Workshop Report
On
VCA Step by Step Guideline to Bangladesh Context
Venue: Proshika Human Resource Development Center (HRDC)
Manikganj, Dhaka
Organizer
Bangladesh Red Crescent society (BDRCS)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
26 – 30 May 2013
”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop
TABLE OF CONTENT
Topic
Executive Summary
1. Introduction
2.Objective of the workshop
3. Narrative of the workshop
3.1 Day One
3.2 Day Two
3.2.1 Experiences of CRA and PVA
3.2.2 Vulnerability to the context of children, women and disabilities
3.2.3 Vulnerability and Pressure model
3.3 Day Three
3.3.1 VCA in Urban context
3.3.2 VCA in Climate Change context
3.4 Day Four
3.4.1 Threshold for the VCA
3.4.2 Harmonization the steps and principles of exercising VCA
3.5 Day Five
4. Limitation
5. Beyond the Schedule
6. Facilitator & Training Material
7. Concluding Remarks
8. Attachments
8.1 Training Schedule
8.2 List of Participant
Page No.
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”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop
Executive Summary
A five day long workshop on VCA Facilitator’s Step by Step guideline is organized and hosted
by the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, supported by the International Federation country
delegation under Swedish Red Cross funding under the Community Based Disaster Risk
Reduction (CBDRR) Programme. The aim of the workshop is to strengthen National Society
in terms of accomplish pragmatic knowledge, ameliorate skills and attitudes in risk analysis,
development of disaster risk reduction strategies and setting a basis for development
programmes to build safer and resilient communities. After successfully completed the
workshop, a draft VCA step by step guideline has been produced in urban, rural and climate
change context. A total number of 23 participants from CBDRR programme, CCA project,
V2RP, DPSS project under Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Department of BDRCS, VCA
pool members took part in the workshop.
1. Introduction
In the process of assessing community vulnerabilities and capacities, Bangladesh Red
Crescent Society (BDRCS) has begun to assess its role in both disaster preparedness and
disaster response initiatives. National Societies with a strong response capacity might
examine how new initiatives in mitigation could reduce the potential loss of life and capital
assets in the next disaster. National Societies that have an effective mitigation strategy
could look at how their efforts help address the critical vulnerability factors of a population
at risk. And, in all cases, assessment of community conditions will provide key National
Society decision-makers with relevant information to make strategic decisions. The process
of understanding a society’s vulnerabilities and capacities will offer options as to how to
contribute to the empowerment of people at risk. The use of VCA will equip BDRCS with the
capacity to monitor and assess its impact on both disaster preparedness and disaster
response events.
BDRCS, with the guideline of VCA provided by The International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) experiences over the last six years has enabled it to refine and
improve VCA to make it better focused and more effective in achieving its purpose. In this
concern BDRCS organized the training ‘Learning by Doing VCA’ on 18 – 25 December, 2011
at Proshika HRDC in Manikganj with a view to creating a common resource pool of VCA
3
”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop
facilitators with proper training to be able in delivering their service in VCA especially a clear
understanding about individual tools and their relevance in application and how to guide
community in the assessment before any intervention of community based programme.
Afterwards the VCA pool members has implemented their skills independently for the
various projects undertaken by the BDRCS and accomplish new experiences which might
lead to develop a step by step guideline for the field practitioners considering urban, rural
and climate change context.
Convincing the idea, IFRC/BDRCS (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies/Bangladesh Red Crescent Societies), had organized 5 days long workshop from 2630 May 2013. IFRC extended their technical support in terms of workshop agenda and
funding.
2. Objectives of the Workshop
The objective of the workshop is to review and contextualize the VCA process and develop a
step by step guideline for conducting VCA in line with disaster risk reduction and climate
related issues at both urban and rural contexts
3. Narrative of the Workshop
The workshop continued for five days including the return travel in the fifth day. The
narrative has been delivered according to daily basis activities.
3.1 Day One:
The very first day/Inauguration day, sessions were discussed on the conceptual
understanding of the terminology, relationship between hazard, risk & vulnerability,
community based approach, livelihood assets & vulnerability tools from the disaster point of
view. The objectives of the whole discussion was to


give an overview on the basic concept of disaster management and community based
approach
understand how the vulnerability is linked with livelihoods in VCA
The session was started with the discussion of various terminologies using in disaster
management followed by an interactive discussion on the initiatives during disaster and the
overview of community based approach. From the discussion, it was understood that in
community based participatory approach, the community is not only the primary
4
”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop
beneficiary but also the key actor of disaster risk management or of any other intervention.
It is the active participation and involvement of communities that can make the assessment
of vulnerability and capacity of individual, groups as well
as the community more appropriate. Because the
community is involved in the whole process, their felt and
Community will not believe in
you until you first believe in
them and what you’re sharing
with them
real situation as well as inherent resources are
considered.
An interactive discussion was made on the introduction of VCA tools through
documentation and discussion, and the things, in general, need to be considered for each
tool to assess the vulnerability of any community. One important thing was addressed here
in this discussion that during the VCA process one group
should be formed with children for FGD so that the
No tools are independent,
they supplement each other
problems they face will be depicted properly. The facilitators, for these tools, should be
skilled in visualization, oral communication as well as in writing.
In terms of linking vulnerability with livelihoods, discussion was emphasized on the
importance of assessing livelihood assets in VCA process. It is experienced in many VCAs
that in order to reduce people’s vulnerability community must protect and strengthen their
livelihoods. The VCA process has therefore to consider local needs and everyday risks, while
finding a way to engage with the community about the larger-scale disasters they could
face. This process enables the vulnerability and sensitivity of livelihood activities to be
assessed, including the vulnerability of geographical areas, which may incorporate a range
of livelihood typologies.
3.2 Day Two
The day was started with the recap of the previous day presented by the participants who
were formed in four groups such as Ghughu, Aamm, Golap and Meghna.
3.2.1 Experiences of CRA and PVA
The session focused most intensely on tools, steps and methodologies that have been using
by the government and non government organization
for the vulnerability and capacity assessment of
VCA should be conducted to take
appropriate decision to select the
area before project design
community or any area. Representative of CDMP
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”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop
shared the experiences of Community Risk Assessment (CRA) to government perspective
while the steps of Participatory Vulnerability assessment (PVA) had been explained by the
focal person of CARE International.
3.2.2 Vulnerability to the context of children, women and disabilities
The status of the vulnerability of Children, women and person with disabilities in any
disaster period was the prime concern in this session. The overall basic ideas were endowed
with the participants through discussions and exercising the summery of relevant four case
studies on cyclone Sidr (2009), Landslide in Cox’bazar (2012), lightening (2012) and children
drown in water with a view to finding out the groups who are most vulnerable and the
reasons behind they are affected in any specific disaster. The lesson learned from the
exercise is, before any intervention in a community we should make a plan using scientific
method by taking into account the way people is leading their life and most importantly, the
historical record on how the children, elderly, persons with disability and women were
victimized in disaster.
3.2.3 Vulnerability and Pressure model
A documentary was shown on ‘Jawler Jaal’ which represents the livelihoods of fisher
community of Chandpur district and how a political decision pushed them into vulnerable
situation. The main objectives of showing the documentary was to address the root causes
(economic, demographic and political processes) of community to be in dynamic pressure
which turns into unsafe condition.
3.3 Day Three
The day focused on the tools that could be used in various projects and also in identifying
risk emerging by the climate change and also
on justifying in conducting VCA in urban
areas along with the issues need to be taken
into account when planning a VCA. The day
was started with the group presentation that
the participants were given a home work on
the experiences in performing VCA for
individual project (e.g. CBDRR, CCA, V2RP
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”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop
and UDRR) especially on the tools and steps they followed and the challenges they faced. In
the discussion the following consensus were made.

The time frame of conducting VCA in a given area would be depending on its context
and objectives

To maintain the quality, for exercising one tool, need at least three facilitators and
minimum 2-3 tools can be exercised in a day

Need to form a community assist group so that they can help to organize VCA and to
provide necessary information

An orientation should be given to the Community Organizer, community assist
group/self assist group on the activities of VCA and how they can contribute in this
process. Orientation should be held in the place where VCA is supposed to be
conducted.
3.3.1 VCA in Urban context
After a fruitful discussion, the understanding was - as in Bangladesh, due to climate change
the rural people bound to change their livelihood choice resulted in choosing to move
towards
increasing
urban
areas,
places
cities
where
are
the
vunerability and risk are growing as
well.
It
increasing
has
therefore
important
become
for
the
BDRCS/IFRC to include the urban
context to prepare the VCA guideline.
In this case the selection of tools is very
important such as direct observation
would be the prominent tool while the historical profile will not work out as the mobile
population of the urban slums is changing over time. As most of the time men are not in
their residence during day, therefore women facilitators are the dire need for conducting
VCA in urban areas especially in slums. The issues need to be taken into account when
planning a VCA in urban areas type, nature and extent of the urban centre; social, economic
and political conditions; urban violence; different languages and ethnic groups.
3.3.2 VCA in Climate Change context
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”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop
Every context has its own specificities, thus the VCA team will need to work in advance to
gather information to analyse the specific context in which the VCA will be carried and
understand how to correctly introduce issues linked to climate change during the VCA
process and what are the main entry points for doing so. The important thing in this regard
for the facilitators is the understanding and taking climate change impacts into account
throughout the VCA process and make the climate change issues to the community more
clear and concise.
3.4 Day Four
Participants were in group works and interacting discussion on threshold criteria for
conducting VCA in an area and harmonization the steps and the principles of conducting
VCA.
3.4.1 Threshold for the VCA
It is experienced that many organization, without any pre-work/study, make a plan to
conduct VCA in any selected community. However, after conducting VCA sometimes result
shows that there is no vulnerability found to make a decision to select the community for
project intervention. Therefore, considering time and cost, we should think about what
conditions help to decide in conducting VCA in an area. There should have some
determinants which help to take an appropriate decision whether we should conduct VCA
or not. The information need to be collected are – scientific data (satellite data, risk map) if
available; baseline data (access to health, education, livelihood, demographic structure etc);
occurrence and frequency trend of hazard; previous research documents, Media
information
if
available;
presence
of
government/NGOs
intervention
in
DRR/CCA/development, socio-cultural barriers, existence of active Red Cross volunteer and
the functioning BDRCS district unit.
3.4.2 Harmonization the steps and principles of exercising VCA
There was an attempt a group work on preparing the principles and major steps can be
followed in conducting VCA considering the harmonization of CRA and VCA guideline,
project experience and the discussion. The consensus was made in the discussion for the
major steps and activities of conducting VCA are - pre field exercising stage, field exercising
stage, prepare & finalize the VCA report and review & evaluation of implementation
activities after the VCA. The principles of exercising VCA would be 8
”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop

Participation is the key requirement for conducting VCA

Community people to own the whole process, VCA facilitators need to take the
necessary steps for active participation

Conduct the VCA by skilled and neutral facilitators

Respect the culture, beliefs and values of the community

Consider the convenience/inconvenience of the participants during conducting VCA

Consider the social, cultural, geographic, economic and political factors in VCA
3.5 Day Five
Based on the previous discussion, exercise, experiences, reading materials of VCA and also
considering the CRA, PVA guideline attempt had been taken to harmonize all the things and
reach the following targets/outputs

Developing content for the VCA Step by Step Guideline

Identifying the principles for doing VCA to different context

Harmonizing different steps to be maintained in conducting VCA

Drafting step by step guideline
In this regard, participants shared their views to work on the above mentioned outputs in
the context of urban rural and climate change. Afterwards, the participants were divided
into two groups to work on preparing draft guideline individually. The draft prepared by the
two groups had been exchanged each other and asked to review the draft for accuracy and
provide comments, clarifications and corrections. After a broader discussion, drafts had
been compiled by the participants. The final draft represents the best efforts of the
participants to reflect the results of the workshop.
4. Limitations
After successfully completed the exercise of preparing the draft guideline in conducting
VCA, it was scheduled that a field test would have been conducted to justify the steps to be
followed. However, the plan didn’t not work within this timeframe due to political turmoil in
the country for three consecutive days.
5. Beyond the Schedule
Just day before closing, Honorable Head of Delegation (HoD) of IFRC, attended the
workshop for certificate distribution to the participants. In his speech, he addressed that it is
a great effort to prepare a convenient guideline for exercising VCA and now we should
9
”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop
emphasize on contextualizing VCA
process in respect to rural, urban and
climate change issues. He also thanked
to all the facilitators, participants and
organizer for conducting such effective
workshop. Ekram Elahi Chowdhury,
Director of DRM Department, BDRCS
and Jalal Uddin Ahmed, Secretary of Manikganj Unit also attended the event.
6. Facilitators and workshop materials
Khaled Masud Ahmed, Sr. DM Manager from IFRC took the lead role in facilitating the
workshop, while Maliha Ferdous, Sr. DM officer and Sayeeda Farhana, DM Officer from IFRC
and Mohammad Kamrul Hasan from BDRCS worked as co-facilitators. In addition, The
BDRCS/IFRC, to make the workshop fruitful, mobilized external facilitators Dr. Hamidul Huq
from the Institutes of livelihoods (ILS), Mr. Gawher Nayeem Wahra from Disaster Forum,
Md. Mohiddin CRA Specialist from CDMP and Mr. Sardar Arif Uddin, Community
Mobilization Advisor from CARE.
For successful completion of the workshop, different supporting materials were used during
entire sessions. Those were multimedia and screen, white board, white board marker, art
line marker, poster paper and VIP card and reading materials.
7. Concluding Remarks
The workshop incorporated knowledge on vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA) in
different context through theoretical and experience based demonstration. Sharing from
past experiences regarding VCA from facilitator as well as participants was more interactive
and informative which has lead the workshop to produce a draft guideline in conducting
VCA in rural, urban and climate change context.
8. Attachment
8.1 Training schedule
8.2 List of participants
8.1 Workshop schedule
“VCA Step by Step Guideline to Bangladesh Context” Workshop
10
”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop
26-30 May 2013
Day 0, Saturday 25 May 2013, (Registration and Check in)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Day 1, Sunday 26 May 2013
Session
Content
09:00 – 10:00
Introduction Review Objectives
10:00-10:30
Coffee / Tea break
10:30-11:30
Basic DM Terminology and Concepts
11:30-13:00
Community Based Approach
13:00 – 4:00
Lunch
14:00 – 5:00
Linking Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability
15:00-15:30
Coffee / Tea break
15:30 – 7:00
Conceptual Understanding on VCA
17:00 – 7:30
Introduction of VCA Tools
Day 2, Monday 27 May 2013
Time
Content
9:00 – 0:00
Recap of last day
10:00 –10:30
Coffee / Tea break
10:30–11:30
Presentation on CRA
12:00–13:00
VCA in CCA and urban context
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch
14:00 – 15:30 Vulnerability to the context of children, women and
disability
15:30 – 16:00
Coffee / Tea break
16:00–17:30
VCA in CCA and urban context continued…
Tea Break
17:30 – 18:30
18:30 – 20:00
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Participatory Vulnerability Assessment(PVA)
Day 3, Tuesday 28 May 2013
Session
Content
8:30-10:00
VCA in CCA Continued…(Group Work)
10:00-10:30
Coffee / Tea break
10:30-11:00
Video clip
11:00-13:00
Program wise presentation (V2R, CBDRR, CCA,
UDRR, RREW) 15 mins- what are the steps, tools and
challenge;
13:00-14:00
Lunch
Commonality and difference between VCA process
and steps in Programs (Group Work-40 mins and
Presentation-20 mins)
VCA in Urban context (Group Work)
Coffee/ Tea Break
19:00-19:30
Difference in VCA process in rural and urban context
(Discussion)
Day 4, Wednesday 29 May 2013
Session
Content
08:30-09:30
Thresholds for triggering VCA (Presentation)
09:30-11:00
Harmonization/ Primary consensus building on steps of
VCA: Standardization
10:30-11:00
Coffee/Tea Break
11:00-11:30
Definition of guideline, Why? (Presentation)
11:30-13:00
Content Development
13:00-14:00
Lunch
14:00-15:00
Group Work: drafting guideline, steps & presentation
15:00-18:30
Developing content of step by step guideline and
consensus on one Guideline
Facilitator
KMA, MF, SF
SF
Dr Hamidul Haque
KMA
KMA
MF
Facilitator
KMA/MF
Md. Mohiuddin, CDMP
KMA
Nayeem Wahra (NW)
KMA
Sardar Arif (SA)
Facilitator
MF/SF
MF
MF
MF
KMA
KMA
Facilitator
KMA
KMA
KMA
KMA
KMA
KMA
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”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop
18:30-19:00
19:00-20:00
Coffee/Tea Break
Developing content of step by step guideline and
consensus on one Guideline continued…
KMA
Day 5,Thursday 30 May 2013
Session
Content
10:00-13:00
Developing content of step by step guidelines and
consensus on one Guideline continued…
11:30-12:00
Tea Break
12:00-13:00
Developing content of step by step guidelines and
consensus on one Guideline continued…
13:00-14:00
Lunch
14:00 -15:30
Field Testing in a virtual community
15:30-16:00
Tea Break
16:00-17:00
Submission to the plenary
18:00 -19:00
Way-forwards
Facilitator
KMA
KMA
KMA
KMA
ADJOURN
8.2 List of participants
VCA Facilitator’s Step by Step guideline Training Workshop
26-30 May 2013
Sl.no
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
1.
Participants
Name
Designation
Mr. Sohel Rana
VCA Pool member
Md. Abdur Rashid
APO-V2R Project
Ms. Hasina Miaji
APO-V2R Project
SM Mahmud Ul Islam
UDRT member
Md. Nazmul Islam Tanim
UDRT member
Ms. Mim Shaikh
VCA Pool member
Ms. Jannatul Ferdous Trisha
VCA Pool member
Ms. Salma Akter Keya
RCY
Mr. Sachin Chandra Sarker
TO-DRR, V2R, BRC
Md. Shofiqul Islam (Shawon)
VCA Pool member
Mr. Abdulla Al Mamun
RCY
Mr. Romen Chandra Shaha
VCA Pool member
Md. BakiBillah
APO, CBDRR
Rahamat Ullah (Nasim)
VCA Pool member
Md. Harun-Ur- Rashid
TO-CCA
Md. Rahiqul Islam
VCA Pool member
Mr. Saddam Hossein
VCA Pool member
Md. Akbar Ali
APM, CBDRR
Mohammad Shazed
VCA Pool member
Md. Modasher Ahmed
DD/PM, V2R Project
Mr. Luban Mahboob
VCA Pool member
Md.Jahid Hossain
VCA Pool member
Md. Kamrul Islam
TO-CCA
Observer
Md. Afsar Uddin
DD/IC, CBDRR
Working area
Manikgonj RC Unit
Barguna
Patuakhial
UDRR, Rangpur
UDRR, Dhaka City Unit
Gopalgonj RC Unit
Bogra RC Unit
Gopalgonj RC Unit
Barguna
Kurigram RC unit
Madaripur RC Unit
Bogra RC Unit
Jessore
Gopalganj RC Unit
NHQ, BDRCS
Sylhet RC Unit
Kustia RC Unit
NHQ, BDRCS
Noakhali RC Unit
NHQ, BDRCS
Dhaka City RC Unit
Chandpur RC Unit
NHQ, BDRCS
NHQ, BDRCS
Team of Facilitator:
1. Mr. Khaled Masud Ahmed, Sr. DM Manager, IFRC, Lead Facilitator.
12
”VCA Step by Step Guideline p to Bangladesh context” Workshop
2.
3.
4.
Ms. Maliha Ferdous, Sr. DM/ECP Officer, Co-Facilitator.
Ms. Sayeeda Farhana, Sr. DM Officer, Co-Facilitator.
Mohammad. Kamrul Hasan, PMER Officer, Co-Facilitator.
External Facilitator: Following person were involved as external facilitator:
1. Dr. Hamidul Huq, Chairman, ILS, Dhaka on CBA.
2. Mr. Gawher Nayeem Wahra from Disaster Forum, Dhaka on Vulnerability to the context of
Children, women and disability
3. Md. Mohiddin CRA Specialist from CDMP on CRA
4. Mr. Sardar Arif Uddin on PVA.
Guest of Honor:
1. Mr. Tsehayou Seyom, HoD, IFRC.
2. Mr. Ekram Elahi Chowdhury, Director (DRM).
3. Mr.Jalal Uddin Ahmed, Hon, Secretary, Manikgonj Unit.
Supporting Staff
1. Md. Abdul Kadir, Jr. Asstt. Director (Accounts), NHQ, BDRCS.
2. Md. Sattar, driver, IFRC
3. Md. Alamgir Hossain, Driver, BDRCS
4. Md. Abdur Razzak, Driver, BDRCS
5. Md. Taleb Hossain, Driver, IFRC.
13