This unit seeks to support dialogue on key humanitarian issues through platforms for collaboration between the government, humanitarian and development agencies, donors, private sector, development partners and communities.
We strive to strengthen inclusive policy making that targets to address vulnerability. We leverage on our relationships with civil society to promote community centered approaches to humanitarian action.
The USAID Kuza program was issued under USAID/Kenya’s Feed the Future (FTF) Leader with Associates (LWA) awards as Associate Award 4 to develop and support economic opportunities in Northern Kenya. A key objective of USAID Kuza is to strengthen county capacity in disaster risk management (DRM) and recovery planning which entails among others, strengthening of county DRM policies, institutional frameworks and governance. To support this, ACIDI/VOCA has engaged the International Centre for Humanitarian Affairs (ICHA) to provide technical assistance to five (5) counties; Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir, Lamu and West Pokot to develop and finalize their DRM legislation, policies, and implementation guidelines.
The deliverables for the assignment are;
1. Develop/review and finalize DRM laws /legislation.
2. Develop/review and finalize the DRM policies to operationalize legislation.
3. Develop/review and finalize the associated rules, regulations, and guidelines to facilitate implementation.
4. Provide technical support to selected counties on a needs basis towards creation of the requisite institutional structures to operationalize the DRM frameworks (legislation and policies).
All five (5) project counties have been supported to develop DRM policy and legislation in line with the global best practice under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the National Disaster Risk Management Policy. Policy implementation Frameworks that delineate the activities, responsibilities, timeframes, budget, funding sources, expected outputs, outcomes, indicators, and means of verification have been developed for four (4) project counties; Lamu, West Pokot, Wajir, and Mandera.
Lamu and West Pokot Counties have adopted all three frameworks into law and now have in place Disaster Risk Management Acts, Disaster Risk Management Policies and Disaster Risk Management Policy Implementation Frameworks.
In the course of the last 5 years, 5 Austrian NGOs have implemented a project aimed at strengthening the capacities of 9 East African partner Organizations.
The East African CSOs were trained o maain approaches,tools and ways of engagement in policy dialogue, have elaborated policy dialogue strategies and have implemented Small Action Fund (SAF) initiatives for policy dialogue.
The third phase of the Policy Dialogue Consortium Project (Phase III) started in January 2020 and ended in January 2022. It focused on institutionalizing the learnings of previous phases at individual partner level, will further support organizations to influence polivcies/laws and their implementation for the benefit of marginalized populationd, and analyzed profoundly the existent for CSO engagement in Policy Dialogue in order to contibute to an inclusive system development for this field.
Project overall goal:Contribution to a political environment in East Africa that is directed towards justice, equity and the inclusion of marginalized people. Contribution to SDGs 16, esp 16.7, and SDG 17, esp 17.8.
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The USAID-EDRR Project seeks to enhance the resilience of communities in West Pokot, Taita Taveta, Baringo, and Samburu Counties. The project targets to improve the capacities of communities, county government, and KRCS in preparing and responding to disaster risks. A key component of the project is the strengthening of county and community disaster management systems through the establishment of policies and legislation that are anticipatory of disasters to enhance preparedness and allocation of resources for preparedness and response.
ICHA through the Policy and Advocacy Unit and in collaboration with the County Government Departments of Special Programmes has supported the development of Disaster Risk Management Frameworks (policies, bills and policy implementation matrices) for the four target counties. The frameworks are aligned to international and national standards, particularly the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the National Disaster Risk Management Policy. They mainly provide an institutional framework for the management of disaster risks in the counties, the responsibilities of the different institutions, and funding mechanisms for the implementation of disaster risk management initiatives. Samburu and West Pokot Counties have adopted these frameworks.
Partners for Resilience (PfR) is a global alliance between the Netherlands Red Cross, CARE Netherlands, Cordaid, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre and Wetlands International who are working together to promote the Integrated Risk Management (IRM) approach to strengthen and protect the livelihoods of vulnerable communities and marginalized groups with special attention to women, youth, the elderly and disabled.
In Kenya, the alliance partners are represented by Cordaid, the Kenya Red Cross Society, Wetlands International, the International Centre for Humanitarian Affairs and local implementation partners Impact Trust and Merti Integrated Development Program. The aim of the project was to promote Integrated Risk Management (IRM) dialogues between the key institutional stakeholders in National and County governments, donors and the private sector to ensure that disaster risk management policy, plans and programmes
The IRM approach was intended to strengthen community resilience by reducing risks to strengthen and protect the livelihoods of vulnerable communities and marginalized groups with special attention to women, youth, the elderly and the disabled in Laikipia and Isiolo counties.
The Strengthening Early Response Capacity (STERC) Project was a two-year project funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). The main objective of the project was to enhance disaster preparedness for effective early action and response in Kilifi, Garissa and Tana River counties.
This action aimed to improve the capacity of county government institutions, partners and communities to adequately prepare for and respond effectively to rapid onset disasters in the three Counties by 2020. Ultimately, it was intended to help mitigate the impact of rapid onset disasters on vulnerable communities. Towards this, the Unit sought to address the legislative, structural and system gaps in Disaster Risk Management (DRM) at the National-County-Ward level including weak capacity and lack of coordination among actors, ineffective Early Warning Early Action (EWEA) and transfer of Early Warning information to the public.
To achieve this, efforts were made to strengthen an enabling environment (policy, legislation, structure and systems) for targeted county governments for effective Disaster Preparedness. Tana River County DRM Act passed in 2020; Kilifi and Garissa Counties have their draft frameworks tabled at their respective County Assemblies.
The USAID Kuza program was issued under USAID/Kenya’s Feed the Future (FTF) Leader with Associates (LWA) awards as Associate Award 4 to develop and support economic opportunities in Northern Kenya. A key objective of USAID Kuza is to strengthen county capacity in disaster risk management (DRM) and recovery planning which entails among others, strengthening of county DRM policies, institutional frameworks and governance. To support this, ACIDI/VOCA has engaged the International Centre for Humanitarian Affairs (ICHA) to provide technical assistance to five (5) counties; Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir, Lamu and West Pokot to develop and finalize their DRM legislation, policies, and implementation guidelines.
The deliverables for the assignment are;
1. Develop/review and finalize DRM laws /legislation.
2. Develop/review and finalize the DRM policies to operationalize legislation.
3. Develop/review and finalize the associated rules, regulations, and guidelines to facilitate implementation.
4. Provide technical support to selected counties on a needs basis towards creation of the requisite institutional structures to operationalize the DRM frameworks (legislation and policies).
All five (5) project counties have been supported to develop DRM policy and legislation in line with the global best practice under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the National Disaster Risk Management Policy. Policy implementation Frameworks that delineate the activities, responsibilities, timeframes, budget, funding sources, expected outputs, outcomes, indicators, and means of verification have been developed for four (4) project counties; Lamu, West Pokot, Wajir, and Mandera.
Lamu and West Pokot Counties have adopted all three frameworks into law and now have in place Disaster Risk Management Acts, Disaster Risk Management Policies and Disaster Risk Management Policy Implementation Frameworks.
The strategy charts the course of how ICHA will work with government and other stakeholders to ensure the achievement of sustainable development through the advancement of innovative policy solutions that can address the needs of the Kenyan population paying special attention to the needs of the most vulnerable.
The strategy charts the course of how ICHA will work with government and other stakeholders to ensure the achievement of sustainable development through the advancement of innovative policy solutions that can address the needs of the Kenyan population paying special attention to the needs of the most vulnerable.
Strengthening collaboration with national and county governments, development partners, donors, private sector, CSOs and communities’ mechanisms for policy dialogue.
Increasing the use of policy research where knowledge products, ideas and skills are translated into evidence for advocacy built on best practice.
Providing visibility to ICHA’s programmes and initiatives through the various channels as a way to conduct advocacy.
Enhancing support and capacity building for policy dialogue in order to ensure CSOs are able to conduct advocacy effectively.
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