UNDP through its Humanitarian Advisory Team Project, with the support of the 'Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities (CDAC) Network', have completed two training workshops, with the aim of supporting Community Engagement and Accountability (CCEA) in strategic decision-making processes and reinforcing practical skills and capacities to integrate CCEA into programmes and activities. The sessions were conducted from 10 – 15 October 2022.

The first training was aimed to provide CCEA for Senior Decision-Makers – to support senior leadership and decision-makers in the Disaster Management Team (DMT) and clusters, to better support and integrate CCEA into their strategic decision-making processes. While the second part of the training focused on building and strengthening practical skills and competencies for DMT partners, civil society actors and other partners on how to integrate CCEA into humanitarian programmes.

Papua New Guinea faces a myriad natural hazards, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, river and coastal flooding, landslides, and droughts, and is challenged by epidemics, biological hazards, conflicts, refugee emergencies and other human-caused crises. In a country as culturally diverse and complex, cookie-cutter approaches to emergency or crisis preparedness and response are not adequate. Minimum standards of Communication, Community Engagement and Accountability need to be incorporated into all emergency or crises preparedness and responses to be effective. Incorporation of these minimum standards will ensure identified needs and priorities of affected populations’ including, people with disabilities, marginalized populations, the elderly, women and girls, men and boys are adequately met and addressed through the implementation of a humanitarian response.

These workshops are a first step towards developing a more consistent and sustained approach to strengthening CCEA knowledge, capacities and skills in local, provincial, and national level humanitarian hubs and coordination platforms.

Earlier this year, UNDP and the CDAC Network published a report "Yumi Wok Bung Wantaim (We Work Together)” on the status of communication, community engagement and accountability (CCEA) in the context of Papua New Guinea. The report finds that there is a strong interest and several good examples and opportunities to strengthen and improve CCEA at the national, provincial, and local community level. Working together in a coordinated manner can make a difference in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the multiple hazards, disasters, and emergencies that the country faces.