United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
Capacity development of local technical committees in Infrastructure
Damage Assessments in Aleppo, Homs and Rural Damascus
March 2013
1. Background
As the crisis deepens in Syria after almost two years of escalation of hostilities
and conflict, the United Nations Development Programme, in partnership with
other UN and humanitarian agencies, are scaling up their emergency
humanitarian interventions to reach out to the most vulnerable and affected
populations. The Syria crisis has left 4 million people in need of humanitarian
assistance. Thousands are fleeing across borders every day, while others are
leaving their homes to safer areas and at least 2 million people have taken
shelter in public buildings, parks and with host families. Support mechanisms
are under increasing pressure due to the limited and depleting resources of
host families and local communities. The crisis has also exacerbated preexisting levels of poverty and unemployment especially in rural areas.
As an immediate response to the emerging needs of the Syrian population,
and in line with the Syrian Humanitarian Response Plan (SHARP), UNDP has
developed a large Humanitarian Livelihoods Programme (for more details,
please refer to Annex 1. Results and Resources Framework) in order to better
address the emerging needs of the directly and indirectly affected populations
and communities. To pilot this programme, UNDP has mobilized its own
teams and resources to kick-start relevant emergency initiatives. The
initiatives are focused on quick impact projects generating employment
opportunities, providing emergency livelihoods support, restoring critical
community infrastructure and community capacities, and creating a resilient
local economy.
Through UNDP’s humanitarian response programme in 2012, over 100,000
families from all over Syria have been better equipped to face the cold winter
season, with their basic needs being met and disability conditions improved.
UNDP, through its partner NGOs in affected areas, continues to update the
needs assessments of IDPs and host communities in order to plan an
adequate and efficient response.To that extent, proper planning mechanisms
for identification of emergency priority interventions should be put in place.
This includes assessments on livelihoods needs including information
collection on the social, economic, agricultural losses and the impact of the
crises on these dimensions. Destruction and damages of existing
infrastructure hinders the functioning of various services in many
neighbourhoods, villages, towns and cities.
Hard hit areas have witnessed complete, and to a lesser extent partial
destruction of housing units, basic infrastructure such as street lights, water
networks, sewage systems, cesspits and other assets, in addition to the
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
severe damages of various service centres including education, social, health
and other public and private facilities. This impedes the immediate return of
the IDPs to their original locations, and prolongs their displacement. On the
other hand, there is a large number of the population that had remained in
their affected areas with disrupted utilities and difficult access to basic
services. In light of the current situation, detailed damage assessments are
not taking place, whether due to the difficulty of accessing the hard hit areas,
but more importantly due to the lack of well-capacitated staff and community
members to conduct such complex technical assessments.
To this end, a well-coordinated systematic damage assessment is crucial to
reveal the extent of destruction of various local service delivery and basic
infrastructure facilities, in addition to public and private housing and business.
The outcomes of such damage assessments will inform the response
planning mechanism and the development of adequate interventions for quick
repairs, full rehabilitation and/or reconstruction efforts. These assessments
will be coordinated by a national recovery cell/unit relying on data collection at
the governorate levels and linked to a management information unit.
2. Strategy
2.1 Overall objective
As a major step towards reviving the life normalcy for the affected population,
quick rehabilitation and repairs of damaged basic infrastructure and service
delivery facilities (including medical, social, educational) becomes crucial to
ensuring access by vulnerable and affected populations to adequate services
and more importantly a safe return to their homes. However, this is only
possible if damages are systematically assessed, response plans for early
recovery interventions and reconstruction are put in place and immediate
rehabilitation actions are operational. Thus, the need of a standardized
damage assessment to be ultimately implemented in conflict-affected areas is
essential.
This would entail training of local technical committees to carry out the
assessments, develop a database to unify and standardize data collection
and analysis for prioritization and targeting mechanisms at later stages. This
project will then develop the capacity of the local communities (CBOs,
engineers, professional associations, relevant local technical directorates,
etc.) to immediately respond to the emerging needs. Moreover, it will create
an opportunity to employ local labour in the assessment stages, data
collection, data entry and analysis and later on engage them in the repair and
rehabilitation works which will ultimately provide an occasional source of
income for the unemployed in the target local areas and governorates.
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
The overall objective of the proposed project contributes to strengthening the
resilience of the Syrian people to cope with the effects of the current unrest
and enable those whose livelihoods were severely disrupted to recover and
rebuild their lives.
The project’s specific objectives are to ensure that proper damage
assessment methodologies are developed and relevant technical people are
trained and ready to engage in such local level assessments particularly in the
hard hit areas. The safe return of IDPs to their homelands is contingent on the
outcomes of such damage assessments and pertinent rehabilitation actions.
Local committees and technical staff from Homs, Aleppo and Rural Damascus
will be trained and capacitated to start the initiation of quick damage
assessments in accessible neighbourhoods.
2.2 Project components
Considering the current conflict in Syria and the levels of human suffering and
physical destruction, UNDP considers the mapping of recovery and
reconstruction needs as well as physical damages as a cornerstone for
accurate interpretation of the gaps, proper targeting of any assistance and
effective monitoring and evaluation of assistance. UNDP is prioritizing the
requirement for a unified nation-wide coordination system supported by an
effective database, that would be functional in all stages from humanitarian, to
(early) recovery and reconstruction.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned specific objectives, this project will
serve the overall output on “Coordination systems for emergency
livelihoods enhanced“ as stipulated in the larger UNDP humanitarian
livelihoods programme, and will consist of the following major activities to be
implemented over a nine (9) months period:
Output: Coordination systems for emergency livelihoods enhanced
This project will enhance and reinforce the livelihood and early recovery
network as well as foster the various relevant working groups that are in place
or to be activated. Coordination with all stakeholders will be a priority to
ensure synergies, coherence, and avoidance of duplication and maximization
of resources. A coordination that facilitates response planning, targeting,
implementation and tracking will be developed in the form of an active
database resorting to GIS and interactive mapping and reports. This
mechanism can also serve as a monitoring tool for the UN to better assess
the gaps, needs, response and the future plans for humanitarian, (early)
recovery processes in the country.
The project will mainly focus on:
1. Development of Damage assessment tools and system:
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
-
-
-
-
-
-
Develop the damage assessment tool, based onacomprehensive
questionnaire including all elements and parameters to be assessed
Pre-test the assessment tools (locations might be subject to change
depending on the security factor. The proposed assessment is at
village/city level feeding later into a district then region level)
Identify the local committees, technical expertise and relevant local
stakeholders for liaison, identification, training and assessment purposes
Develop the Information Management System and the related database
for the infrastructure damage assessment. The database is to be
expanded to include new areas in the future.
2. Capacity Development on the damage assessment tool: Technical
representatives from local committees, trained on standardized
infrastructure damage assessments, taking into consideration good
governance elements and participatory approaches in devising the
related methodology and tools.
Identify representatives from Homs, Aleppo and Rural Damascus to be
fully engaged in the training on Infrastructure Damage Assessment: the
selected persons (professional men and women) will come from local
associations, local engineers, youth volunteers, and other stakeholders
with the relevant technical background.
Develop the training packages and surveying methodology (also relying
on best practices from UNDP Lebanon and Iraq re-construction
programmes).
Conduct capacity development programme based on three training
packages: 1. Use of assessment tools, 2. Ensure participatory
approaches and good governance elements in modality of
implementation of the surveys, 3. Use of the database, data entry and
analysis for prioritization and targeting mechanisms based on specific
parameters and indicators.
Conduct the Training of Trainers (TOT) to at least 15 trainees. The core
trainers will be utilized to transfer the knowledge and develop the capacity
of other engineers, members of CBOs and local associations that can be
involved in the field surveying exercise. Also, to conduct trainings in new
areas that might be included in the future.
The project will target local committees and technical expertise and
concerned stakeholders from various governorates with particular focus on
Aleppo, Homs and Rural Damascus
3. Partnerships
The ultimate objective of this project is to ensure that restoration and
rehabilitation plans are adequately responding to the destruction
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
ofinfrastructure and disruption of basic services, which will facilitate the quick
return of the IDPs to their homelands.
As such, affected communities and their relevant representatives and local
stakeholders will be involved in the project implementation.
On the other hand, local associations, syndicates of engineers and local
actors will have an important role in directly accessing the affected
populations, bridging the communication gap between the national level and
the local level where difficulties of access and direct contact were observed.
Full engagement of local level representatives will facilitate the actual data
collection and conducting the damage assessment at later stages.
Moreover, strategic and operational partnerships will be maintained with other
UN agencies to fill in the gaps and compliment the data base fields and
requirements.
Finally, Japan will constitute an active partner in the overall process and will
be consulted at various stages of the project implementation, particularly for
the transfer of knowledge and best practices in managing large information
management systems and databases to learn from the existing experience in
crisis management and response.
4. Project Management
The project will be implemented by UNDP through its technical teams and
partner NGOs in close partnership with other concerned UN agencies. The
selection of local stakeholders, committees and professionals to be trained on
the use of the damage assessment tool and database is carefully carried out
based on capacity, relevance and engagement.
A dedicated team will work on the implementation of this project at central and
local levels. In Damascus, a technical support team will provide technical
guidance, communication, logistics and administrative and financial support,
whereas field teams in target areas will be working on the identification of the
beneficiaries, communication with relevant stakeholders and follow up on the
implementation and monitoring of the day-to-day activities for effective,
efficient and timely interventions.
Reporting schemes will be set at the implementation pace of the project. A
weekly report will be presented from the field to the central management unit
in Damascus in order to take necessary measures at both programmatic and
operational levels. A monthly report capturing all project activities will be
produced and shared with the donor. A mid-term results oriented report will be
submitted to the donor highlighting the major achievements, progress,
changes and constraints in operations and implementation of the project. A
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
final report will be submitted three months after the completion of the project.
Ad-hoc reporting is also expected when deemed necessary.
A communications plan will be developed to ensure donor visibility and
satisfaction throughout the project and their contribution to the humanitarian
works in Syria in general and to UNDP in specific. The plan will identify the
means / medium and frequency of communication between the different
stakeholders. The plan will take all necessary measures to ensure the visibility
of Japan financing in accordance with the action being implemented. This will
include the use of the Donor and UNDP’s logos on outreach materials, key
messages and phrases, testimonials and stories from the field, etc. all in
accordance with the Japan and UNDP communications guidelines and
policies.
5. Budget
UNDP will make the utmost use of the Japan contribution and will devise the
operational and implementation plan for the project as follows:
Budget Item
Allocated
Budget in
USD
Comments
Damage Assessment tools and
data base
295,290
Cost of data base/system and
technical experts
Capacity development
140,000
Cost of trainers, training
materials, logistics…
Support staff
30,000
Coordinator
Communication
750
For the production of
communication materials on
Japan contribution (leaflets,
banners, etc.)
Security
1,250
Facilities and Administration
fees
32,710
Total Budget
500,000
It should be notes that:
a) For any fund balances at the end of the project, the country office shall
consult with the Government of Japan on its use.
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
b) The interest income should be treated in accordance with the JapanUNDP agreement on Arrangement for the Interest Income derived from
Japan-UNDP Partnership Fund.
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
EXPECTED OUTPUTS
PLANNED ACTIVITIES
And baseline, indicators
including annual targets
List activity results and associated
actions
Output
Coordination systems
for emergency
livelihoods enhanced
Baseline:
- No damage
assessment
mechanism in place
- No infrastructure
damage assessment
conducted
- No local level
representatives
trained on damage
assessment
Indicator
- Damage assessment
- Coordination system
- Number of trained
local
professionals/actors
TIMEFRAME 2013
Q2
1.Development of Damage X
assessment
tools
and
systems:
- Develop
the
damage
assessment tool, based on
comprehensive
questionnaire including all
elements and parameters
to be assessed.
- Pre-test the assessment
tools in specific locations.
- Identify
the
local
committees,
technical
expertise and relevant
local
stakeholders
for
liaison,
identification,
training and assessment
purposes
- Develop the Management
Information System and
the related database for
the infrastructure damage
assessment.
Q3
X
Q4
X
RESPONSIBLE
PARTY
UNDP
Partner NGOs, CBOs
local engineers
Local committees
Training institutions
Experts
PLANNED BUDGET
USD 295,290
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
Targets:
2.Capacity Development on
- Damage assessment the damage assessment
questionnaire and
tool:
- Identify
representatives
related data base
from Homs, Aleppo and
developed
Rural Damascus to be fully
- Coordination
engaged in the training on
Management
Infrastructure
Damage
Information System
Assessment
in place
- Develop
the
training
- At least 60 local
package
(materials,
actors and engineers
methodology, tools…)
trained
- Conduct
capacity
- At least 15 trainers
development programme
empowered
based on three training
packages: 1. Use of
assessment
tools,
2.
Survey methodology 3.
Use of the database: data
entry and analysis for
prioritization and targeting
mechanisms based on
specific parameters and
indicators.
- Conduct the Training of
Trainers (TOT)
Project management,
operations, security,
USD 140,000
X
X
X
USD 64,710
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
Communication and UNDP
F&A (Facilities and
Administration)
TOTAL
USD 500,000
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
Annex 1 – Results and Resources Framework of UNDP Humanitarian Livelihoods Programme
Applicable Key Result Area (from 2008-11 Strategic Plan): Strengthen the resilience of the Syrian people and foster the recovery of disrupted livelihoods
Partnership Strategy
The programme will be implemented in close partnership and cooperation with i) Local entities; ii) NGOs/CBOs; iii) the private sector; iv) UN Agencies, v) donors, and vi)
target groups and affected populations. This will promote a wider engagement of all concerned stakeholders in identification of needs, planning, decision-making,
consultation, community mobilization, resource mobilization, implementation, monitoring, feedback and supervision.
In addition, coordination and synergy will be sought with bilateral and multilateral partners (donors, international NGOs, UN partners), through existing and appropriate
coordination mechanisms, and according to their respective comparative advantages and technical expertise. Moreover, harmonization of practices (project selection,
priority interventions wages, etc.) will be sought and knowledge management and information sharing with all partners will be considered involving the
beneficiaries/target groups as well.
Project title and ID (ATLAS Award ID): Emergency Restoration and Stabilization of Livelihoods of Syrian People
INTENDED OUTPUTS
OUTPUT TARGETS
INDICATIVE ACTIVITIES
RESPONSIBLE
INPUTS
PARTIES
Output 1: Emergency
employment for improved service
delivery and restoration and
repair of basic infrastructure
enhanced
Baseline:
Deteriorated basic social services;
Disrupted livelihoods (Loss/damage
of assets, employment, income
generation, distorted markets etc);
Lack of up to date livelihood and
damage assessments
Indicators:
Number of assessments conducted;
1Wages
-50,000 1-month job
opportunities created (30%
for women)
-Number of basic social
infrastructure restored
1.1 Targeted livelihoods and damage
assessments conducted
 Select and contract partner
institutions to conduct the
assessments
 Carry out assessment in target
areas
1.2 Emergency employment generated
and basic infrastructure repaired
adopting 60% wages and 40%
material tools modality1
 Pre-qualify,
Identify
and
contract/engage implementing institutions
 Carry out quick needs assessment of
UNDP, UN agencies,
INGOs, NGOs, CBO’s,
private sector
to material cost of 60:40 modalities will be examined thoroughly during the implementation of the project and will be based on actual market prices.
Hence, the project will institute a monthly market price surveys where possible.
Emergency employment
- Wages: US$
12million
- Tools and material:
US$4.8 million
This modality may change accordingly.
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic
Number of emergency employment
opportunity provided;
Number of basic social
infrastructure projects implemented
Output 2: Emergency support for
restoration of disrupted
livelihoods provided
Baseline:
Damaged houses and community
shelters in need for refurbishment
Loss of productive tools
Large number of IDPS in need of
NFIs
Increased demand for specific skills
training
Indicators:
Number of households benefited
priority infrastructure repairs
 Purchase necessary tools and
equipment
 Restore
basic
and
social
infrastructure (water and sewer networks,
street lights, solar heaters/lights, minor
repairs to public health facilities, social
and community facilities…) using labour
intensive techniques
 Engage in local service delivery
activities such as garbage collection,
waste management, rubble removal,
shelters management and shelter service
support…
 Identify and prioritize additional
labour-intensive interventions as per field
needs
Targets:
- 5,000 households receive
cash assistance;
- 54,000 benefit from NFIs
-10,000 benefit from
productive tools
- At least 6 vocational centres
refurbished
2.1 Cash assistance for community
shelter and houses repairs
 Map damaged community shelters
and houses for repairs
 Pre-qualify, identify and engage
specialized monitoring firm(s)
 Pre-qualify, identify, engage and
agree on the payment modalities with
specialized financial institution for cash
transfer;
 Roll-out cash assistance programme
UNDP, UN agencies,
INGOs, NGOs, CBO’s,
private sector
Conditional cash transfer
US$7.5 million
Productive Tools/kits
US$5 million
Durable households and
livelihoods assets
(including NFIs)
US$5.4 million
Vocational Training
USD 1 million
2.2 Provision of productive tools/NFIs for
people with disrupted livelihoods
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic

from cash transfer;
Number of shelters and houses
repaired
Number of households provided
with productive tools
Number of households provided
with productive NFIs.
Number of vocational centres with
increased capacity
Number of people with new skills
trained
Output 3: Emergency support for
women headed households and
people with disabilities provided
Baseline:
Increase of female household
population;
Increased vulnerability of people
with disabilities
Increased demand for specific skills
training for women and persons
with disability
Indicators:
Number of women headed


Identify needs and procure as
necessary;
Identify partners for distribution and
monitoring
Carry out actual distribution according
to agreed-upon criteria
2.3 Deliver tailored short-term vocational
training and skills development initiatives
to help in future reconstruction and other
rehabilitation efforts
 Map out and assess capacities of
existing vocational training centres;
 Build the capacity of those centres
and mobilize necessary human and
financial resources
- 5000 female headed
households
- 4400 people with disability
- At least four specialized
vocation training
centres/workshops for
persons with disabilities and
women re-furbished
3.1 Livelihoods support to women headed
households
 Provide specialized and tailored
emergency jobs (e.g support day care
services) to encourage women
headed households engagement;
 Provide tailored vocational training;
 Provide start-up grants/kits for
income generating activities;
 Support women with psychosocial
services
3.2 Livelihoods support to persons with
disabilities (PWD)
UNDP, UN agencies,
INGOs, NGOs, CBO’s,
Private sector,
specialized centres
(research,
physiotherapy,
vocational etc)
Start-up kits for women
and disabled
US$1.65 million
Disability rehabilitation
services (Equipment and
disability aids) for the
disabled
US$849,000
Training for targeted
disabled and women
US$0.5 million
Psycho-social support for
women and disabled
US$ 350,000
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic

household benefited
Number of disabled targeted
Number of vocational centres with
increased capacity
Number of people with new skills
trained


Output 4: National and local
capacities for community
resilience enhanced
Baseline:
Loss of livelihood capitals (human,
financial, social, physical, natural)
Increased need for psychosocial
services;
Limited CBOs’ capacity to respond
to the current unrest in the country
and respond to the needs of the
affected population
Indicators:
Number of psychosocial workers
trained
Number of CBOs capacitated and
networks/ consortiums established
-
150 psychosocial workers
100 NGOs/CBOs
At least three networks
established;
At least three local level
initiatives
in
each
governorate
Provide
a
holistic
disability
rehabilitation services to persons with
disability (including disability aids,
physiotherapy and occupation therapy
where
possible,
psycho-social
support…) ,
Provide specialized and tailored
vocational
training,
and
equip
workshops
for
production
of
prosthetics and other materials to
employ PWD
Provide start-up grants/kits for
restoration of livelihoods
4.1 Deliver psycho-social support to crisis
affected communities /people
 Train psychosocial workers
 Conduct
community-based
psychosocial services
4.2 NGOs/CBOs and local working
groups provided with required capacities
to engage in emergency responses
 Map and carry out capacity
assessment of NGOs/CBOs
 Establish local working groups
composed of all concerned local
stakeholders
 Implement targeted training for
NGOs/CBOs and working groups;
 Facilitate networking for exchange of
information and best practice
UNDP, UN agencies,
INGOs, NGOs, CBO’s,
private sector
NGOs/CBO capacity
assessment and
development programme
(trainings and workshops)
US$ 500,000
Grants for NGOs/CBOs
US$500,000
Community based
activities
US$ 300,000
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United Nations Development Programme
Syrian Arab Republic

Provision of grants for community
based initiatives
4.3 Develop various inter-communal
activities for co-existence and dialogue
purposes
 Mobilize youths groups at local
and regional level for intercommunal activities including:
sports tournaments, social events,
open days, music forums, cultural
forums, soft skills training, social
entrepreneurship initiatives.
 Facilitate
networking
among
various groups and various
communities to share experiences
and exchange of information.
Output 5: Coordination for
emergency livelihoods enhanced
Baseline:
No “early recovery” cluster
activated; livelihoods working group
in place, chaired by UNDP,
Sector working groups in place;
No governmental coordination
mechanism on livelihoods in place
Indicators:
Up to date 3 W matrix;
SOPs in place
Number of partnerships established
Number of assessments completed
Number of field coordination
- Fully functional livelihoods
sector working group;
- All livelihood activities and
actors mapped
- Practices harmonized
(payments, joint
programming,….etc)
- Linkages and partnerships
with other relevant sectors
are established
5.1 Reinforce and strengthen the
livelihood sector working group and the
early recovery cluster (when operational)
and develop partnerships and
coordination mechanisms with relevant
counterparts
 Develop the coordination system
based on global experiences building
on the existing infrastructure in the
country
 Establish a cluster coordination
unit (composed of national and
international
technical
including
Coordination Specialist, Livelihoods
Specialist
and
Management
Information
Officer
with
GIS
UNDP, SWG members,
INGOs NGOs/CBOs
Technical Unit set up
Personnel, data base and
equipment and
assessments
US$ 1 million
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Syrian Arab Republic
mechanisms established
background)
 Carry out and collaborate with
other agencies to conduct baseline
surveys, quick mapping of who is
doing what and where, collect
information from the field and other
partners on sectoral thematic areas
to set the system parameters
 Roll out the system and generate
reports accordingly

Ensure coordination at the local
and regional levels (deployment of
field coordinators, setting up hubs…)
as deemed necessary
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