Total Appeal Target : US$ 700,000
Balance Requested from ACT Network:
US$520,995
Geneva, 31 January 2003
Dear Colleagues,
In 2002, 25 payments averaging US$26,184 and totalling US$654,606 were made to various implementing members. Some of these were in the form of advances towards appeals while waiting for pledged funds to be realised and others were one-off grants where no appeals were issued. From the appeals where there was RRF advanced, $99,811 was recovered. The grants made were for the assistance to victims of torrential rains in China, for collapse of a dam and floods in Syria, victims of bombing in Bali, returnees from Ivory Coast and victims of snowstorms in Bolivia etc.
The purpose of the RRF is to provide resources up to USD 50,000 per year per country to meet urgent requests by local churches and other members during sudden emergencies, resulting from natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc., or from human causes such as major accidents or war. Also in cases where urgent and unforeseen need arises in ongoing emergency programs. Priority is given to vulnerable groups, such as women, children, the disabled, the sick and the elderly. RRF projects are implemented within the general policy framework and operational guidelines of ACT and are given on the basis of need, regardless of race, gender, belief, nationality, ethnic origin or political persuasion.
Currently, the balance for the RRF is negative which is preventing us to enable our members to provide immediate response to sudden emergencies.
The balance of funds budgeted for the Co-ordination Assessment Teams (CATS) is at $145,411 out of a $200,000 target.
Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested (US$)
Amount requested from the Network for the Rapid Response Teams |
200,000
|
Balance requested from the Network for the Rapid Response Fund |
500,000
|
Total Appeal Request |
700,000
|
Less: Pledges/Contr. Recd. |
179,004
|
Balance Requested from ACT Network |
520,996
|
Please kindly send your contributions to the following ACT bank account:
Account Number - 240-432629.60A (USD)
Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together
UBS SA
PO Box 2600
1211 Geneva 2
SWITZERLAND
Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira (direct tel. +4122/791.60.38, e-mail address jkg@act-intl.org) of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal.
We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.
For further information: ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org
Ms Geneviève Jacques
Director WCC/Cluster on Relationships |
Thor- Arne Prois
ACT Director |
Robert GRANKE
Director LWF/World Service |
CO-ORDINATION ASSESSMENT TEAMS
I. BACKGROUND
The need and importance of the Co-ordination Assessment Teams (CATS) has its roots in the concept of a Rapid Response Mechanism which was proposed soon after the establishment of the ACT Co-ordinating office in 95/96.
Having covered considerable ground these past few years, experience reveals the need for a much more comprehensive approach which would go beyond just assessments and cover, if and when required, but also response and management. It was evident that the absence of such a mechanism had handicapped ACT response and operations in several critical emergency situations.
The initiation of the CATS mechanism was discussed at the ACT EMCOM Working Group meeting at Baltimore, USA in May of 2000 and the ACT ExCom in its September 2000 meeting when the ExCom mandated ACT CO to start the implementation of this mechanism.
To date, two training sessions for CAT members were held and four field missions carried out.
ACT CO continues to seek advice from the alliance and the emergency roster as to improvement of RRM policy and the best utilisation of the existing mechanism and resources.
II. GOAL & OBJECTIVES
Goal: To maintain and further improve functioning of Co-ordination Assessment Teams (CATS), working under ACT Co-ordinating Office's terms of reference, to be deployed at any time or place as required and with the following mandate:
Objectives
- To assist local ACT members in co-ordinating
timely assessment information and appropriate program plans and budgets,
which result in a timely appeal.
- To assist in establishing an appropriate
field-based and sustainable ACT co-ordination mechanism if considered necessary.
- To provide communication assistance
in liaison with the international media, with sensitivity to the local
situation and context, and provide prompt flow of information to be used
in response planning and the furthering of public awareness and fundraising.
- In co-ordination with the ACT CO facilitate and/or assist the locally based members with the relevant offers of technical expertise from ACT member-agencies
ACT is a worldwide network of churches and related agencies meeting human need through coordinated emergency response.
The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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