Post-disaster-volunteering-A-case-study-in-humanitarian-team-volunteering-from-the-Philippines

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Post-disaster volunteeringA case study in humanitarian team volunteering from the Philippines

2 Post-disaster volunteering A case study in humanitarian team volunteering from the Philippines 3

AcronymsAVID Australian Volunteers for International Development

BBB Build Back Better

DFAT Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)

DILG Department of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines)

LGU Local Government Unit (Philippines)

OPDS Office of Project Development Services (Philippines)

RAY Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda

ContentsAcronyms 2

The challenge of Super Typhoon Haiyan 4

Australian volunteering since 1950 4

Why team volunteering post-Haiyan? 5

Case-study assessment methodology 5

The response 6

Build Back Better 6

The outcomes 8

What did the volunteers do that contributed to this success? 9

Disability inclusive design and gender appropriate spaces 9

Australian Aid timeline 10

Successful capacity building 10

Team volunteering and public diplomacy 10

Research for innovation 11

Challenges of the team approach 12

Documenting the community experience 12

Future directions for team volunteering 12


Australian volunteering since 1950Australian international volunteering has rich history that began with the Volunteer Graduate Scheme in the 1950s. The volunteer program, currently known as Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), has grown over time to become a distinctive element of Australia’s aid program. The current geographic focus of the AVID program is the Indo-Pacific region. AVID supports skilled Australians to undertake volunteer assignments aimed at improving the capacity of host organisations in sectors of high priority to Australian and partner governments.

The challenge of Super Typhoon HaiyanIn November 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) struck the Philippines. It left in its wake a huge area of devastation. Around 12 million people were affected, with 4 million displaced. The Government of the Philippines reported that the destruction caused by the typhoon amounted to A$2.9 billion in damages and led to a 5 per cent loss in the nation’s gross domestic product in 2013. There were more than 6,300 fatalities, and the level of destruction was comparable to the impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Immediately following the Typhoon, the Australian Government pledged A$41 million in emergency relief to the Philippines to provide emergency food, shelter, water, sanitation and health services to Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte and Southern Leyte. Australia also committed A$23 million for recovery and rehabilitation assistance delivered through existing aid investments of the Philippines country program.

Once the emergency had subsided, the Philippines National Government faced the immense challenge of guiding recovery of the local economy, lives and livelihoods in affected areas. The Philippines National Government established the Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda (RAY) program and introduced the Build Back Better principle to address the challenge. Under this program, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), approached the Australian Embassy in the Philippines about the possibility of sourcing Australian expertise to support the reconstruction effort.

Why team volunteering post-Haiyan?Australian volunteers are typically engaged on individual assignments located within host organisations in developing countries with which the Australian Government has a development partnership. Australian volunteers are skilled and experienced people who work alongside local staff, while living simply, receiving only a modest allowance. They work to build the capacity of a counterpart staff member within a local host organisation and to promote understanding across cultures more broadly.

A team volunteering model was proposed as an innovative response to this specific humanitarian situation. The proposal was to deploy a group of people with complementary skills and knowledge, who could work together alongside local staff and coordinate local government support. The group also needed to be able to collaborate effectively in a high pressure environment.

Case-study assessment methodologyFollowing discussions with key stakeholders and extensive reading of project documentation, retrospective Program Logic and Theory of Change documents were created. This was important to ensure the appropriate outputs, outcomes and theoretical underpinnings were assessed. Several evaluation approaches informed the assessment, in particular contribution analysis and performance story technique. Data was gathered using both qualitative and quantitative methods, including:

• semi-structured interviews with a range of key stakeholders, involving a field trip to the Philippines to meet with Government officials at central, regional and municipal level, and interviews with a random selection of the returned volunteers

• observation of affected locations and the project response

• online surveys distributed to all returned volunteers and all host organisation counterparts who worked directly with the volunteers

Data was triangulated from the different sources to reach findings regarding the contribution of the volunteer team to the project outcomes. Analysis of data consistently pointed towards the positive contribution of the AVID team.

Engineer Ofelia M. Pido, Coordinator of the Planning and Project Development Management Unit, DILG Region 8, Tacloban

What is good about the volunteers is that they not only researched outside the department, the regional office, they involved us. Those victims, they involved us in the preparation of the operations manual. That is what we really appreciate.

pTACLOBAN


The responseThe DILG is responsible for implementing the rehabilitation plan for the reconstruction and restoration of damaged provincial and municipal buildings, public markets, civic centres and barangay infrastructure in the 171 local government units (LGUs) across the affected region. The Department faced the additional challenge of ensuring that the work would follow Build Back Better (BBB) standards, so that replaced or repaired public buildings would be disaster- and climate-resilient. The scale and complexity of the rebuilding task was immense, particularly for provincial and municipal government staff who were also dealing with the direct impact of Haiyan on their own lives.

DILG quickly identified the need for increased support for recovery operations. DILG leadership discussed the possibility of sourcing Australian expertise to support the delivery of the RAY program with Australian Embassy staff in Manila. DFAT and the In-Country Manager for the AVID Program in the Philippines directly liaised with the DILG Office of Project Development Services (OPDS) to explore the possibility of a coordinated AVID response.

Given the urgent, large-scale nature of the project, a volunteer team approach was implemented.

Three volunteers began assignments in September 2014 in what was labelled the RAY-DILG project. A volunteer project coordinator was assigned to work with central DILG staff in Quezon City. Two more volunteers were placed in Tacloban City, the capital of the selected pilot region (Region 8 or Eastern Visayas), to work with regional DILG staff. These volunteers were joined by another three Australian volunteers in November 2014. The six Australians brought a diverse mix of professional experience in engineering, urban planning, construction management and architecture to their assignments. In April 2015, a seventh member of the team, an AVID communications specialist started working with DILG public relations staff in Quezon City to ensure public understanding and support for recovery projects.

The work of the volunteers complemented ongoing activities of the Australian Aid Program to the Philippines, particularly in the area of disaster risk reduction.

Build Back Better The “Build Back Better” concept emerged during the multi-national recovery effort following the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004. Build Back Better advocates for the rehabilitation of communities and assets in a manner that makes them less vulnerable to future disasters and more supportive of broader development objectives.

Tristan Turner

Construction Manager

Tacloban City, Leyte

September 2014 – May 2015

Sonja Bertotto

Civil Engineer (and national project coordinator)

Quezon City

September 2014 – July 2015

90%said the Australian volunteer

contribution was very important to staff learning new skills.

90%said the Australian volunteer

contribution had been very important to organisational capacity to deliver

programs and meet goals.

Local counterpart staff on the volunteer team These figures are based on a survey completed by 11 DILG officials who worked with the Australian volunteers.

100% said the Australian volunteer

contribution in creating linkages and networks with Australia was very

important.

Jonathan Choy

Mechanical Engineer


November 2014 – July 2015

Celeste Swain

Civil Engineer


September 2014 – July 2015

Breanna Ryan

Architect



Chay Garde

Urban and Social Planner

Quezon City


Lisa Gardner

Communication Specialist

Quezon City

April 2015 – November 2015


The outcomesThe creation of the Build Back Better Operations Manual...

The AVID team worked with DILG staff at central and regional levels to develop the Build Back Better (BBB) Operations Manual. The team also developed an extensive training program for central, regional and municipal staff to support implementation and roll out of the manual to the other affected regions. Given the scale of the task and the limited time available, this was a considerable achievement. Local staff felt a strong sense of local ownership of the manual. (It was still actively being used and added to in the pilot region in mid-2016.) The implementation of the manual in other regions began in June 2016 with DILG staff coordinating the roll out.

...facilitated by volunteers, owned by the host organisation...

The volunteers found that there were many guidelines, checklists and codes already in existence that could be used in the reconstruction process. However, this documentation was not available in a coherent form. Many of the guidelines were not widely known. Others were ignored and when they were used, application was inconsistent. The volunteers worked with counterparts to organise the information in a logical order with necessary guidelines developed wherever gaps were identified. The opinions of front line DILG staff were actively sought and used to shape the final product. The end result was a coherent, professional set of guidelines and processes that were immediately relevant to government staff at the operational level. Operational staff recognised the BBB Operations Manual as their own standard, rather than a set of instructions imposed from outside.

... and being used to improve outcomes in the field.

While the full impact of the BBB Operations Manual will not be evident for a number of years, in the pilot region there is already evidence of cities and municipalities utilising the guidelines and standards in the manual to make changes to existing designs and improve the standard of proposed designs. For example, Guiuan province (the first point of landfall of Typhoon Haiyan) is no longer allowing galvanised iron roofing or sliding windows in public buildings to ensure that these buildings are better protected against extreme weather. Improvements to recently constructed buildings are evident and the manual is resulting in better standards of design and reconstruction. In another example, Leyte province incorporated roof parapets in the reconstruction of barangay halls to reduce the risk of damage during future typhoons.

What did the volunteers do that contributed to this success?Local government officials and staff spoke highly of the characteristics, behaviours and attributes that the AVID team brought to their work:

• Australian volunteers are around for the long haul. In the maelstrom of relief and recovery activity which followed Typhoon Haiyan, having a group of six dedicated specialists constantly working alongside government officials for between 8 to 10 months was highly regarded.

• Australian volunteers take the time to listen, even during times of intense pressure. The volunteers did not impose their views on local organisations. They respected and utilised local knowledge. For example, the initial group of three volunteers spent six weeks visiting a range of affected locations, gathering information, hearing local views, and charting the best way forward. This demonstration of respect was vital to ensuring that building guidelines were considerate of local social and cultural conditions while meeting international best practice.

• Australian volunteers are here because they want to be here. The Australians’ volunteer status was taken by Government officials and local people as a clear indication of the selfless motivation of the volunteers. This won the volunteers the respect of their counterparts and created a strong collegial working environment.

• Australian volunteers have a direct and honest approach. The Australian volunteers explained situations and ideas frankly, without being unduly blunt. In the words of one regional official: “They were very helpful because they were very objective in the[ir] review and monitoring. They gave us honest reports if the projects [we]re not in accordance with the standards.”

Disability inclusive design and gender appropriate spaces The Australian volunteers consistently applied the principles of disability inclusive design and gender appropriate spaces during the reconstruction process. Relevant guidelines and legislation already existed, but were not being taken into account in local government building design and construction in most cases. The volunteers challenged this approach and ensured that the manual clearly set out disability inclusive and gender appropriate requirements. This attention led to some of the most innovative developments of the project that local government officials point out with pride in their cities and municipalities. One of these is the inclusion of appropriate private spaces for women in evacuation centres.

Director Pedro Noval, DILG Regional Director (Region 8)

AVID volunteers helped a lot, not only in mobilising the community but also educating our technical people, especially [on] the standards that should be adapted and observed in rehabilitating and repair of damaged facilities

Upon reading the manual, I immediately disseminated and gave a copy to all the regional offices in the country because that manual is very useable and can serve as an effective guide for the communities in building back better the damaged facilities hit by any calamity.

An improved day care centre design that is conducive to learning, particularly in the expanded open space where the children can rest or play.


8 November 2013

Landfall: throughout the day Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) strikes a vast area across the Philippines.

Australia releases pre-positioned emergency relief supplies through the Philippine Red Cross and the United Nations Population Fund.

Australia commits A$40 million to relief efforts.

Australia commits A$20 million to basic education and A$10 million to community-centered development programs (and preposition of relief stocks) in the Philippines, including areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

Government of the Philippines at all levels prepare a series of long-term rehabilitation plans for typhoon-affected areas.

Batch 1 of local government reconstruction projects begin.

Australia commits A$7.3 million to the Resilience and Preparedness towards Inclusive Development (RAPID) Program.

The first group of three Australian volunteers arrive.

The second group of three Australian volunteers arrive, joining the team of three already in the field.

Victims and survivors mark the first anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan.

Batch 2 of local government reconstruction projects begin.

Build Back Better Operations Manual is released to strengthen post-disaster relief efforts, impacting Batch 2 and Batch 3 design and construction.

9 November 2013November -

December 2013February – March 2014

March - June 2014 April 2014 3 July 2014 September 2014 November 2014 8 November 2014 May 2015 August 2015

Australian Aid timeline

Team volunteering and public diplomacyThe AVID volunteer team contributed significantly to recovery and development goals in typhoon-affected areas while also promoting a positive perception of Australia. The development of the BBB Operations Manual attracted significant attention among senior officials of DILG. The Secretary and Under-Secretary took an interest in the work of the volunteer team and were very pleased with their results. A press release on the BBB Operations Manual was included in the Philippines Government Gazette, a major achievement for any government activity. The volunteer team attracted positive public attention far exceeding that which would be credited to a collection of individual volunteer assignments.

The storm passed. As I left my house to survey the damage, I saw that everything had been flattened, as though Ormoc had been hit by an atomic bomb. Trees were uprooted and those still standing had been stripped of their leaves and branches. I’d seen pictures of Ormoc after World War II, and it looked just the same: as though over the course of a few hours, a world war had taken place.

Arthur C. Arcuino, Market Administrator Quote taken from After the Storm: Two Years On

Successful capacity buildingThe volunteers and host organisation counterparts agreed that the volunteers had contributed strongly to the capacity of DILG to roll out and oversee implementation of the BBB Operations Manual. The volunteers delivered formal training workshops to central, regional, city and municipal officials, primarily within pilot Region 8 but also to representatives from other affected regions. There were a number of other keys to successful learning cited by DILG staff:

• The training delivered by the volunteers was interactive and practical. For example, rather than simply lecturing on potential design faults, an Australian volunteer trainer took the group on a tour around the building in which the workshop was being delivered, getting the participants to identify design strengths and weaknesses.

• Counterparts learnt by accompanying volunteers into the field, seeing how they dealt with different scenarios and directly addressed problems and complexities together.

• Volunteers introduced unscheduled, informal one-on-one discussions (sit-down-talk sessions) about work issues which provided opportunities for mentoring.

• Volunteers adopted a collaborative approach to all team meetings and looked to local counterparts to trigger ideas rather than supplying all the information themselves.


Challenges of the team approachWhile local counterparts found working with the volunteers to be a very positive experience, some volunteers experienced difficulties within the Australian team. In response to these difficulties, small changes in recruitment, preparation and management of volunteer teams have been implemented to reduce teamwork-related tensions. Volunteer teams are now a feature of the AVID program in several other countries including Sri Lanka, Vanuatu, Laos and Fiji.

Team volunteers in the Philippines also faced the challenge of balancing their team project objectives – in this case the completion of the BBB Operations Manual – with their AVID program responsibilities to build the technical capacity of local counterpart staff members. At times, the volunteers believed they were spending too much time producing the manual and insufficient time developing the capacity of their counterparts. Positive statements from DILG staff regarding their enhanced knowledge and skills suggest that, despite concerns, the volunteer team managed to balance both project delivery and capacity building functions effectively.

Documenting the community experienceFollowing the first anniversary of Haiyan, DILG decided it was important to formally document the experience of affected communities and the many ways in which the rebuilding process had helped them recover from the typhoon. The success of the volunteer team encouraged DILG to seek assistance from AVID to capture the recovery story. A volunteer specialising in communications joined the project in April 2015, and worked with a DILG counterpart on the production of a coffee-table book. After the Storm: Two Years On served as testament to the courage and resilience of the affected communities and is highly regarded in government circles.

Future directions for team volunteeringThis case study indicates that team volunteering can occupy an important place in the wider AVID program. However, it is necessary to consider the circumstances in which team volunteering is the most appropriate model. Several conditions of the post-Haiyan context point to opportunities for successful team volunteering projects:

• There was high demand for technical support to address a national priority development issue. (Recovery and reconstruction after Typhoon Haiyan was a strategic priority for both the Government of the Philippines and DFAT, which facilitated high level support at critical junctures.)

• The host organisation was large enough to accommodate a higher number of volunteer assignments, both in terms of the number of staff available to engage with the Australian volunteers and in the provision of physical space for the volunteers to work.

• There was clear and unified understanding of the work required of the volunteer team and the skills and experience necessary for team members. The volunteer team model developed was based on strong evidence of a genuine need.

• The objectives of the team were technically diverse and significant in scale, such that several complementary, but distinct, assignments were required. To be successful, volunteers had to draw on their own expertise while finding paths to effective collaboration.

Innovative team volunteering models have the potential to successfully address complex humanitarian and development challenges across the Indo-Pacific. Team volunteering enables a critical mass of people with complimentary skills to work together and achieve substantial outcomes. The Build Back Better Operations Manual developed by Australian volunteers in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan is an excellent example of how team volunteering can support a large-scale, highly-technical humanitarian response.

The Australian Volunteer for International Development (AVID) program is an Australian Government initiative. This report has been developed by Scope Global, a delivery partner for the AVID program.

What is good about the Build Back Better principle is that… we now have the ramps and the rails for... the civic centres... when previously, the [local officials]... were left to design and construct... but right now, we have this design for them to follow.

LGU engineer – Jaro municipality, Leyte

An improved civic centre design in Jaro Municipality (Local Government) in the province of Leyte featuring an access ramp.

Research for innovation The research outlined in this report was commissioned by Scope Global, an implementing partner of the AVID program.

Scope Global has a particular interest in assessing specific innovative approaches to international volunteering. The focus of this case study, an AVID team response to assist recovery after Super Typhoon Haiyan), is one such innovative response to a specific development challenge.

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The Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program is an Australian Government initiative. This report has been developed by Scope Global, one of two delivery partners for the AVID program.

www.dfat.gov.au/australianvolunteers

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Post-disaster-volunteering-A-case-study-in-humanitarian-team-volunteering-from-the-Philippines