Thailand Launches New Tsunami Aid Tracking System

Bangkok, 28 October 2005 – A new website to track international assistance to Thailand’s tsunami recovery effort shows that, to date, over 45 international partners have provided US$61 million worth of technical assistance through nearly 200 projects in support of a wide range of government agencies and community organizations to assist people in the tsunami-affected areas of Southern Thailand.

Known as Development Assistance Database (DAD) Thailand, the website, which was launched here today, is expected to significantly improve coordination and monitoring of the long-term international support to tsunami recovery in Thailand. The system enables easy-to-read online access to technical assistance information for Thailand’s tsunami-recovery initiatives.

“The system is a coordination tool for Tsunami-related assistance management,” said Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thakur Phanit, who presided over the launch ceremony. “It affords the Government agencies concerned, its partners, private sectors, and NGOs, a greater opportunity to chart their courses of action, to avoid unnecessary duplication and, thus, to ensure the synergy of projects/programmes as well as the cost-effectiveness in meeting the needs in a coordinated manner.”

According to the DAD Thailand website, the United Nations accounts for the largest portion of tsunami recovery related technical assistance managed in Thailand (US$23.4 million). Agencies currently managing the technical assistance include the United Nations Children’s Fund (US$12 million), United Nations Development Programme (US$5.2 million) and the World Health Organization (US$3 million).

The Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA) is spearheading the online database with support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The easy-to-access database shows a myriad of information related to technical assistance projects in Thailand which will be continually updated and improved to monitor international support to Thailand’s longer-term tsunami recovery.

Accessible at http://dadthailand.mfa.go.th, DAD Thailand allows ministries, local government organizations, bilateral partners, the UN, NGOs, the media and the public to access information such as allocation of aid by sector, district, international partner and implementer. It includes information about projects from UN agencies, international financial institutions, bilateral partners, national and international NGOs, as well as the private sector.

“A powerful monitoring tool for tracking technical assistance and results is required for effective coordination of all parties involved in post-tsunami reconstruction. DAD Thailand helps the government to meet this need,” said Joana Merlin-Scholtes, UNDP Thailand Resident Representative. “DAD Thailand will help the Government and its partners identify where rebuilding needs remain unmet, where duplication of programmes may exist, and where we need to apply our energies to Build Back Better.”

While managed wholly by TICA, the success of the DAD Thailand system depends very much on all partner organizations contributing accurate, validated and updated information at least once a month.

Separate DAD systems have been individually customized to meet the needs of four tsunami-affected countries – namely Thailand, Sri Lanka and Maldives, and a launch is planned for Indonesia.

DAD Thailand is owned by the Thai Government and is maintained by TICA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The DAD is a critical element in the Government’s strategy to ensure that the needs of tsunami-affected communities are met. It is also expected that the new database can eventually be expanded in the future as a mechanism for resources tracking and management of technical assistance projects in all sectors and of Thailand’s own technical assistance provided to other countries.

The custom-made DAD software for Thailand was developed by UNDP with support from Synergy International systems, which has produced similar systems in 20 countries.

For more information, please contact:

United Nations Development Programme

Dennis Duncan (+66) 02-288-2646 dennis.duncan@undp.org

Punnipa Ruangtorsak (+66) 02-288-2130 punnipa.ruangtorsak@undp.org

Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency

Usa Rychiprapa (+66) 02-281-6360 u_sar@mfa.go.th