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The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is in the process of establishing a research initiative to examine how best to support the development of national and local capacities for disaster risk management. The objective of the research is to increase the effectiveness of international efforts to support the capacity building of national and local institutions which are the key to building resilience and to first-line humanitarian response. It is envisaged that this will be an operational research programme drawing on country case studies in a range of different contexts including fragile conflict-affected states, states with established National Disaster Management Authorities, and low income countries who possess little national response infrastructure.

The Call for Proposals is expected to open in May 2013, with a closing date for proposals in late June 2013. This early announcement of the expected Call is to allow prospective project consortia time to initiate contact, and joint development of ideas in order to prepare for the upcoming Call.

Objective of the research

The overall aim of the research to be solicited in this expected Call for Proposals, is to increase the effectiveness of investments designed to build the capacity of national and local institutions responsible for disaster risk management.

This research is expected to contribute:

· A robust review of the literature on the factors that enable or constrain the development of national and local capacity for disaster risk management;

· A framework for monitoring and evaluating capacity building interventions, and for assessing the factors that constrain/enable local capacities for disaster risk management in different country contexts;

· A strong body of empirical evidence that i) documents the different approaches to capacity development in different contexts and ii) analyses their relative effectiveness, answering both what works and why.

Scope

The amount of funds expected to be available are estimated to be up to CHF 1.3 million.

The research programme expected to be funded through this initiative is envisaged to be of two years’ duration, including a four month inception period.

This research is expected to encompass case studies from a range of different field environments including fragile and conflict-affected countries; low income countries with repeated and regular natural disasters, but little national response infrastructure; and ‘NDMA states’ representing more of the future load of humanitarian response, where the attitude towards disaster response is becoming more and more an element of sovereign responsibility, and there is at least a nascent formal infrastructure to work with. At least six case studies in total are envisaged, with two from each category.

Who can apply

The expected Call will invite proposals from individual organisations or consortia of organisations.

· Consortia may include academic, civil society, public or commercial organisations, and should try to incorporate member organisations based in low or middle income countries (as classified by the World Bank). Applications from consortia led by organisations from low and middle income countries are very welcome.

· Alternatively, individual organisations will also be able to apply, but should be confident that they have the full complement of skills to conduct this research project including empirical research in a number of countries.