Roll-out of INFORM Sub-National Models
A collaboration between UNOCHA and UNDP – Co-funded by EC ECHO
Briefing Note – October 2016
Contents
Summary
Background
INFORM Sub-National Models
Piloting and Acceleration
Logic of Intervention
Implementation Modality and Management Arrangements
Linkages with UN/UNDP Initiatives
Online Resources
FAQ
Figure 1 INFORM Risk Map 2016
Summary
The INFORM Subnational Roll-out project is intended to improve shared analysis and decision-making in humanitarian and development sectors through the accelerated implementation and use of INFORM models at country level. In particular, it aims to ensure that shared risk analysis is used across humanitarian and development sectors, and that strategies and programmes are better aligned to address the location and types of risks.The project is a joint collaboration effort between UNDP and UNOCHA, and is co-financed by EC-ECHO for a duration of two years starting September 2016.
Expected Results:The INFORM Subnational risk models being established in priority countries, based on INFORMstandards and local context, their contributions to decision-making shall be assessed and analysed inorder to determine their added-value and then define the criteria and elements that can ensure thesustainability of these models. These lessons learned will be essential for future replication andscaling-up. A support facility for the roll-out of INFORM shall be established and fully operational, thusenabling recipient institutions to access tools, guidance and qualified expertise, in order to facilitate theiradaptation of INFORM according to local needs.
Background
Launched in November 2014, INFORMis a methodology to measure risks which can support decisions about crisis and disasterprevention, preparedness and response. The global index combines approximately fifty indicators tomeasure hazard exposure, vulnerability, and capacity in each country, and details how theseindicators have changed over time. The results of INFORMare a series of user-friendly risk profiles for 191 countries that can be used by humanitarian and development actors, tocompile and understand the risk of humanitarian crises and disasters. The data generated cansubsequently enable risk-informed development and crisis and disaster risk management.
In a joint letter datedMarch 2015, the UNDP Administrator and the USG for Humanitarian Affairs encouragedthe RCs/HCs and their teamsto use INFORM during the CCA/UNDAF formulationprocess to support joint analysis and understanding of risks, as well as to feed into thedevelopment of common strategies and priorities for addressing them. The results can serve toinfluence national policies and resource allocation by helping to identify and reduce risks, buildresilience, and prepare better for crisis situations.
INFORM is a collaboration of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Reference Group on Risk, Early Warning and Preparedness and the European Commission. INFORM partners include: ACAPS, DFID, European Commission, FAO, GFDRR,IFRC,IOM, OCHA, OECD, UNDP, UNEP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNISDR,UNU,UNWOMEN,USAID/US State Dept.,WFP, and WHO.
INFORM Sub-National Models
Piloting and Acceleration
Whenthe global version of INFORM was launched, one of the most common questions asked was whether the same INFORM risk assessment methodology and process could be applied at regional and country level.At that time the partners had already done a proof of concept and worked with local partners to build regional and national versions of INFORM in selected pilot locations (Sahel region, Greater Horn of Africa region, Lebanon and Colombia).
An INFORM Subnational risk model shows a detailed picture of risk and its components that is comparable across a single region or country. It can be used by decision-makers to analyse and visualise risk. Developing an INFORM Subnational model is a locally owned and managed, cost-effective process that is supported by the global INFORM initiative - a collaboration of humanitarian, development, government and technical partners. This will ensure that each model has local buy-in, is used in local analysis and decision-making processes and is adapted according to local risks, but can draw on global resources and expertise and is validated according to global standards.
Figure 2- INFORM - Lebanon Risk Map
Based on those pilots, the INFORM partners developed a strategy for rolling out INFORM in other regions and countries starting 2016.This strategy is essentially about supporting local entities to develop their own INFORM models that are validated according to global standards.
From this strategy endorsed by the partners, a project proposal was prepared by UNDP Geneva (BPPS/Climate Change and DRR Cluster) and UNOCHA who has been coordinating the global index as well as the proof of concept in selected pilots. The proposal was submitted by UNDP to EC-ECHO in February 2016 for funding (the EC is already the main donor of the global tool, which was developed with the technical support of the EC-Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy). The proposal seeks to accelerate the implementation of INFORM Subnational models in 5 priority countries, through direct support, guidance and building capacity of local partners to develop and maintain INFORM Subnational models.
The proposal was pre-approved in April 2016, and a contract between UNDP and EC-ECHO was signed in September 2016 for a total allocation of 390,000 euros. The overall budget for the project amounts to 450,000 euros, including an in-kind contribution of UNDP estimated at 60,000 euros.
Logic of Intervention
The expected outcome is a shared and open analysis of crisis and disaster risk among national development and humanitarian actors enabling better risk-informed decision-making for planning and programming. This will be achieved by:
Establishing of support facility to provide technical assistance to local partners in 5 priority countries to develop an INFORM Subnational model, adapted from the global tool;
Building capacity at regional and national level to develop, use and expand INFORM Subnational through training staff in INFORM Partner organisations, regional organisations and governments and improving and increasing tools, guidance and capacity to support the roll-out of INFORM Subnational; and
Conducting an assessment to understand the added value and sustainability of INFORM Subnational projects.
Implementation Modality and Management Arrangements
ROLL-OUT OF INFORM SUB-NATIONAL - AT A GLANCE
Total Budget: 450,000 Euros
Donor co-financing:390,000 Euros
Donor: EC-ECHO
UNDP in-kind contributions60,000 Euros
Date of initial Submission:February 2016
Pre-Approval Date: April 2016 by ECHO subject to revision
Final Approval Date:September 2016
Duration:September 2016 – August 2018
Implementing Partner:UNDP – BPPS CDT GVA (in cooperation with UNOCHA Geneva)
The roll-out of INFORM Subnational will be financially administered by UNDP Geneva, governed by the INFORM Steering Group, and coordinated by UNDP and OCHA.
A Project Management Consultant will be recruited on a part-time basis under the project to support the day-to-day management of the activities.
UNDP Partnership Advisor on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction (on a part-time basis) will perform coordination functions to oversee the project activities.
UNDP Geneva Programme Associate (G6), on a part time basis, will provide day-to-day administrative support, in respect of contracting, procurement and travel arrangements for the deployment of experts and the organization of training.
OCHA, in its role as Global INFORM coordinator, will act as a project counterpart, providing additional guidance for the project and participating in the liaison with and support to local lead organisations, as well as other INFORM partners. Support would be provided by OCHA through its staff on part time basis (outside the scope of the ECHO-UNDP budget).
Linkages with UN/UNDP Initiatives
The global tool is used as one of the criteria for country selection in the following interventions:
Country engagement for the Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative (CADRI) to supplement the self-assessment completed by UN Country Teams requesting CADRI support;
Country selection for the UNDP project “Get Airports Ready for Disasters”;
Country selection for the “5-10-50” Partnership Initiative for Risk-Informed Development.
INFORM is also used as data source for UN reports on risks, such as the IASC Early Warning, Early Action and Readiness Report.
INFORM is a product of the IASC Reference Group on Risk, Early Warning and Preparedness, co-chaired by UNDP CDT Geneva.
It is also expected that INFORM will serve as one of the tools to support the Global Preparedness Partnership (GPP), launched at the WHS and currently under development. The first pillar of the GPP is to conduct assessments of country readiness in respect of disaster preparedness. INFORM can certainly be used for risk profiling, prior to the multi-sector capacity assessments to be conducted in-country.
Discussions are also ongoing with the group responsible for the Global Initiative for Risk Informed Development (GIRID) and how INFORM data could contribute to it.
Online Resources
INFORM (Global)
INFORM 2016 Results
Blog article co-authored by UNDP and UNOCHA
INFORM Flyer
INFORM Subnational Guidance Note (a new offering for country support)
Contacts
Patrick Grémillet
Partnership Advisor – Climate Change and DRR Cluster -UNDP – BPPS/CDT Geneva
Email:
Andrew Thow
Field Information Services (FIS)
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Geneva
Email:
Date Prepared: 10/10/2016
FAQ
What is INFORM?
INFORM is a way to measure the risk of humanitarian crises and disasters, and how the conditions that lead to them affect sustainable development. It is a risk index that identifies where crises or disasters requiring international assistance may occur and analyses that risk so it can be better managed by everyone.
What is special about INFORM?
INFORM is the first global, objective and transparent tool for understanding the risk of humanitarian crises and disasters. INFORM is open to everyone and supported by 17 development partners, including 11 UN agencies / entities. It is based on risk concepts published in scientific literature. The INFORM methodology is flexible. It can be adapted according to organizations’ focus or geographical footprint.
What can INFORM be used for?
INFORM is a tool to help understand and measure crisis and disaster risk. It can be used to support decisions about prevention, preparedness and response. Specifically, it can inform the development of shared priorities and objective allocation of resources, as well as to monitor risk trends over time. INFORM can be integrated into organizations’ planning and decision making processes.
Can INFORM be used at the regional and national level?
Yes. The methodology of INFORM can be adapted for use at the region or country level. Regional or national models include sub-national level data and the indicator selection is tailored to take account of local risks and data availability. From 2016, guidance and support will be available to regional and national actors wishing to develop and maintain their own INFORM models (a joint UNDP-OCHA proposal was submitted to ECHO in this respect, and was approved for a total budget of 390K euros. A support facility to roll-out INFORM in 5 pilot countries will be established at UNDP Geneva).
Where does the data in INFORM come from?
The data that is used in INFORM is publically available, consistently updated and has global coverage. It comes from a variety of international organizations and academic institutes and is considered to be the most reliable available. INFORM works directly with source organizations to ensure quality and appropriate use.
How is INFORM calculated?
INFORM is a way to simplify a lot of information about crisis and disaster risk. It combines around 50 different indicators that measure hazards (events that could occur), vulnerability (the susceptibility of communities to those hazards) and capacity (resources available that can alleviate the impact). INFORM covers 191 countries and includes both natural and human hazards. All the individual indicators, index components and calculations are open and transparent.
What are the limitations of INFORM?
Any model of the world is a simplification. There are limitations both in the data that is used to create INFORM, as well as the method it uses. INFORM is simply one tool. Use of INFORM alongside other inputs will support better decisions. Furthermore, it provides a common evidence-base and promotes discussion and understanding of crisis and disaster risk, which can lead to better preventative action.
Who develops and publishes INFORM?
INFORM is a collaboration of partners led by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. The initiative is guided by a steering group of major humanitarian, development and DRR agencies and donors. Technical work on INFORM is led by the European Commission Joint Research Centre. The latest results of INFORM can be found at .
Does INFORM rank countries?
Ranking countries is not the purpose of INFORM. Rather it is to provide an objective and transparent analysis of risk. INFORM results are published in alphabetical order. Users of INFORM can order countries by their score for the overall index and its components according to their intended use.
Can INFORM predict crises?
INFORM measures the risk of a crisis or disaster occurring, based on past events and present conditions. It can be considered to indicate risk over the next 3 years. INFORM cannot predict individual emergencies. However, it can be used in conjunction with other early warning tools that cover shorter timeframes.
What is the relationship between INFORM and other risk indices?
INFORM is the only open, global risk index for humanitarian crises. It is a successor to the European Commission’s Global Needs Assessment with Forgotten Crisis Index and OCHA's Global Focus Model. INFORM is a common index for all organizations and institutions. They may, however, choose to adapt INFORM to make their own specific tool for internal use.