Existing programmes
Your organisation may already have a programme in the emergency affected area, possibly working through local partners.
This can be a great advantage, see case study, and in addition, consideration should be given to how the experience and skills of the existing team can be used to strengthen the relief effort.
It can, however, also be a considerable challenge if:
- The existing programme manager is used to running a smaller programme and does not have the experience or potential to run a large relief programme – case study
- The existing programme is dedicated to long-term development and the team resist the change to emergency relief, believing it will damage their longer term development goals – case study
- The organisation unrealistically imagines that the local development partner can be built up into a relief organisation with some additional finance and other capacity building measures – case study
In these situations, the organisation may have to take difficult decisions. The existing programme manager may have to be asked to step-aside and accept that a more experienced person takes over. The existing team may have to be accept that their development programme and approach have to suspended, adapted or abandoned.
The worst decision is not to take a clear decision which is explained carefully to those concerned.