Network Foundation Guide

CHAPTER 4: DETERMINE INITIAL ACTIVITIES

Private sector networks worldwide conduct a wide variety of activities and programs for disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. These activities are of varying importance in different contexts. However, there are a set of core activities we recommend all networks consider at the beginning of creating a network to ensure early success. Networks should continue to update and refine these activities on an ongoing basis to maintain their success.

 

Constructing the network's work plans and National Action Plans, gaining inclusion in key coordination bodies, and prioritizing needs correctly are all critical to cement your future activities.

 

The resources in this chapter will help you answer the following questions

1. How do I prioritize the needs I identified in Step 2 into a set of initial programmatic priorities?

2. How do I construct a first-year work plan for the network and how do I measure success?

Considering the key needs in your context and your capacity, answer the following:​

1. How do I assess my members' resilience and disaster preparedness?

2. How do I gain inclusion in the national disaster management structure?

3. Why do I need a National Action Plan and how do I develop one?

4. How do I map private sector capacities and resources?

5. How do I track private sector contributions to emergencies?

6. What trainings should I develop for my members?

7. How do I develop my communication strategy?

2. How do I construct a first-year work plan for the network and how do I measure success?

​

<<WRITING A WORK PLAN>>

 

After you establish the network's initial priorities, you can translate them into an annual work plan. This can help align network stakeholders around an initial set of activities, set expectations about what is reasonable to achieve in a year, and give an indication of required resources.  A work plan template is provided in this guide, though networks should feel free to adapt it to meet their needs or use alternate tools.

 

A strong work plan includes:

• Targets: set target outcomes for each activity, to establish a measure of success

• Owners: assign owners to each activity, so individuals and members understand their roles

• Timelines: assign target deadlines or expected timelines to signal prioritization and assist staff in gauging their ongoing workload

• Sequencing: uses logic to sequence activities appropriately to ensure efficiency

• Resources: identifies the expected resources and capabilities required to accomplish the task

 

In addition to the specific needs in a given country or region, depending on your context and capacity, there are a set of activities you should consider including in your first annual work plan:

• Determine a strategy and approach to growing the network's membership base (covered in Chapter 3, Question 9)

• Organize your memberships into industry or other working groups, with a clear set of activities (covered in Chapter 3, Question 10)

• Develop key trainings to provide to your members and their value chains, including trainings on BCP, humanitarian coordination mechanisms, humanitarian principles, public-private partnerships, etc.  (covered in Chapter 4, Question 8)

• Develop a National Action Plan, if applicable to your context (covered in Chapter 4, Question 3)

• Establish your communication and coordination approach to integrating into the national disaster management body and broader humanitarian architecture (covered in Chapter 4, Question 5)

• Begin mapping member resources and capacities (covered in Chapter 4, Question 6)

• Establish a communication strategy for internal coordination and transparency, including guidance on developing a website (covered in Chapter 4, Question 9)

​

<<TARGETS TO TRACK PROGRESS>>

 

For each of the activities included in your work plan, assigning a measure of success and a target can help you track progress and define when the network has accomplished its goals.  Metrics and targets can be framed in terms of the outputs of an activity (what the activity will produce, such as services or products) or the outcomes of an activity (the change that the activity will create, such as different levels of preparedness).

 

Listed below are some example metrics that could be used for the core activities described above:

• Tracking progress against workplan: # milestones achieved on time; % progress made against key targets

• Membership base: # of members; # of members in each industry group/sector; % growth of members year-on-year

• Communication strategy: Network website launched yes/no; information shared about disaster risks and emergencies on a regular basis (e.g. Sitreps, business guides); national information campaigns organized; # of newsletters developed and shared each year; % of members who respond to survey about level of information or DRM; # of members using specific network communication tool (such as Viber group)

• Inclusion in the national disaster management mechanisms: Achieved official seat/representation on national disaster management committee or related clusters – yes/no; # of times consulted on policy decisions related to DRM

• Mapping resources and capacities: # of companies with resources mapped, X number of industries with mapped resources; % of member companies contributions mapped and reported in UN OCHA's Financial Tracking Service (FTS) (https://fts.unocha.org/)  

• National Action Plan: Completion of National Action Plan by X date; review and input into Plan by X key stakeholders

​

<<SUPPORTING MATERIAL>>

 

Templates for a Work Plan (national and regional)

Example work plan from another network (Haiti)