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?

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

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<<WHY IT'S IMPORTANT>>

 

A key role of a private sector network is to develop the resilience of its members to protect their businesses and employees; and this contributes to the resilience of the communities in which they operate and which makes it easier for them to recover following a disaster and begin contributing to the local economy again. 

 

Assessing the resilience of a network's members is therefore an important step toward understanding its needs and providing the right set of trainings, programming, and materials to address its knowledge gaps.

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<<EVALUATING MEMBER RESILIENCE>>

 

When evaluating your members’ resilience, it is important to have an easy diagnostic tool or questionnaire to gauge a company's preparedness and level of knowledge. This can be a simple interview guide or online survey, or a more detailed assessment tool. The key topics to address with each private sector company include:

• Are you aware of the different types of typical disasters in your area of operation?

• Do you have a business continuity plan for each of your sites?

• Do your employees know what to do in case of an emergency?

• Do you have a channel for communicating with your employees in case of an emergency?

• Do you know which of your assets sit in high-risk areas for various types of disasters?

• Do you have pre-positioned emergency supplies in high-risk areas?

• Is your supply chain prepared for a possible emergency?

• Do you know who to reach out to in the private sector network or government in case of an emergency?

• Do you have a clear view of what types of assistance or contributions you can provide in case of an emergency?

 

Once you have a sense of your member's resilience you can estimate the relative resilience of different types of companies (large versus small) or of companies in different industries, and identify key trainings or resources that would be most helpful to members. This will also feed into your key metrics for measuring and strengthening company and sector resilience.

 

<<SUPPORTING MATERIAL>>

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Examples of company resilience questionnaires (CBi to curate)