include: 

  • Strengthening Policy and Regulatory Frameworks: Enhancing the legal and regulatory environment to support comprehensive disaster management and business continuity planning.  
  • Building Capacity: Providing training and resources to both the private and public sectors to improve disaster preparedness and response capabilities.  
  • Fostering Collaboration: Encouraging ongoing collaboration between the private sector, public sector, and other stakeholders to create a resilient and sustainable environment for MSMEs. 

To achieve these objectives, PROSE has supported capacity training as well as facilitated policy workshops and dialogues between public and private sector stakeholders seeking to strengthen the resilience of businesses and communities so that they can thrive despite the challenges posed by disasters.

Technical Assistance Spotlight: Saint Kitts and Nevis CWP Consultations

NEMA and the Nevis Disaster Management Department (NDMD) are receiving Technical Assistance through USAID/PROSE to support the development of an updated CWP for St. Kitts and Nevis. The CWP is a three (3) to five (5) year programmatically driven strategic plan towards CDM at a national level which organizes work and stakeholder coordination around each of the phases of the DRM Cycle. St. Kitts and Nevis’ previous CWP spanned the period of 2014-2019.  

To this end, two island-level stakeholder consultations were conducted in August to guide the prioritization of outcomes for inclusion in the updated CWP documentation. The stakeholder engagement workshops in St Kitts & Nevis were held in August with stakeholders including national and regional governmental ministries and agencies, private sector, and non-governmental institutions. The engagements were facilitated by PROSE Policy Advisor, Ms. Anita Wilson-Layne, and Stakeholder Engagement and Consultations Lead, Ms. Natasha Leader, who led the participants through a series of presentations and exercises to raise awareness of the CWP processes, to prioritize goals for CDM among priority agencies, and to garner agreement on outcomes towards national CDM implementation. 

Partners from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, Ms. Saskia Carusi – Deputy Chief and Dr. Jair Torres – Programme Manager, attended the session in St. Kitts. Ms. Carusi, in her delivery of remarks to the participants during the opening of the consultation, highlighted the need for collaborative actions among all stakeholders to build resilient communities and to safeguard lives. Ms. Guzman, PROSE Chief of Party (COP), lauded both disaster offices for their efforts in leading the coordination among national stakeholders to ensure that a holistic strategy is developed to guide the collaborative action to prevent, mitigate, and respond to new and emerging threats. Utilizing the outputs from the consultations, drafts of the CWP, Log Frame, and Performance Monitoring Framework would be developed for review and validation by the stakeholders. 

EVENT

Suriname Disaster Risk Reduction Gap Analysis Workshop

In June 2024, PROSE team members Ms. Guzman and Mrs. Wilson-Layne attended the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Gap Analysis workshop in Suriname. PROSE Policy Advisor, Ms. Wilson-Layne, delivered a presentation during the workshop to apprise stakeholders on the PROSE activity, opportunities for collaboration, and the processes for requesting Technical Assistance through the PROSE Helpdesk.    

Involvement in the workshop allowed the PROSE team to understand the current gaps and challenges with regards to advancing policy and regulatory reform in Suriname as well as identify opportunities for collaboration.    Additionally, the workshop presented an opportunity for PROSE to strengthen the relationship with the National Coordination Center for Disaster Relief (NCCR) and key regional and international partners, including UNDRR and Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). It was a critical opportunity to ensure alignment among DRM actors, to provide space for maximization of resources through joint planning, assessment, and implementation.

PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Recognizing the significance of private sector engagement in disaster management and resilience-building efforts, PROSE has been providing advisory support to Caribbean Chambers of Commerce (CARICHAM).  This support is aimed at integrating DRM and resilience within policy frameworks, ensuring that the private sector plays an active role in mitigating risks and enhancing resilience.  

Through structured surveys and interviews with Chamber offices across the region, insights were gathered into the awareness, utilization, challenges, and needs associated with mainstreaming CDM and identification of key technical support opportunities. To this end, PROSE is engaging with several private sector stakeholders to advance CDM in the region.   Currently, PROSE is collaborating with the DAIC to deliver a three-part capacity building and stakeholder consultation activity, further described below. 

Technical Assistance Spotlight: Accelerating Private Sector Resilience Action Planning Under a Multi-Hazard and Risk Assessment Lens in Dominica

PROSE continues to collaborate closely with the DAIC to enhance disaster management frameworks with the goal of improving disaster preparedness and response through targeted activities which will focus on sessions with DAIC members. Through education, planning, and collaboration, this engagement seeks to reduce the risks and impacts of disasters on the private sector and encourage contingency planning. The Hazard Sensitization Workshop and National Campaign was held in May 2024. 

At the end of July, PROSE led a vulnerability assessment and round table to inform the development of the DAIC’s first resilience policy aimed at fostering ongoing collaboration between the private sector and government stakeholders. Following these engagements, the DAIC is committed to working closely with its members to advocate for continuous preparedness initiatives, including completing vulnerability assessments and updating company business continuity plans. The Chamber will also launch an internal campaign in partnership with government stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and maintain a vigilant stance on disaster readiness

Stakeholder Engagement Spotlight: Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association

PROSE is actively collaborating with Chambers of Commerce offices alongside key stakeholders in the tourism sector to enhance DRR efforts while also working in tandem with the National Disaster Emergency Offices to ensure meaningful participation of these actors. This collaboration aims to reinforce existing policy development initiatives and sector-specific plans aligned with CDM frameworks.  

The PROSE Private Sector Lead, Ms. Natasha Yelloy-Labad, met with the Executive Vice President of the Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association, Ms. Ria Williams, to discuss business continuity planning (BCP) Capacity and upcoming Hazard Sensitization opportunities. This initial discussion aims to inform the Association of the need for private sector engagement and meaningful inclusion of tourism actors when discussing resilience and continuity of operation contingencies. The Association participated in the hazard sensitization sessions held in May to ensure the business leaders within the hotel and tourism space are equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to ensure continuity and resilience in the face of disasters.  

EVENT

4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

During the 4th SIDs conference held in Antigua and Barbuda from 27-30 May 2024, the PROSE Project and the PROSE Helpdesk Technical Assistance request tool were introduced to relevant stakeholders.

In the framework of the event, the COP, Ms. Guzman, met with the Director of the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), Mr. Sherrod James, to discuss the Technical Assistance request, “Revision of the National Comprehensive Disaster Management Policy of Antigua and Barbuda.”

Ms. Guzman also met with the newly appointed UNDRR Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Kamal Kishore, where she introduced the USAID/PROSE Activity and shared the effectiveness of the work USAID/PROSE is undertaking, emphasizing the need for continued collaboration with the UNDRR regional office and other regional partners.

CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

PROSE recognizes the valuable contribution of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in the region and is collaborating with organizations representing vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and indigenous peoples on CDM/Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) efforts and capacity building initiatives. Our work with the CSOs focuses on strengthening their participation in the development and enhancement of DRM/CCA policy and regulations, as well as their own operational resiliency. 

PROSE is supporting technical assistance initiatives to several civil society organizations which includes: 

  • Caribbean Youth Environmental Network (CYEN): Incorporation of youth perspectives in CDM/CCA policies  
  • The Cropper Foundation (TCF): National Community-Based Disaster Resilience Training and Development of Two Policy Support Tools 
  • Grenada Community Development Agency (GRENCODA): Developing a guideline that mainstreams gender responsive CDM into operations 

Technical Assistance Spotlight: CYEN

The CYEN is a regional non-profit organization with a diverse membership of youth groups and individuals across fifteen (15) Caribbean countries who have been working together to achieve sustainable development and empowerment of youth since 1993. The organization is currently a recipient of PROSE Technical Assistance to conduct a Regional Youth Survey and Policy Development Training to identify and mainstream youth perspectives, concerns, and priorities into CDM, DRM, and CCA policies and actions. 

PROSE recognizes that the sustained involvement of youth in CDM efforts is crucial and ensuring that their needs and contributions are integrated into CDM efforts is a vital element in empowering youth. This Technical Assistance will provide a foundation to advance inclusive and participatory CDM/CCA policy formulation among youth populations, including indigenous youth, those living in situations of poverty, and youth with disabilities.  Findings from the survey will be used to inform and develop a CDM/Climate Resilience youth training programme and policy brief which will serve as an advocacy tool, targeting policymakers at national and regional levels.

The Regional Youth Survey was disseminated in eleven (11) PROSE project countries for youth aged 18 – 35 years and will be followed by an online training. The training will be launched to coincide with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13th October, which is being observed this year under the theme: Empowering the Next Generation for a Resilient Future, focusing on providing age-appropriate education to youth to help them understand and act on the disaster risks they face.

CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Barbados EW4ALL National Consultative Workshop  

 

PROSE team members Ms. Guzman, COP, Ms. Catrina Hinds, Former Technical Coordinator, and Ms. Denise Tannis, Civil Society Advisor, attended the second National Consultative Technical Workshop for Validation of the Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) Implementation Plan for Barbados in 26-27 February 2024. The meeting was collaboratively hosted by the Barbados Department of Emergency Management (DEM), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), UNDRR, IFRC, and International Telecommunications Union. The workshop built upon the impetus created in November 2023, where local, national, and regional stakeholders assembled to discuss the advancement of MHEWS in Barbados. Meeting participants contributed to the development of Priorities for an Integrated DRR/CCA Strategy for Barbados

The Policy and Regulatory Reform for Resilience (PROSE) Activity, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development Eastern and Southern Caribbean Mission (USAID/ESC), promotes the advancement of Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) and climate resilience in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean countries of Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. The implementing partner for the PROSE activity is The Cadmus Group, which is working in partnership with The University of the West Indies (UWI), and Adapt Consulting, and collaborating closely with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and other ESC stakeholders.

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