LocationsPeer learning to enhance efficiency and effectiveness for national emergencies
November 2, 2022
Suva, Fiji - The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Pacific Community (SPC) have revived the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) Training of Trainers (TOT) concept last undertaken in 2018. This TOT will also involve a regional recovery component and will include peer learning/exchange from the across the region with participants from Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, RMI, Solomon Islands and Fiji.
Official group photo of the PDNA TOT/Pacific Recovery Workshop.
The PDNA TOT/Pacific Recovery Workshop today (date) was officially opened by the Minister for Rural & Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Minister for Defence, National Security and Policing Hon. Inia Seruiratu. In his opening address, Minister Seruiratu mentioned that “this regional TOT/workshop is crucial enough to ensure that the fundamentals of post-disaster assessments are embedded well enough and that the recovery planning discussions will complement your respective Government’s overarching national development agenda. This workshop intends to build on these imperatives to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the way you’ll deal with your respective national emergencies back home,” he said.
“Your presence here today is no mere coincidence. You have been carefully selected ahead of your peers to gain first-hand knowledge in the hope that your respective Governments will be relying on your expertise, should disaster strike in the not –too distant future. Please make good use of every opportunity it has to offer,” added Hon. Seruiratu.
In his welcoming remarks, Team Leader for Resilience and Sustainable Development Programme for UNDP, Mr. Justin Shone on behalf of the Resident Representative for UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, Mr. Levan Bouadze, said “Peer exchanges and learnings have in time and time again proved useful and effective in the Pacific. This is part and partial of UNDP’s SIDs Offer to respond to the Pacific’s pressing development needs faced to build resilient societies”.
Participants holding a discussion at the workshop.
As part of the week-long programme, the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji will facilitate the TOT/workshop in collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC). The week-long TOT training is intended as a refresher and three days devoted to recovery discussions focusing on institutional practice, lessons learnt, peer exchanges and recovery preparedness moving forward.
In her remarks at the opening, the SPC GEM Director, Ms. Rhonda Robinson emphasized, “Inaugural Pacific Disaster Risk Reduction Ministers meeting, in September 2022, committed to ensuring that recovery is based on a comprehensive understanding of the full impact of disasters and the PDNA methodology is one way we can do this.”
“The training will provide the tools for sectors to better assess the impacts of disasters, help establish arrangements for recovery planning and establish working relationships between agencies. At the regional level, we’ve been able to support countries in the conduct of PDNAs and delivery of training through the World Bank funded Pacific Resilience Programme in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and European Union,” she added.
Participants attending the refresher Regional PDNA TOT/Recovery workshop include officials from Fiji, Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The workshop was attended by 20 participants, five of which are women.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Paula Cirikiyasawa, Country Project Coordinator, EDCR Project Office in the Republic of Palau, Tel: +(691) 320 4456, Email: paula.cirikiyasawa@undp.org
