Summary of revisions to the operation
The original project was set to begin on 3 November 2021. However, due to audit recommendations for the Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan (RCST) and challenges related to staffing and internal restructuring, implementation was delayed, and no activities took place until 27 June 2024. The audit identified areas requiring improvement within RCST, necessitating additional time for resolution. Until an agreement on future modalities is reached, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will oversee procurement for the Early Action Protocol (EAP).
The current revision does not alter the geographical focus, target population, or planned early action activities. Instead, key adjustments include an updated exchange rate, changes to procurement management, IFRC support costs, and a revised timeline—activities will commence later than originally planned but will still conclude within the initial project deadline. The overall project budget has also increased by approximately CHF 12,000.
The Regional Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) team has recommended close consultation with RCST, the preparation of operational updates outlining these changes, and the initiation of EAP implementation in 2024. Due to RCST's internal restructuring, no activities were completed during the first two years of the project. As a result, planned prepositioning stock activities for Years 1 and 2 have been moved to Year 3. Additionally, since no implementation took place during this period, associated costs—such as consultancy fees (Committee of Emergency Situations [CoES] and Hydro-Met) and focal point compensation—were not incurred.
Adjustments have been made to certain budget items to account for inflation in Tajikistan, including transportation, volunteer incentives, and billboard production. With IFRC now managing procurement, the budget has been updated to include costs for a Procurement Delegate, a Disaster Management Coordinator providing technical support to RCST, technical support for lessons learned, and IFRC monitoring expenses. The depreciation of the Swiss franc (CHF) against the Tajikistani somoni (TJS) over the past two years has also contributed to increased costs. As per IFRC-DREF procedures, any unspent funds will be returned to IFRC.
In total the budget will increase by CHF 11,632, from CHF 249,970 to CHF 261,603.