CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
for the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Learning Program
Background
The World Bank Institute (WBI) endorsed by the Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative (CADRI) of the United
Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) is launching an initiative to partner with regional
centers to support training for disaster risk reduction capacity building. This is an invitation to eligible regional
organizations involved in disaster management activities who are interested in partnering together to deliver
blended training on disaster risk management in their region.
The initiative is part of the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Learning Program developed by the
World Bank Institute (WBI). This program through partner organizations provides training to government
officials, disaster professionals, NGOs, and development practitioners around the world. The objective of the
program is to: i) raise awareness among key stakeholders on disaster risk management; ii) promote proactive
risk management practices; and, iii) advance the analytical skills and professional knowledge of development
practitioners in the area of disaster risk management.
Aims
The Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Learning Program is a sustainable global capacity building
program that is regionally tailored, adopting the use of blended learning activities and delivery modes. The
Partnership aims to assist the organisation to:
1) Advance the analytical skills and professional knowledge of development practitioners
in the area of disaster risk reduction
2) Integrate learning curriculum into existing development projects or education and
training programs, using the organization’s own and other resources and partnerships
3) Increase access to education, training and knowledge sharing across the country and
region
4) Produce blended learning activities that address learners’ needs
5) Create a pool of instructors and facilitators with adequate capacity to teach in the area
of disaster risk management
6) Facilitate learners’ communications with content experts and practitioners who have an
international background in the area of disaster risk management
Program Curriculum
Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management
An introductory course, Comprehensive Natural Disaster Risk Management, gives an overview of major disaster
risk management issues that are explored in more details in specialization courses. This course targets general
development practitioners to raise their awareness and sensitivity in prevention of natural disasters.
Financial Strategies for Managing the Economic Impacts of Natural Disasters
This course focuses on financial, economic and development impacts of disasters, and trade-offs involved in
disaster risk financing providing policy makers with tools and institutional designs for improved planning,
budgeting processes, and national macroeconomic projections.
Safe Cities
The Safe Cities course addresses particular concerns of urban managers and planners and reviews processes,
regulations, enforcement issues and methods essential to reducing exposure to hazards and limiting the
physical vulnerability of high-density settlements.
Community Based Disaster Risk Management
This course focuses on prevention, mitigation and the need to active participation of local actors in design,
development, implementation and monitoring of activities related to phases of disaster cycle.
Damage and Reconstruction Needs Assessment
The Assessment course enhances the participants’ understanding of the social, economic and environmental
effects of natural disasters and introduces instruments for quantifying direct damages, indirect losses, and the
overall macroeconomic effects of catastrophic events.
Earthquake Risk Reduction
This course links the science and engineering of earthquakes to structural and non-structural risk reduction
practices. The course introduces the basic approaches to earthquake risk reduction, discussing the
effectiveness of each in various regions of the world.
Climate & Disaster Risk Management
This course provides an introduction to the science of climate change, reviews the climate change impacts on
natural hazards, and the trends in magnitude and frequency of climatic extremes and changes in average
climatic conditions. It explores the inter-linkages between disaster risk management and climate change
adaptation and outlines strategies, methods and tools for integrated climate risk management.
Land Use Planning for Urban Risk Reduction
The Land-Use Planning course is a specialization intended for professionals involved in public infrastructures,
critical facilities, and lifelines such as land use planners, zoning officers, and building and housing officials and
housing officers.
Eligibility Criteria
The organization or partnership of organizations must:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Serve a group of countries/region;
Be involved in the areas of disaster management and risk reduction;
Have a mandate of enhancing disaster management capacity in their region;
A history of training and capacity building in the realm of disaster management;
Either have experience of or interest in both traditional face-to-face methods of learning as well as the
use of blended learning activities and delivery modes;
6) Be able to identify two or more resource people in the organization to fill the following roles: project
manager, facilitator(s), and supervisor of facilitators [if facilitator role is outsourced outside the
organization]
1) A commitment towards the growth of a sustained program on disaster risk reduction and internal
resources for doing so or potential funding sources
Application procedure
Step 1: Check the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Learning Program website for any further
information and to view sample course material at www.wbidrm.org
Step 2: Complete the ‘Expression of Interest Form’
Step 3: Attach a Covering Letter from your organization according to the following guidelines:
1) Title “Application for Partnership for the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Learning
Program”
2) Mandate of the organization
3) History of the organization
4) Statement on commitment for: i) the proactive incorporation of delivery of the Program into the
organization; ii) a multi-year collaboration; iii) commitment to ensure financial sustainability of the
program through a viable business plan and, iv) no less than 6 course deliveries per calendar year
5) Signed by the head of organization
Step 4: Send a hardcopy or fax of the Cover Letter and completed Expression of Interest to:
Berna Yekeler
World Bank Institute
1818 H Street, N.W., MSN J4-400
Washington, DC 20433 USA
Tel: +1-202-473-7632
Fax: +1-202-334-8350
byekeler@worldbank.org
www.wbidrm.org
Step 5: Send an electronic copy of the documentation, including a scanned copy of the Covering Letter, to
byekeler@worldbank.org. For further information, please contact Berna Yekeler at Tel: +1-202-473-7632.
Selection Criteria
Applications received by organizations that have submitted all required documentation will be reviewed by a
panel committee. Applicants will be notified accordingly.
Expression of Interest Form
This Expression of Interest Form can be completed electronically by pressing the ‘Tab’ key or clicking with your
mouse on the grey text boxes and check boxes, or in hardcopy.
Your contact details
Name of organization
Address
Contact person
Telephone number
Email address
Fax
Name of partner
organization/s (if any)
Address
Questions – Organization
1. What is your organization’s mission, capacity and experience in the area of disaster management? How many
years has your organization been involved in this area?
2. What is your organization’s training budget and staff involved in training activities?
3. What is the size of the organization and number of professional staff?
4. What is the organization’s annual budget and what is the source of funding?
5. With which categories does your organization include partnerships with? Please check one or more
boxes.
a. Education institutions
b. Community based organizations
c. Government at all levels
d. Non-governmental organizations
e. Unions
f. Associations
g. Private sector
6. What is the organization’s capacity and experience in training in the area of disaster management?
7. What modes of training does your organization currently use?
8. Do you have two or more staff members with the capacity and appropriate experience to
work in the program that cover the following roles: project manager, facilitators, and supervisor
of facilitators?
Yes
No
9. How can the project team’s skills obtained from this program be integrated and applied in the organization’s
future activities or elsewhere?
10. What is the anticipated impact in the development objective and theme areas?
Any further comments