Type of Review: Project Completion Review
Project Title: UK Humanitarian response to the Solomon Islands
Earthquake and Tsunami
Date started: 11th February 2013
Date review undertaken: 7th June 2013
Instructions to help complete this template:
Before commencing the review you should have to hand:






the Business Case or earlier project documentation.
the Logframe
the detailed guidance (How to Note) - Reviewing and Scoring Projects,
the most recent annual review and other related monitoring reports.
key data from ARIES, including the risk rating
the separate project scoring calculation sheet (pending access to ARIES)
Two scores are produced at project completion - one based on achievement of the outputs and
one based on achievement of the outcome. You should assess and rate both the individual
outputs and the overall outcome using the following rating scale and description:
Output Description
Outputs substantially exceeded expectation
Outputs moderately exceeded expectation
Outputs met expectation
Outputs moderately did not meet expectation
Outputs substantially did not meet expectation
Scale
A++
A+
A
B
C
1
Outcome Description
Outcome substantially exceeded expectation
Outcome moderately exceeded expectation
Outcome met expectation
Outcome moderately did not meet expectation
Outcome substantially did not meet
expectation
Introduction and Context
What support did the UK provide?
1. Through the Department for International Development (DFID) the UK provided funding
of £150,000 to meet the basic needs of those affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami
in the Solomon Islands.
2. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) separately agreed to provide £15,000
making a UK total contribution of £165,000.
3. UK funding was provided to World Vision UK, a Non Governmental Organisations
(NGO) with a long-established presence and good coverage in the Solomon Islands. It
maintains a strong relationship with the Solomon Islands National Disaster
Management Office (Agency of the Solomon Island Government), regional donors
primarily Australia and New Zealand and works closely with other NGOs.
What were the expected results?
4. To support 3,329 people affected by the earthquake and tsunami, meeting their basic
needs for emergency shelter, household items and improved access to safe water.
What was the context in which UK support was provided?
5. A major earthquake occurred 340 km offshore from the Santa Cruz Islands, an isolated
island chain in Temotu Province, Solomon Islands on 06 February 2013. The
earthquake triggered a tsunami, waves as high as 1.5 metres travelled some 500
metres inland, causing 11 fatalities and damage to many traditional houses in nearby
coastal communities. The airport at Lata, the provincial capital, was also flooded and
temporarily closed. The Government of the Solomon Islands officially declared a State
of Disaster for Santa Cruz Islands and issued a request for international support to
facilitate relief efforts.
6. Initial assessments indicated that up to 3,329 people were affected by the tsunami; up
to 594 homes destroyed or damaged and approximately 2,300 people were left without
access to water.
2
Section A: Detailed Output Scoring
Output 1: Support the Solomon Island Government agency, the ‘National Disaster
Management Office’ (NDMO) to provide communication updates and complete basic
rapid assessments.
Performance description:
World Vision staff representatives present and active in information-sharing at NDMO
central response hub on daily basis for first 10 days post-disaster:
7. World Vision held information-sharing meetings with the National Disaster Management
Office (NDMO) two times a day, morning and evening, at the NDMO central response
hub for the 10 days following the disaster. World Vision assisted them to:
 coordinate briefings each morning to discuss a plan of action prior to distribution
 coordinate debriefings in the evening to review the distribution implementation
process and adapt or adjust any operations according to feedback from
communities
8. These meetings provided the opportunity to monitor the stages of the initial disaster
response, which was a crucial part of the process of accurately identifying the
immediate needs of those affected, and plan and implement the distribution of relief
items accordingly.
9. World Vision was officially tasked by the NDMO to coordinate the distribution of all nonfood-items (NFI) as well as the logistical support to food and water distributions
throughout the emergency relief phase of the disaster response. During the Emergency
Response Phase, as part of the joint disaster response, World Vision Solomon Islands
(WVSI) took the lead in distributing food and Non Food Items (NFI’s) to 6,589
beneficiaries (1,598 households) from 85 communities (which includes the 3,329
beneficiaries targeted for this proposal).
10. WV assisted NDMO to coordinate the planning, assessment and distribution of relief
items and other resources. WVSI provided NDMO staff with information from the field
so NDMO could provide regular communication updates to partner organisations in the
Joint Emergency Response Team.
Basic rapid assessments completed in all affected areas:
11. Basic Rapid Assessments were completed in all affected areas. WVSI staff participated
in the initial rapid assessment which was coordinated by the Solomon Islands Red
Cross (SIRC), the Solomon Island Government’s Provincial Emergency Response
Team (PERT) and the NDMO. The rapid needs assessment started on the 7 th February
and lasted 10 days, covering all 85 communities located on Santa Cruz Islands.
12. Six interagency teams participated in the rapid assessment, each consisting of 3-5 staff
from the SIRC, NDMO, PERT and WVSI. The assessment process included direct
observation of damage and consultation with community members from affected
communities. This information collected included:
 the number of beneficiaries registered in each of the affected communities;
 the assessed immediate needs of these households;
3



size of households;
impact of disaster on individuals in these households;
damage to their food, water and shelter sources.
13. WVSI assisted NDMO in completing the rapid assessments by supporting the input and
collation of data and assisting with data analysis. The rapid assessment identified the
key immediate needs of affected communities:
 access to adequate means of food, shelter, clean and safe drinking water,
hygiene and sanitation facilities;
 access to medical assistance;
 protection, including physical safety and psychosocial support, for people
experiencing post-traumatic stress following the disaster.
14. World Vision provided a technical disaster response advisor from Australia who was
stationed at the NDMO headquarters in Honiara. The technical advisor assisted NDMO
staff to collate and analyse field assessment data, with a particular focus on identifying
the key needs of the target communities, the resources available in-country to address
these needs and the resulting gaps. NDMO staff used the information collected from
the rapid assessment to identify communities and households who were most at risk
based on the following key criteria:
 geographic location in terms of access to food, water, shelter, medical
assistance;
 damage to households’ food and water sources and shelter;
 the vulnerability of individuals within affected communities, including pregnant
women, young children and infants, people with disabilities and pre-existing
illnesses, and those that were injured or acquired an illness resulting from the
disaster.
15. The World Vision technical advisor then assisted NDMO staff to cross-reference the
information to prioritise communities and individuals who required the most immediate
assistance. The data was used to map food and non-food-item (NFI) needs, following
which WV supported the NDMO with a second technical advisor from World Vision New
Zealand to develop and implement the Temotu Disaster Response Distribution Plan
that guided the implementation process for the distribution of relief items. This
included:
 identifying the type and quantity of relief items required to meet the identified
needs of beneficiaries;
 prioritising the distribution of relief items;
 developing systems to manage the logistics and resources associated with the
distribution process;
 implementing mechanisms to collect regular feedback from communities
regarding gaps in the distribution of relief items.
World Vision medium term response plan drafted in consultation with communities and
partners:
16. World Vision drafted the medium term/early recovery response plan in consultation with
communities and partners to assist NDMO in coordinating the implementation of the
Early Recovery Phase of the Disaster Response. WVSI assisted NDMO to collect and
record feedback from the affected communities throughout the disaster response phase,
as well as their short/medium term needs following the tsunami and earthquake.
4
17. The Solomon Island Government’s Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) was developed in
March 2013 to guide the implementation of a coordinated joint disaster response. The
Action plan details key sector response requirements for the initial120 days post disaster,
which includes the Early Recovery Response Phase. The Humanitarian Action Plan
incorporates WASH, Shelter, Protection, Health and Distribution sectors.
18. As part of the NDMO’s coordination and implementation of the Early Recovery Phase of
the Joint Disaster Response, WVSI conducted household surveys and focus group
discussions with communities as part of the evaluation of the initial emergency response
activities. In conjunction with other response organisations, community meetings and
lessons learnt workshops were also held. WVSI worked with the NDMO and other Joint
Response Teams to identify and develop projects for the early recovery phase that are
designed to help communities become more disaster resilient.
19. The projects in WVSI’s Early Recovery Response Overview and Plan include projects
around:
 Child Friendly Spaces
 Women Friendly Spaces
 WASH
 Maternal Child Health and Nutrition
 Emergency Radio Service project
20. As part of the Joint Disaster Response Early Recovery Phase, the projects listed above
feed into the broader NDMO Humanitarian Action Plan. The projects aim to assist
communities to regain their health and nutrition following a period of lack of access to
sufficient amounts of nutritious food and disrupted access to safe drinking water. The
projects also aim to assist affected communities to prevent the risk of future outbreaks of
disease and illness associated with post-disaster environments by constructing safe and
clean water and sanitation systems and promoting good hygiene practices. This will assist
communities to maintain the good health they require to rebuild their houses, food crops
and livelihoods. The Early Recovery Plan will also assist women and children by providing
secure, safe, educationally stimulating, and socially supportive environments that are
conducive and responsive to the specific needs of women and children throughout the
recovery and rehabilitation process. By assisting communities to establish an emergency
radio service communities will have access to information and advice about disaster risk
reduction in relation to re-establishing their food production, water and sanitation systems,
shelters, infrastructure and livelihoods.
Final results: A+
Impact Weighting (%): 35%
Risk: Low (not revised)
Output 2: Emergency Relief supplies (shelter, household items and WASH items)
distributed to affected households
Output 2 performance description:
Shelter assistance provided to 300 households
21. Shelter assistance was provided by this project to 300 households. The shelter kits catered
for the size of an average household in Solomon Islands, which consists of 8 people.
5
Therefore the 300 shelter kits distributed to 300 households benefited 2,280 people in 25
communities affected by the disaster.
22. The Shelter kits enabled recipients to build a temporary shelter. Each kit consisted of one
tarpaulin, one bush knife, one sharpening file, 2kg x 3 inch nails, 2kg x 4 inch nails, one
hand saw, two 20m ropes of 12mm diameter, one hammer, one crow bar and one axe.
Each affected community was provided with a 45 minute training session on how to use
the shelter kit. Two tarpaulins were also distributed with each shelter kit (100 tarpaulins
funded by DFID; remaining 500 by alternative funding), enabling households to extend the
size of their temporary shelter.
23. Monitoring of the use of shelter kits was conducted by the distribution teams during
their on-going distributions of other relief items during the response phase. World
Vision also conducted household surveys and focus groups with affected communities
to evaluate the effectiveness of WVSI’s relief distribution. 69% of beneficiaries who
participated in the evaluation reported that their shelter needs were met and that the
shelter kits provided adequate shelter from the elements, privacy and safety. The 31%
of participants who reported that their shelter needs were not met by the shelter kits,
stated that some of the shelter kits had items missing, including nails and
torches/candles for light, and that a few of the items were of poor quality, including the
wooden handles of the hammers and handsaws, which made it difficult for them to use.
Some participants also reported that they found the temporary shelter was too hot
during the day and too cold at night and that there was not enough privacy. WVSI
intends to use this feedback to examine alternative options for materials provided in the
temporary shelter kits to provide more protection from the elements and more privacy
for beneficiaries.
Adequate safe drinking water or the means to treat it provided to 435 households:
24. WV provided adequate and safe drinking water or the means to treat it to 435
households. According to distribution data records:
 400 households received 1 x 20L water container
 10 households received 1 x10L water containers
 435 households received family life straw kits
25. Each household was provided with training on how to use the family life straw kits, which
provided them with the means to filter available water sources to provide safe drinking
water. The kits cater for the average sized household in the Solomon Islands, which
consists of 8 people. Based on household registration numbers 3,329 people were
assisted with access to safe water.
26. World Vision conducted household surveys and focus groups with affected
communities to evaluate the effectiveness of WVSI’s relief distribution. Of the 148
beneficiaries who participated in the evaluation all participants reported that the amount
of safe drinking water provided and/or the means to treat it was sufficient to meet their
needs.
Household items provided to 133 households:
27. World Vision provided household items to a total of 268 households through DFID
funded supplies. This was done through the replenishment of pre-positioned stocks, as
well as purchasing of additional items to cover the specific needs identified in each
household. Items were supplied to households based on the damage/loss of existing
6
items and the vulnerability of the household/individuals within the household. This
equates to 1,896 people assisted with essential household supplies.
28. Because of these items people were able to collect water, cook and eat food (either
received through distributions of harvested from food gardens), keep warm and have
additional shelter. WVSI’s distribution teams monitored the use of relief items as they
undertook further distributions in the same areas. If the items were reported to be
insufficient, WV provided the additional amount required based on a reassessment of the
size and makeup of the household and the damage to household items.
29. Of the 148 beneficiaries who participated in WV’s household surveys and focus group
evaluation, 102 reported that their shelter needs were met (which included households
items such as kitchen and hygiene kits, bed linen, blankets and clothes). All participants
reported that the number of household kitchen items in the family kits were sufficient to
meet their needs.
Items received by households:
Item Type
Kitchen
Kits/pots
Total no. of
HHs assisted
268
Item
Contents
Details
98 x large kitchen
kit
1 x 7 litre cooking pot,
1 x 5 litre cooking pot
5 x aluminium plates
5 x aluminium cups
5 x spoons
1 x table knife
1 x serving spoon
8 people
88 x small kitchen
kit
1 x 7 litre cooking pot
3 x aluminium plates
3 x aluminium cups
3 x spoons
1 x table knife
1 x serving spoon
5 people
84 x set 6 pots
Household
Items
233
133 x Family Kits
1 x bucket (4litres)
1 x water container
(20 litres)
2 x woollen blankets
2 x large mosquito net
6 x pots
2 x knives
1 x file
1 x tarpaulin
Distributed to HH’s who
did not receive a family
kit
Distributed to HH’s who
did not receive a family
kit
88 x Mosquito
nets
100 x Woollen
blankets
Hygiene
Items
86
86 x Hygiene kit
8 people (for families
who had some
remaining kitchen
items)
8 people
(the water container
and the tarpaulin were
given in addition to the
items received under
2.1 and 2.2
2 x toothpastes
2 x toothbrushes
1 x comb
1 x soap
2 x packets of
sanitary pads
2 x razors
1 x shaving stick
2 x packets of
7
condoms
2 x boxes of candles
1 x match box
1 x sewing kit
1 x bucket for
washing body
Miscellaneous
9
9 x Baby kit
2 x baby soaps
12 x baby nappies
1 x baby towel
1 x baby blanket
1 x 750g container of
baby powder
72
72 x packing
bags
30 bales mixed
clothing
10 bales linen
1 per household
60
20
1 per 2 households
1 per 2 households
Final results: A
Impact Weighting (%): 65%
Risk: Low (not revised)
Section B: Results and Value for Money.
1. Achievement and Results
1.1 Has the logframe been changed since the last review?
30. The logframe and budget have remained the same throughout the project. The number
of beneficiaries, length and objectives of the project did not change during the project
implementation. No other significant aspects of the project were altered.
1.2 Final Output score and description:
Overall Output Score: A
1.3 Direct feedback from beneficiaries
31. WVSI conducted household surveys in 7 communities and 3 focus group discussions
with 36 participants in 3 communities. These participants were randomly selected from
communities that were representative of the spread of communities affected by the
disaster (e.g. accessible by road or boat; severely affected or partially affected etc.).
The results from the household surveys and focus group discussions found that of the
people from 148 households who participated in the surveys 69% reported their
immediate needs (water, food and shelter) had been met.
32. While this is slightly below the expected 80% target, at that stage of the disaster
response many of the households who participated in the evaluation were beginning to
focus on their medium-term needs, including rebuilding their food gardens, houses,
schools, WASH infrastructure and livelihoods. Their immediate needs appear to no
longer be the main priority. Therefore expectations of food, water and shelter items
8
distributed to meet their needs were much higher than they probably would have been
in the 10 day period immediately following the disaster. WV recognises that it would
have been worthwhile to conduct an evaluation of the perceived needs of affected
communities during the first couple of weeks following the disaster and compare how
the data at that stage of the response varied to the data collected at the later stage.
This is something that WV will consider in future disaster response evaluations.
1.4 Overall Outcome score and description: A
1.4 Impact and Sustainability
33. The expected impact of the project is to save lives, reduce suffering and promote
recovery for communities affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Post disaster no
fatalities were recorded attributable to the humanitarian emergency response.
Additionally, there has been no cases of widespread epidemics related to poor water
sanitation and hygiene, typical of post-disaster environments e.g. diarrhoea, cholera,
dengue.
34. This initial 30-day response was a relief phase, intended to provide emergency relief for
immediate food, shelter and water needs, and so there was limited sustainability
designed into the project.
35. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene training was provided to communities as part of the
overall response to assist them in using safe means of water and sanitation to minimise
the risk of health hazards resulting from the tsunami and earthquake, including
epidemics of communicable diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and dengue. This will
provide them with valuable knowledge aimed at increasing their resilience to disease
post-response.
36. Previously disaster responses within the Solomon Islands coordinated by NDMO have
used a blanket approach to the distribution of NFIs without incorporating strategic
decisions around needs and priorities. For this disaster response, WV was the overall
lead on distribution and developed and implemented a comprehensive assessment
based on needs of households and communities affected by the tsunami, prioritising
those who are most vulnerable and taking into account geographical considerations
37. The most vulnerable communities identified were those that were most isolated, and
couldn’t be reached by road. WVSI accessed these communities by boat within 3 days
following the disaster. WVSI also ensured that these communities received ongoing
distribution of relief supplies every 2 weeks. The other most vulnerable communities
include those that were severely affected by the earthquake and tsunami where the
highest number of households lost their sources of food, water and shelter. WVSI
worked with the NDMO to prioritise these communities when distributing relief items
and to ensure that each household received relief supplies according to the size of the
household and the extent of damage.
38. Throughout the distribution process, WVSI ensured that they prioritised those that were
most vulnerable within the affected communities, including pregnant women, young
children, people with disabilities and pre-existing illnesses, and those that were injured
or acquired an illness resulting from the disaster.
39. Prior to WV introducing the voucher system the communities reported that distribution
of food relief items by the Solomon Island Government was not always fair because
some volunteers selected by the NDMO to distribute food items often favoured their
9
families and would provide them with more food than the rest of the affected population.
Communities reported that the registration and voucher process used in this response
was a fair way to manage distribution.
2. Costs and timescale
2.1 Was the project completed within budget / expected costs:
40. Yes
2.2 Key cost drivers
41. Delivered through Accountable Grant funding.
2.3 Was the project completed within the expected timescale:
42. Yes. Beneficiaries received all distribution items within expected timeframe.
3. Evidence and Evaluation
3.1 Assess any changes in evidence and what this meant for the project.
43. Not applicable
3.2 Set out what plans are in place for an evaluation.
44. WVSI conducted an evaluation of the emergency relief response phase from May 8 th18th, to evaluate the effectiveness of emergency phase of the disaster response in
terms of:
 Community reach and satisfaction
 Efficiency and effectiveness of World Vision’s response mechanisms
 Engagement of key government partners
The result of the evaluation were used in the planning of the Early Recovery Response
activities, and will be used to guide future disaster response operations.
4. Risk
4.1 Risk Rating (overall project risk):
45. Low
Did the Risk Rating change over the life of the project?
46. No. An additional risk to project delivery was identified early in the response.
Communities reported that distribution of food relief items by the Solomon Island
10
Government wasn’t always fair, as some volunteers selected by NDMO to distribute
food items often favoured their families, providing them with more food than the rest of
the affected populations. WVSI therefore introduced a voucher system as part of the
registration process. The communities noted that after the voucher system was
introduced this reduced significantly.
47. The other risks identified in the planning and design of the project did not change during
project implementation. The risks and mitigating actions included:
 Ongoing after-shocks pose risks to transportation: World Vision closely
monitored the situation, including the possibility of further tsunamis, and planned
travel accordingly, with staff safety as a priority. Scientists in several countries
were analysing the seismic events in Temotu and provided regular updates on
the aftershocks. Following the Tsunami and Earthquake there were a few minor
aftershocks, which made is difficult to transport items for distribution. This meant
that distribution was disrupted for 3-4 days. This was accounted for as part of
distribution planning process and project implementation schedule and travel
was planned accordingly, with staff safety as a priority.
 Lack of transport availability to ship supplies from Honiara to Lata within
the 30-day timeframe: World Vision mapped out supply chains and put in place
procurement contracts with suppliers, established a temporary warehouse in
Honiara and Lata, and has the necessary Honiara transport infrastructure to
facilitate the supply line. World Vision will continue to work with the NDMO to
ensure regular transportation links between Honiara and Lata.
 Theft of relief items: tracking systems are in place at all stages of the supply
process, from procurement to distribution. World Vision has established secured
warehouses to ensure control of all World Vision procured items.
4.2 Risk funds not used for purposes intended
48. No. Partner has a proven record of delivering. Partner is member of the Rapid
Response Facility, pre-qualified to receive UK funding immediately following a
humanitarian disaster.
4.3
Climate and Environment Impact
49. The Tsunami destroyed the natural environment of the affected communities, ripping up
vegetation and contaminating water sources with debris. As part of the overall WVSI
response the risks of further tsunamis, earthquakes and landslides, water quality and
damage to local flora and fauna were assessed and monitored. World Vision assisted
communities to clean up water sources and remove debris and environmental hazards
resulting from the disaster. World Vision worked with communities to raise awareness
about proper waste disposal of items. World Vision also trained communities in hygiene
and sanitation and encouraged communities to dispose of faecal matter appropriately to
minimise environmental and health hazards.
50. This project did not have any specific climate/environmental impact, but as part of the
early recovery response phase, WVSI aims to reduce the negative environmental
impacts of future disasters through disaster risk reduction as part of the Emergency
Radio Service Project.
11
5. Value for Money
5.1 Performance on VfM measures
51. Cost: the projects were delivered within the initial costs set out in the Project Document
and in general delivered against all expected outputs.
Quality: on the whole, the project delivered a good quality of household items.
Speed/timeliness: the project progressed rapidly.
5.2 Commercial Improvement and Value for Money
52. Not applicable.
5.3 Role of project partners
53. World Vision procured prepositioned relief items prior to the disaster response when
rates of emergency relief items were lower. WV also used preferred suppliers with
existing contracts to ensure rates were as low as possible. The majority of WVSI’s
Country Office overheads and the Temotu Area Programme overheads were funded by
on-going non-relief programming. Where possible, WV procured items locally and
shared means of transportation from Honiara to Lata with partner organisations to
reduce transportation costs.
54. World Vision used existing capital assets to distribute relief items. The Disaster
response was run by the existing Area Programme Office, utilising the office computers
desks, printing, telecommunications and internet. Personnel used during the response
were also members of WVSI Country Rapid Response Team who are trained in
Disaster Relief distribution and further technical assistance was provided by World
Vision partnerships in Australia and New Zealand. This meant no additional costs were
required to source technical assistance.
5.4 Did the project represent Value for Money :
55. Yes.
6. Conditionality
6.1 Update on specific conditions
56. Not applicable
7. Conclusions
12
57. The National Disaster Management Office (Agency of the Solomon Island Government)
have reported publically that this disaster response has been the most effective and
organised disaster response in Solomon Islands to date. This was also endorsed by
other partner organisations in the lessons learned workshop conducted by National
Disaster Management Office on the 2-3 May. It was agreed and noted that World
Vision played a key role in effectively mobilising staff from all disaster response
agencies to work collaboratively in sharing resources, information and skills for planning
and implementing the distribution of relief items. World Vision’s involvement was also
recognised to have directly contributed to effectiveness of the disaster response and
the well- coordinated management of logistics and resource allocation associated with
the distribution process.
58. Feedback from surveys and focus group discussions found that 69% of the 148
participants reported that the relief items distributed by World Vision Solomon Islands
met their immediate water, food and shelter needs. The National Disaster Management
Office and partner organisations have reported that the response has been the most
effective and organised disaster response in Solomon Islands to date and that this is
directly attributed to World Vision’s involvement and contribution to the coordination of
relief effort.
8. Review Process
59. As part of the monitoring, the British High Commissioner in Honiara visited the floods
affected area and the UK funded World Vision projects.
13