Evaluation of - unicef.org · Bihar, one of the most disaster prone states of India, faced severe...
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Evaluation of UNICEF’s Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction and School Safety Programme, Bihar, India (2011-2016)
FINAL EVALUATION REPORT
Submitted By:
September 2017
IPE GLOBAL LIMITED IPE Global House, B - 84, Defence Colony, New Delhi - 110 024, India www.ipeglobal.com
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ............................................................................................... iv
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. 1
1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 Background .............................................................................................................................. 1
1.1.1 Kosi Floods .................................................................................................................... 2 Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Bihar .................................................................................... 2
................................................................................................................................................ 3 Government of Bihar’s DRR Initiatives .................................................................................... 3 UNICEF’s support to DRR Initiatives ........................................................................................ 5
1.4.1 Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Programme (CBDRR) ................................ 6 1.4.2 School Safety Programme ............................................................................................. 6 1.4.3 CBDRR-SSP Theory of Change ....................................................................................... 7
2 EVALUATION PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES, SCOPE & METHODOLOGY ........................................... 10 Purpose.................................................................................................................................. 10 Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 10 Scope 10 Approach ............................................................................................................................... 11 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 11 Ethical Considerations ........................................................................................................... 15 Limitations ............................................................................................................................. 16
3 RELEVANCE OF CBDRR-SSP .................................................................................................. 17 Alignment of Activities and Outputs of CBDRR–SSP to its goals ........................................... 17 Design of the CBDRR ............................................................................................................. 24 Participation and inclusion of children, women and marginalized groups ........................... 26 Relevance and validity of the Objectives of the SSP ............................................................. 27 Alignment of DRR approach of BSDMA with the CBDRR-SSP ............................................... 28 Alignment of the CBDRR-SSP with global frameworks on DRR ............................................. 31
4 EFFECTIVENESS OF CBDRR-SSP ............................................................................................ 36 Effectiveness of CBDRR programme processes .................................................................... 36 Effectiveness of Training ....................................................................................................... 39 Risk Informed Action undertaken by the communities and individuals at the village level . 41 Assessment of Results Framework ........................................................................................ 42 Factors influencing achievements or non-achievements of stated results .......................... 48 Disaster Risk Reduction after the Introduction of CBDRR Programme ................................. 49
5 KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES (KAP) .................................................................... 51 Practices ................................................................................................................................ 51
5.1.1 Training ....................................................................................................................... 51 5.1.2 Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction................................................................. 51 5.1.3 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) ..................................................................... 53
Knowledge ............................................................................................................................. 55 5.2.1 About School Safety Programme (SSP) ....................................................................... 55 5.2.2 Natural and Manmade Disasters ................................................................................ 56 5.2.3 Disaster Response ....................................................................................................... 57 5.2.4 Knowledge about WASH ............................................................................................. 57
Attitudes ................................................................................................................................ 58 5.3.1 Towards SSP and Disaster Preparedness .................................................................... 58 5.3.2 Towards WASH ........................................................................................................... 59
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6 SUSTAINABILITY AND SCALABILITY OF CBDRR-SSP ............................................................... 61 Sustainability of CBDRR and SSP ........................................................................................... 61
6.1.1 Sustainable components within CBDRR...................................................................... 61 6.1.2 Sustainable components within SSP ........................................................................... 63
Factors Influencing the Sustainability of CBDRR – SSP .......................................................... 64 Exit Strategy .......................................................................................................................... 66
6.4 Approaches and Strategies for Scaling-up ............................................................................ 67 Examples of positive community engagement from CBDRR-SSP ......................................... 68
7 CBDRR-SSP FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GENDER AND EQUITY ............................................. 70 Design and Delivery of the Programmes ............................................................................... 70 Implementation of CBDRR-SSP ............................................................................................. 72
8 CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNT.................................................................................. 74
9 RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................................... 77
10 CASE STUDIES ..................................................................................................................... 82 Creating Change agents, Middle School, Tumaul .................................................................. 83 Promoting Transformative Change, Khormadanpur ............................................................. 87 Malkoshikapur: Women Lead the Way in Disaster Risk Reduction ...................................... 92
ANNEX 1: TERMS OF REFERENCE .................................................................................................. 1
ANNEX 2: EVALUATION MATRIX ................................................................................................. 14
ANNEX 3: CBDRR-SSP PROGRAMME PROCESSES ......................................................................... 17
ANNEX 4: ETHICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE APPROVAL ON TOOLS ................................................... 19
ANNEX 5: LIST OF MEETINGS ATTENDED ..................................................................................... 21
ANNEX 6: LIST OF PERSONS INTERVIEWED .................................................................................. 24
ANNEX 7: LIST OF DOCUMENTS REVIEWED (As per ToR) .............................................................. 42
ANNEX 8: BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 44
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1: Map depicting Flood Zones in Bihar (Not to scale) ............................................................... 1 Figure 1.2: Evolution of disaster management measures in Bihar ......................................................... 4 Figure 3.1: Relevance of the CBDRR Programme according to Officials (Key Responses n=12) .......... 20 Figure 3.2: Process of making School Safety Plans ............................................................................... 21 Figure 3.3: Differences Experienced after Implementation of School Safety Programme ................... 22 Figure 3.4: Skills learnt by students as reported by HM and SSFT ........................................................ 23 Figure 3.5: Relevance of the SSP Programme according to Officials .................................................... 28 Figure 4.1: Trainings under SSP as per SDMCs (n=12) .......................................................................... 41 Figure 5.1: Participation of Students in Training .................................................................................. 51 Figure 5.2: Participation of Students in Hazard Hunts .......................................................................... 52 Figure 5.3: Skills Learnt during Mock Drills as per Distribution by Gender (%) .................................... 52 Figure 5.4: Skills Learnt during Mock Drills as per Distribution by Inclusion in School (%) .................. 53 Figure 5.5: Use of Toilet in School ........................................................................................................ 54 Figure 5.6: Test if Water is Polluted ...................................................................................................... 54 Figure 5.7: Awareness on Activities conducted by SDMC as per Distribution by Gender (%) .............. 55 Figure 5.8: Awareness on Activities conducted by SDMC as per Distribution by Inclusion in School (%) .............................................................................................................................................................. 55 Figure 5.9: Disasters that can Affect School/ Community as per Distribution by Gender (%) ............. 56 Figure 5.10: Disasters that can Affect School/ Community as per Distribution by Inclusion in School (%) ......................................................................................................................................................... 56 Figure 5.11: Handwashing Behaviour as per Distribution by Gender (%) ............................................ 58 Figure 5.12: Handwashing Behaviour as per Distribution by Inclusion in School (%)........................... 58 Figure 5.13: Attitude towards SSP and Disaster Preparedness among all Students (%) ...................... 59
LIST OF BOXES
Box 1.1: Global Frameworks on DRR ...................................................................................................... 3 Box 1.2: UNICEF DRR Initiatives in India ................................................................................................. 5 Box 2.1: Obligations to Participants ...................................................................................................... 15 Box 3.1: All the 12 VDMCs who were consulted during the field-visit were making annual DRR plans .............................................................................................................................................................. 18 Box 3.2: Selection Criteria for VDMC Membership .............................................................................. 19 Box 3.3: Supporting Activities of VDMC as identified by ANMs and AWWs ........................................ 20 Box 3.4: Mukhyamantri School Safety Programme (MSSP).................................................................. 28 Box 3.5: Approaches to Implementing the DRR Roadmap ................................................................. 29 Box 3.6: RVP Focus Areas ...................................................................................................................... 30 Box 4.1: Flood Preparedness in Malkoshikapur Village, Supaul ........................................................... 50
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ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
AEC Acute Encephilitis Syndrome
ANM Auxiliary Nurse Midwife
AWW Anganwadi Worker
BDO Block Development Officer
BEO Block Education Officer
BSDMA Bihar State Disaster Management Authority
CAP Community Action Plan
CBDRR Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction
CCA Climate Change Adaptation
CPC Child Protection Committee
CRC Cluster Resource Centre
CSO Civil Society Organisation
CWD Children With Disabilities
DA District Administration
DDMA District Disaster Management Authority
DDMP District Disaster Management Plans
DIET District Institute of Education and Training
DEO District Education Officer
DM District Magistrate
DNA Disaster Needs Assessment
DoE Department of Education
DRR Disaster Risk Reduction
EBC Extremely Backward Classes
ECHO European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
FGD Focus Group Discussion
GoB Government of Bihar
GoI Government of India
GP Gram Panchayat
HFA Hyogo Framework for Action
ICDS Integrated Child Development Services
IDI In-Depth Interviews
IEC Information, Education and Communication Material
IEC Institutional Ethics Committee
IRB Institutional Review Board
KAP Knowledge Attitude and Practice
KII Key Informant Interview
MGNREGA Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
MoM Minutes of Meetings
MSSP Mukhyamantri School Safety Programme
NDRF National Disaster Response Force
NGO Non-Government Organisation
OBC Other Backward Classes
PMAY Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
PMGSY Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
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PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal
PRI Panchayati Raj Institutions
PWD Persons With Disabilities
RVP Resilient Village Programme
SC Scheduled Caste
SDMC School Disaster Management Committee
SMC School Management Committee
SSA Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan
SSFT School Safety Focal Teacher
SSP School Safety Programme
ST Scheduled Tribe
ToR Terms of Reference
ToT Training of Trainers
UMS Upgraded Middle School
UNEG United Nations Evaluation Guidelines
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
VDMC Village Disaster Management Committee
VDMP Village Disaster Management Plans
WASH Water Sanitation and Hygiene
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
Bihar, one of the most disaster prone states of India, faced severe floods in five districts (Supaul,
Saharsa, Madhepura, Araria and Purnia) due to a breach in embankment of river Kosi in the year 2008.
The flood affected over 5.3 million people in northern Bihar, many of them children. To support the
Government of Bihar (GoB), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in association with the European
Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) began flood recovery programme in 68
villages of the five districts in Bihar.
After initially focusing on flood recovery and rehabilitation, there was a need to build resilience among
communities to better deal with disasters, and in 2011, UNICEF Bihar Office made a strategic shift
wherein it initiated efforts to facilitate communities to access resources from Government
programme/schemes or other sources to implement their own DRR plans. The programme was scaled-
up to cover 230 villages in six districts, namely Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Samastipur, East
Champaran and Supaul. Furthermore, a School Safety component (in 155 middle schools) was
organically coalesced in 2011 with the programme to further children's participation in risk reduction
efforts at community level and to ensure that the risks faced by them in schools were actively
addressed.
By the beginning of 2013, a group of highly motivated individuals were selected as Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR) Catalysts to develop leadership within at-risk communities to ensure sustainability.
Within a year, partnership agreements were in place within Block (sub-district) and District
Administration. Following this, the administration initiated the scaling up of the CBDRR programme
covering all the villages in the 15 intervention blocks of six districts. By December 2015, the CBDRR
pilot intervention villages were handed over to DRR Catalysts and community institutions with
reduced facilitation support from implementing NGO partners.
By 2017, the CBDRR-SSP had reached over 1,122 villages and 3,318 schools in six intervention districts,
and the next round of scaling up the programme is underway. Further, the SSP has been recognised
by the GoB, and the “Mukhyamantri School Safety Programme (MSSP)” was launched in July 2016 to
cover 73,000 schools in Bihar.
Purpose and Objectives of the Evaluation
The purpose of the evaluation was to assess and draw lessons from CBDRR-SSP initiative in Bihar
(2011-2016) assessing its relevance, effectiveness sustainability, and gender and equity. The
evaluation took place from June 2016 to July 2017.
Specific objectives of the evaluation included:
i. Conducting knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) test with a select sample of adolescent
students in the six districts, as part of the effectiveness criterion.
ii. Assessing the CBDRR-SSP against the Sendai Framework for DRR (2015).
iii. Documenting three in-depth case studies of three villages to understand the processes these
villages underwent to be disaster resilient.
iv. Identifying best practices and documenting lessons learnt from the CBDRR programme,
including;
Key factors and best practices contributing to the programmes successes or failures.
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Lessons learnt that can be externally applied, including recommendations.
Approaches and better strategies for scaling-up CBDRR programme.
Brief Methodology
In addition to secondary literature review, the evaluation relied on a qualitative data collection
exercise from sampled schools and villages. This included 51 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with DRR
Catalysts, NGO partners and different stakeholders at the village and school levels. In addition, the
evaluation team conducted 74 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) at the village, school, block, district and
state level, along with a KAP survey with 270 school students.
Key Findings
The findings, as per the evaluation sub-questions under each OECD-DAC criteria, are enumerated
below:
Relevance
The CBDRR programme is meeting its envisioned objectives through its activities and desired
outputs in the context of Building Disaster Resilient Communities. Communities have been trained
and capacitated to make their own plans, and interact with duty bearers at the village, sub-district
and district levels. Similarly, through SSP, children, teachers and school administration see the
relevance of a DRR focused programme and are proactively participating to make it a success.
From a design perspective, the programme is appropriate for its target audience, i.e. the
community members including at-risk men, women and children in disaster prone areas.
While the plans made by the School Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) reflect the needs
and ensure participation of different groups and children, the Village Disaster Management
Committees (VDMCs) need to be strengthened to ensure that there is greater inclusion of women
and children in the planning process.
CBDRR - SSP remains valid since its first implementation and throughout its duration, specifically
because the intervention areas remain extremely prone and vulnerable to disasters. Stakeholders
across all levels understood and articulated the need for such a programme.
The programme’s activities and outputs largely align to the priorities of both the Hyogo and the
Sendai frameworks, and have contributed towards the development and execution of GoB’s DRR
roadmap.
Effectiveness
There are several processes and interaction points (such as monthly review meetings), through
which the progress of the Village Disaster Management Plan (VDMP) is tracked. These processes
are followed to spread awareness on issues of common interest, such as, cleanliness, safe drinking
water, immunization, etc.
Strong evidence of risk informed actions such as improving critical infrastructure includes – raising
of plinth levels; make-shift bamboo bridges; village-level flood shells; new roads; raised hand-
pumps and inculcating the practice of washing hands with soap.
Major factors that influenced the achievement of positive results included — support from UNICEF
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and NGOs; commitment of DRR catalysts1, VDMCs, and School Safety Focal Teachers2; acceptance
and support from the community; and support from government officials.
Since the programme initiation, there is a marked change in the attitude of the community
towards disasters. Communities are more informed and aware of the causes of disasters, ways to
deal with them and of the government schemes that can be leveraged to improve the disaster
preparedness in the villages.
Sustainability
CBDRR-SSP has demonstrated strong components of sustainability (such as increased knowledge
and preparedness towards disasters) due to support received from UNICEF and NGOs.
An implicit exit strategy has been embedded in the framework of both the programmes. This
includes developing DRR Catalysts, grading of villages and schools, and saturation of existing
programme blocks.
The CBDRR-SSP is being scaled-up by UNICEF as well as the GoB. There are activities and timelines
defined in the DRR roadmap to support the implementation of the CBDRR and SSP, as a part of
the Resilient Village Programme (RVP) and Mukhya Mantri School Safety Programme (MSSP). The
MSSP has also been scaled up to 73,000 schools across the state.
Gender and Equity Assessment
The CBDRR-SSP focuses on building the capacities of vulnerable communities and children on
disaster risk reduction so that their capacity to deal with future disasters is strengthened. The
programme remains equitable and the evaluation team did not encounter any instances of
discrimination and/ or differential treatment experienced by any of the groups in the sample
villages/ schools.
The framework of CBDRR has been inclusive in building capacities of communities to plan for
disasters by promoting their rights and equity through DRR actions. Further, the formation of the
VDMC is a voluntary process with representation from different sections of the society.
The evaluation found encouraging examples of women championing the DRR cause. However, the
overall, the findings suggest that women (non-VDMC members) and children are not engaged to
their full potential in the DRR planning process. While there was representation of women as a
part of VDMCs, women were not aware how they could engage in or contribute towards the DRR
planning process undertaken by the VDMCs.
Lessons Learnt
a) Leveraging of resources from government schemes/ programmes and interaction with government
and frontline functionaries continues to be the mainstay of programme impact.
The efforts of UNICEF and implementing NGO partners with respect to involving and interacting
with government officials at block and district levels to leverage entitlements from programmes,
must continue to sustain the programme.
b) UNICEF’s advocacy efforts and technical support have resulted in strong acceptance of the
1 DRR catalysts have been identified by the VDMCs and implementing NGO partners. These are motivated individuals who are working towards sustaining the programme. They support and lead all the VDMC activities at the village level. 2 A teacher identified at the school level to support children in undertaking DRR activities at the school level. S/he ensures that children are participating in making school level disaster management plans.
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programme by GoB.
UNICEF has provided high-level technical assistance to the state of Bihar in the form of training of
trainers, capacity-building modules, DRR process documents, etc. These efforts must continue for
the effective scaling-up of the programme.
c) Including women in the planning process is of utmost importance
While the programme has been raising awareness among women, including them in the process of
planning is equally important. This means including also women who are non-members and are a
part of the village community. Their issues pertaining to disasters are best addressed when women
take charge, and play a leading role in the DRR planning of the villages.
d) Periodic analysis of CBDRR-SSP monitoring data is critical
Regular analysis for tracking progress and taking mid-course corrections of the programme is
important. This will ensure that both the block and district administrations understand &
contribute towards the DRR requirements along with providing the necessary support.
e) Role of Mukhiya is critical for DRR planning process at the school and village levels
The Mukhiya’s role has emerged as critical for the effectiveness and sustainability of the
programme and should be included in the DRR planning and execution. The DRR activities in villages
and schools get fast tracked wherever there is continued support received from the Mukhiya.
f) Strategic geographical selection of villages and schools
The programme should continue its approach of geographic targeting (based on vulnerabilities to
disasters) so as to provide the required support and intervention to build DRR capacities.
Recommendations
UNICEF
a) Continued Technical Assistance to the Government of Bihar (GoB) for Disaster Risk Reduction
Given the nascent stage of MSSP & RVP, there is a need for continued technical assistance for
some period. Therefore, UNICEF should continue its engagement with the GoB. The technical
assistance should include: orientation of nodal departments on the DRR roadmap; training
modules on MSSP & RVP; training of trainers on MSSP & RVP; process documentation; preparing
policy briefs on DRR and any other activity identified in consultation with the GoB.
b) Sustained Efforts to Increase Involvement of Women and Children in the DRR Planning Process
Despite existing socio-cultural challenges faced by women in decision making and engaging with
public life, women have repeatedly demonstrated great ability in contributing towards dealing
with disasters. Therefore, keeping in mind the existing challenges, for all future programming
activities, greater efforts are a required for including women and children in the village disaster
management plan preparation. Examples can be drawn from positive case studies and
experiences.
c) Training and Deployment of Children as DRR Sentinels
DRR Sentinels is an innovative approach that fosters children (13-15 year olds), in groups and as
individuals, to work towards making their lives safer and their communities more resilient to
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disasters. Children should be trained and deployed as DRR Sentinels in the village – children tend
to take a comprehensive and holistic approach to perceiving disasters risks. They can act as the
eyes and ears of their village during cases of emergency, such as, fire, drowning, other accidents,
etc. and inform elders about any mishap for affirmative action.
d) Increase Involvement of Mukhiyas (Elected Gram Panchayat Head)
Greater emphasis is required to secure the ownership of the CBDRR & SSP programmes by the
Mukhiyas. All villages in a gram panchayat should have the capacity, orientation and training to
reduce risks due to disasters.
e) Greater Involvement of Anganwadi Workers (AWW) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) in DRR
Planning Process
More efforts are required for involving the AWWs and ANMs in the DRR planning process.
f) Horizontal vs Vertical Spread of the CBDRR Programme
UNICEF should adopt the strategy of including all villages in a gram panchayat for the CBDRR
programme rather than focusing on one or two villages. This will lead to greater involvement of
the Mukhiya as the programme will have a direct benefit for the entire gram panchayat.
g) Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MLE) Processes
While the M&E processes have worked well for programme requirements, these should be
supplemented by an equally robust system of documentation of field level activities. The efforts
need to be further augmented to share the experiential and programmatic learning on a regular
basis with other stakeholders intending to implement similar programmes.
Recommendations for GoB
a) Integration of School Safety Programme Reporting with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All)
Formats
GoB should explore the possibility of integrating the SSP in SSA reporting formats. This can be
conceptualized and taken forward as a part of the scaling-up exercise undertaken through the
MSSP. This will allow the GoB to systematically review and address the DRR issues at the school
level.
b) Roadmap Implementation Support Unit (RISU)
Given the infancy of the RISU, it is recommended that GoB should continue its engagement with
UNICEF, Bihar for providing technical support to the unit. This support should continue until such
time that sufficient capacity has been built to fulfill its mandate.
c) Donor Harmonization
A donor coordination committee can be set up at the state level to minimise duplication of work
and optimize resources are being pooled in for DRR activities.
d) Resilient Village Programme (RVP)
Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA) should continue to engage with partners to
provide technical assistance for drafting plans and implementation strategy for RVP. The plan of
action must have clearly defined timelines by which every village in Bihar becomes disaster
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resilient.
e) Convergence with Line Departments
A coordination committee with representation from every line department needs to be set-up at
the State and district levels. These committees should meet every month to discuss the activities
being undertaken towards disaster risk reduction.
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1 INTRODUCTION
Background
Bihar being one of the most populous states in India comprises nearly 8.53 percent of the country’s
population4. During the last few years, the state has focused on all round development and the
Government of Bihar (GoB) has taken several initiatives in the areas of governance, institutional
reforms, infrastructure development, improved public services, etc. Though the state has shown
remarkable progress, it is still one of the poorest states with 42 percent of the population living below
the poverty line as compared to the national average of 28 percent5. The state has 88.7 percent of the
total population residing in rural areas, which depend extensively on agricultural production and
livestock6. The sex ratio in Bihar is 918 and a large gender gap exists in literacy level with literacy rates
at 71.2 percent for males against 51.5 percent for females 7.
The high rate of poverty has resulted in severe social, economic and political issues in Bihar. For
example, massive migration is rampant due to limited livelihood opportunities within the state.
Women face barriers such as purdah, the practice of female seclusion using a veil, which results in
limited mobility and decision-making by women. Additionally, there are widely prevalent customs and
patriarchal mind-sets that discourage open interactions between men and women in the villages. Poor
3 National Disaster Management Authority (n.d.).. Retrieved from Bihar SDMA Office: http://ndma.gov.in/en/bihar-sdma-office 4 Government of Bihar, World Bank. (2010). Bihar Kosi Floods (2008) Needs Assessment Report. The World Bank.
India, K. C. (2013). Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on School Safety Programme. Retrieved from
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/kap_in_bihar_practice.pdf 5 Ibid 6 World Bank. (n.d.). Indian Agricultural Issues and Priorities. Retrieved from
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/05/17/india-agriculture-issues-priorities 7 Ibid
Figure 1.1: Map depicting Flood Zones in Bihar (Not to scale)
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hygiene practices, such as, open defecation and poor health seeking behaviour pose further
challenges to the general wellbeing of the population. The situation is exacerbated by limited
understanding of the population about their entitlements to the various government schemes
pertaining to health, nutrition, education, social protection and economic empowerment.
Along with the above-mentioned barriers, the vulnerability of the people is compounded by the high
prevalence of disasters that depletes the state’s resources, agricultural production and people’s
capacity to cope. A combination of the geographical and socio-economic factors makes the state of
Bihar particularly vulnerable during disasters.
Floods are the recurrent natural disasters in Bihar and pose threat to life and property in the state.
Figure 1.1 highlights the flood prone zones in Bihar, and as evident, most regions of the State have
been adversely affected. Out of the 38 districts in Bihar, 28 districts are prone to major floods8 with
marked occurrences during 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011 and 20139. Another recurring disaster in Bihar is
earthquake with 7 out of 38 districts falling under seismic zone V, 21 districts under zone IV and the
remaining falling under seismic zone III10. The state is prone to other natural hazards such as droughts,
cyclonic storms, fire, hailstorms, lightning, heat wave, and cold wave that affect communities at large
and hence requires continuous efforts and investment in rebuilding and rehabilitation.
1.1.1 Kosi Floods
Amongst the many recurring disasters in the state, an incident that devastated several districts of
Bihar was the flooding of Kosi River in 2008. The river breached its eastern embankment on the 18th
of August 2008 about 13 kms. upstream of the Kosi Barrage in Nepal and flooded districts within its
catchment area in Bihar. This led to major flooding in Bihar, which affected around 33.29 lakh people11.
It resulted in loss of lives, livestock, farm assets, working capital and led to a momentous decline in
the agricultural production base.
Among the northern districts, Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura, Araria and Purnia were severely affected.
These districts have generally been vulnerable with poor development indicators in health, nutrition,
literacy and economic status and hence found it increasingly difficult to cope with the challenges
posed by the floods.
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Bihar
After the large-scale floods, which occurred in 2007, the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority
(BSDMA) was set up, under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.12 However, the
government faced severe resource constraints in meeting the demand of the affected population in
the 2008 Kosi floods, as considerable resources were already utilized in the previour year. In 2008,
the Government of Bihar (GoB) responded with relief and rehabilitation in the flood affected areas. It
set up 360 relief camps within schools and colleges, and installed tents for evacuees13. Understanding
8 Government of Bihar,. (n.d.). Bihar State Disaster Management Authority. Retrieved from http://bsdma.org/Home.aspx 9 Government of Bihar, (2015). Roadmap for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Retrieved from
http://www.disastermgmt.bih.nic.in/Circulars/Draft_Bihar_DRR%20Roadmap.pdf 10 Ibid. 11 Government of Bihar, (2015). Roadmap for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Retrieved from
http://www.disastermgmt.bih.nic.in/Circulars/Draft_Bihar_DRR%20Roadmap.pdf 12 Ibid. 13 Government of Bihar, World Bank. (2010). Bihar Kosi Floods (2008) Needs Assessment Report. The World Bank.
India, K. C. (2013). Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on School Safety Programme. Retrieved from
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/kap_in_bihar_practice.pdf
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the urgency of the situation, development partners including UNICEF, UNDP, the World Bank, and
European Commission initiated immediate emergency response to the floods to support the
government. UNICEF with financial assistance of Directorate-General for European Civil Protection
and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) implemented a flood recovery programme in 68 villages of
the five flood affected districts. The recovery programme started in September 2008 and completed
by March 201014. UNICEF further raised funds in support of the early recovery programme and spent
around 9 million dollars in humanitarian response15.
In 2014, GoB and BSDMA, developed the State Disaster Management Plan (SDMP) for Bihar, which
was approved by the Government of Bihar in the year 2014. The plan would assess the vulnerability
of different areas within each district and devise measures for disaster mitigation16. In addition to
GoB’s DRR interventions focused on flood preparedness and emergency response, in 2011, the Bihar
field office of UNICEF, made a strategic shift in addition to flood recovery tofocusing on facilitating
communities to access resources from Government programmes/schemes to implement their own
(Community based) Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programmes.
Government of Bihar’s DRR Initiatives
As discussed, GoB has taken several initiatives to respond to the growing needs of disaster
prone/affected regions in the state, and has been extensively supported by several development
partners including UNICEF. For example, the SDMP was developed from the perspective of a new
paradigm in the disaster management approach that is prevention, mitigation and preparedness.
Further, based on the new guidelines of the Sendai framework and lessons learnt from the Third UN
World Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction, GoB developed the Disaster Risk Reduction Roadmap
for 2015-2030. The roadmap has been developed in line with the four priorities of Sendai framework
namely: a) understanding the disaster risk, b) strengthening disaster risk governance, c) investing in
disaster risk resilience, and d) enhancing disaster preparedness to build back better. UNICEF played a
key role in developing the roadmap for the state.
Box 1.1: Global Frameworks on DRR
The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)17 was the global charter for disaster risk reduction efforts
between 2005 and 2015. Its goal was to substantially reduce disaster losses by 2015 - in lives, and in
the social, economic, and environmental assets of communities and countries. Post the adoption of
HFA, there has been reduction of disaster risk, enhancement of capacities for disaster risk
management, and development of policies/programmes for disaster mitigation at local, national,
regional and global levels. However, its implementation highlighted some gaps in addressing critical
disaster risk factors. These gaps indicated a need to develop an action-oriented framework. On 18
March 2015, UN Member States adopted the Sendai Framework18 for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-
2030, the successor instrument to the HFA.
14 UNICEF. (2016, April). Terms of Reference - Evaluation of CBDRR-SSP. UNICEF. 15 Ibid. 16 ibid. 17 Unisdr. (2005). Hyogo Framework for Action. Retrieved from https://www.unisdr.org/2005/wcdr/intergover/official-doc/L-docs/Hyogo-framework-for-action-english.pdf 18 United Nations, (2015). Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Retrieved from http://www.preventionweb.net/files/43291_sendaiframeworkfordrren.pdf
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Figure 1.2: Evolution of disaster management measures in Bihar
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UNICEF’s support to DRR Initiatives
UNICEF has supported DRR efforts from a social and behaviour change perspective, ensuring that
children and vulnerable groups understand the simple and practical actions required to protect lives
in the case of disasters. Along with the GoB, the development partners too have been working on
disaster risk reduction in the state. Post Kosi floods, UNICEF shifted its disaster response strategy from
relief and rehabilitation to disaster risk reduction and preparedness. While the immediate goal of
UNICEF was to take relief and rehabilitation measures, it was important to reduce the vulnerability of
the communities living in multi hazard prone districts in Bihar by creating leadership for disaster risk
reduction. The aim was to address the disaster risk and vulnerabilities in the six disaster prone districts
of Bihar, using the knowledge and strength of the communities, as well as, resources from the
government programmes and schemes.
Box 1.2: UNICEF DRR Initiatives in India
DRR initatiaveshave been taken-up by UNICEF in other states of India - West Bengal in 2000, Assam
in 2009, and Madhya Pradesh (MP), which enabled UNICEF to transfer some of its learning in Bihar.
UNICEF’s CBDRR programme implemented along with the Government of West Bengal led to
sustained joint action for disaster risk reduction and the strengthening of the civil defence
department. The department played a major role in enhancing response preparedness, and
strengthening of institutions for sustaining the capacity development efforts in West Bengal.
The UNICEF led CBDRR in MP reached out to 250 villages in 10 selected districts. The project
envisaged preparation of VDMPs and District Disaster Management Plans (DDMP) to enable district
administration to undertake disaster risk reduction measures. These learnings have helped the
CBDRR-SSP programme in Bihar in initiating and improving its interventions.
The Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) Programme and the School Safety Programme
(SSP) were initiated in the year 2011 to prepare the communities, including children, to deal with
disasters and associated risks in a more informed manner. UNICEF along with the NGO partners
facilitated the process of building community networks and making DRR plans to help build skills and
forge linkages with the government. Further, children in schools were provided with the knowledge
related to disasters and disaster preparedness and were mobilized to develop plans that would make
their schools disaster resilient.
The NGO partners liaise with the government officials and functionaries to support communities in
leveraging resources, especially from the District Administration and the Education Department. They
conduct capacity building activities that focus on disaster preparedness and disseminate information
on various government schemes. Further, technical assistance is provided through trainings with
school teachers and block (sub-district) level education functionaries at the Block Resource Centre
(BRC). In addition to this, their capacities have also been built to systematically integrate DRR into
their working framework.
The following table lists the NGO partners in each of the programme districts:
CBDRR-SSP NGO Partners in Bihar, India
S. No Name of the NGO District
1. Ghoghardiha Prakhand Swarajya Vikas Sangh (GPSVS) Supaul
2. Bihar Sewa Samiti (BSS) Darbhanga and Madhubani
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3. Samajik Chetna Kendra (SCK) Madhubani
4. Samajik Shodh Evam Vikas Kendra (SSEVK) East Champaran
5. Centre for All Round Development (CARD) Samastipur
6. Grameen Development Services (GDS) Sitamarhi
1.4.1 Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Programme (CBDRR)
UNICEF initiated the CBDRR programme in 2011 in 68 villages in five flood prone districts- Supaul,
Saharsa, Madhepura, Araria and Purnia, and progressively expanded to 255 villages in six multi hazard
prone districts- East Champaran, Darbangha, Madhubani, Samastipur, Sitamarhi and Supaul. The
programme has been further expanded upto 1,122 villages in the existing six disricts, as a part of scale
up activities started in 2015.
Under the CBDRR programme, communities are engaged in undertaking annual ‘risk aware planning’
as per the prioritized risks for the year and their capacity to follow-up on the plan. The participatory
planning process unfolds through (a) community mobilization (including men and women in
community and children in schools), and (b) organization and capacity building (to undertake DRR
planning to reduce disaster risk through local action).
According to the TOR, the objectives of CBDRR are as follows:
People at-risk of disasters have their own annual DRR plan at village and school level;
The DRR Plan is in the hands of capable local people to follow it up with the duty bearers
and others;
Government and people come together to implement risk informed development
priorities of the people.
UNICEF and NGO partners have over the years focused on developing institutions within the
community such as the Village Disaster Management Committee (VDMC), and training members for
the purpose of annual planning, review and presentation of the DRR plans within the Gram Sabhas19.
Other major stakeholders in this planning exercise include children, women, men, thematic task
forces, DRR catalysts, Panchayati Raj representatives and Frontline Workers at the village level.
Through a consultative process, they play a critical role in action planning to ensure disaster
preparedness. There are specific issues such as - flood preparedness, fire safety measures, protection
from seasonal diseases (e.g. diarrhea) etc. that are discussed with target groups including women and
children within the village, in addition to building of toilets, raising of handpumps etc. Further, these
village level individuals contribute in seasonal preparedness activities and participate in Aam Sabhas
that are village level open meetings.
The block and district level officials act as enablers of the two programmes by taking prompt action
on specific requests from the villages.20
1.4.2 School Safety Programme
Along with the CBDRR programme, a School Safety Programme (SSP) was initiated (on pilot basis) in
155 schools in East Champaran, Darbangha, Madhubani, Samastipur, Sitamarhi and Supaul, with an
objective to equip children with the necessary knowledge and practical skills to deal with disasters
and making their behavioral spaces safe. The programme since 2015 has been scaled-up to a total of
19 A meeting of all the adults (18+), who live in the area covered by the Panchayat (a cluster of villages and habitations) 20 More information on the process is provided in Annex 3
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3,318 schools, and includes implementation activities being undertaken in an additional district of
Vaishali.
Drawing from CBDRR, SSP21 includes planning at school level where children22 participate to learn and
plan for DRR in the schools. The programme envisages a sustainable life cycle supported by a
dedicated community of actors inclusive of staff and children. Through regular trainings and the use
of innovative and participatory teaching practices, children have gained the capacity and confidence
to conduct DRR focused activities. Children have been given the responsibility to identify the possible
risks/ hazards within their school premises, which has resulted in a shift in the approach by looking at
risks from a child’s perspective. Further, the SSP has been built on the success of existing bodies within
the school community, such as the Bal Sansad, Meena Manch, and School Management Committee
(SMC) instituted under Sarva Shikshha Abhiyan (SSA)23, and provided them with an effective
mechanism for dealing with disasters.
As part of SSP, linkages of schools are established with appropriate service providers for sustained
capacity, service provision and safety audits. The focus is to organise meetings/ consultations with
local service providers including police, civil defence, fire stations, and medical and other emergency
service providers like National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) / State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
Further, the SSP was recognized by the GoB, and triggered the launch of “Mukhyamantri School Safety
Programme (MSSP)” to cover over 73,000 schools in Bihar, launched in line with the Bihar State DRR
Roadmap.
1.4.3 CBDRR-SSP Theory of Change24
The theory of change of the CBDRR-SSP programme is based on a simple model. The situation in the
villages affected by floods was not conducive to develop a complex and elaborate programme delivery
model. The villages had just recovered from the floods and the community needed to be mobilized to
a shared cause. There was a need to change the perception of the community about itself and convert
them from relief seekers to agents of change. Any complexities in the programme design would have
made its acceptance difficult and time taking. Accordingly, the UNICEF programme team designed a
simple theory of change and a corresponding easy to accept and adopt CBDRR-SSP.
The CBDRR-SSP aims at bringing the communities and government together for addressing disaster
risk and climate change issues through developmental actions. The programme has been designed
under the context of some pre and post conditions. The underlying theory behind the programme is
that men, women and children have the capacity to undertake risk analysis and prioritize risks to take
planned actions for disaster risk reduction in coordination with local governance mechanisms
(panchayat, frontline workers, block and district administration). The pre-conditions comprising of a
set of inputs and processes lead to the expected outcomes. It includes (i) active and responsible
participation of NGO partners, the community and children; and (ii) preparation of social mobilization
strategy and inclusive processes that address social and gender inequity issues. The other key pre-
condition, which determines the success of the programme, is the change of attitude of community
from fatalism to creators of opportunities for disaster risk reduction. To make the efforts sustainable,
21 The broad contours of the programme are provided in Annex 3 22 Children between age group of 11-15, studying in classes 6, 7 and 8 23 Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is Government of India's flagship programme for achievement of Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time bound manner, as mandated by 86th amendment to the Constitution of India making free and compulsory Education to the Children of 6-14 years age group, a Fundamental Right. 24 The “Theory of Change” diagram has been provided by UNICEF, Bihar
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pre-conditions comprise of designing village level learning platforms to build DRR perspectives, learn
the DRR implementation and track the results.
These pre-conditions collectively lead to the outcome, which is a community linked with the
government to jointly tackle disasters and reduce related risks. The community is better informed, has
access to resources and there is perceptible commitment to the common cause, that is, disaster
resilient villages. Post the achievement of outcomes, the communities are expected to keep fulfilling
a set of post conditions, such as, regular risk analysis, protection of development gains, and usage of
local knowledge, fortitude and resources for attaining the impact of CBDRR-SSP. The ultimate impact
of the programme is the improved safety and security of men, women and children from disasters.
The CBDRR-SSP theory of change diagram is presented below.
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2 EVALUATION PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES, SCOPE & METHODOLOGY
Purpose
The purpose of the evaluation is to draw lessons from the CBDRR-SSP initiative in Bihar based on the
OECD-DAC criteria of: relevance, effectiveness, sustainability, and gender equity. The evaluation aims
to provide useful insights and learning, which would enable UNICEF, GoB and implementing partners
to devise a strategy for scaling up and adapting the CBDRR and SSP interventions. Moreover, it would
support UNICEF to strengthen its key advocacy issues around CBDRR and designing similar
programmes for other parts of the country. At the GoB level, it would help inform the DRR roadmap
and support its implementation. Further, government, NGOs and other stakeholders will benefit from
the evaluation and use the findings for designing any future DRR interventions.
Objectives
Following the presentation of the inception report to the Evaluation Reference Group25, the objectives
of the evaluation remain unchanged from the Terms of Reference (ToR) and are as follows:
a) Assess the relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of the bottom-up approach for risk
informed development planning and implementation through CBDRR-SSP at village, school,
community and government level in all the six intervention districts of Bihar;
b) As part of the effectiveness criterion, conduct a knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) test
with a select sample of adolescent students in the six districts;
c) Assess CBDRR-School Safety programme against the Sendai Framework for DRR (2015);
d) Document three in-depth case studies to understand the processes it underwent to be
disaster resilient;
e) Identify and document lessons learnt and best practices of the programme:
Key factors and best practices contributing to the programmes successes or failures;
Lessons learnt that can be externally applied and provide recommendations;
Scaling-up approaches and better strategies for scaling-up CBDRR programme.
Scope
The evaluation focused on the OECD-DAC criteria of relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability of the
programme strategies and activities in enhancing the resilience of the at-risk communities, especially
children and women. Additionally, it has attempted to understand how the programme is being
perceived by the government functionaries at the block, district and state levels. The criteria of impact
and efficiency have not been covered under this evaluation. The criterion of efficiency was deliberately
kept out of the purview of the evaluation because an independent study for that purpose was
conducted in the year 201326. Impact as a criterion was also not included because the evaluation was
being carried out ex-post, without the requisite comparable baseline data to assess impact rigorously.
Further, the CBDRR-SSP was designed to promote risk preparedness and build resilience in the
community against the vagaries of natural hazards. Therefore, the evaluation was restricted to
measuring the outcomes of the programmes against these three parameters.
25 For every evaluation, an independent Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) consisting of UNICEF and non-UNICEF experts is constituted by UNICEF India. The ERG serves as an advisory body which supports the evaluation by a) providing strategic direction and technical inputs, b) monitoring progress and quality, c) supporting dissemination of findings, as applicable, and d) bringing critical issues to the notice of the UNICEF Evaluation Manager. 26 An efficiency study was conducted by Knowledge Community on Children in India, which has been referenced in Section 4.4
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The fieldwork was carried out in six districts of Bihar (Supaul, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur,
Sitamarhi and East Champaran), and covered the period of 2011-16. The evaluation was conducted
from June 2016 to July 2017.
The Terms of Reference clearly specified the scope of evaluation, which is reiterated below:
a) The areas covered in the evaluation are CBDRR-SSP models, progress trajectory (how the
programme graduated from one level to another level), implementation strategy/programme
perspective, programme processes, community institutions, Task Forces, DRR Catalysts, DRR
plan, monitoring mechanisms, leveraging & linkages with GP, school administration at various
levels, service providers, scaling-up approach, results achieved so far in terms of resilience
building, system change for DRR (i.e. risk informed GP plans/School Development plans).
b) CBDRR-SSP evaluated against Sendai Framework for DRR.
Approach
The evaluation followed a structured approach (refer to Annex 2 for key evaluation questions) to meet
the objectives. The overall approach was as follows:
a) Consultative and Participatory:
The team regularly consulted with UNICEF to meet the evaluation objectives. Further, it maintained
close contact with the state, district and block level implementation agencies (a detailed list has been
given in section 2.5), community members including women, marginalized groups etc. to develop a
deeper understanding of CBDRR-SSP. This consultative process helped in meeting the expectation of
the implementing stakeholders. In addition, the stakeholders played a critical role in the design and
implementation of the evaluation. The design of evaluation tools was guided by the UNICEF DRR and
evaluation team. The implementation of the evaluation was supported by UNICEF’s NGO partners,
who assisted the evaluation team to reach remote schools and villages in the interior regions of the
Bihar.
b) Gender sensitive and inclusive:
During the course of the evaluation, a socially inclusive and gender sensitive methodology was
followed. Through the FGDs and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), perspectives of various community
members from within different villages were taken. These included separate discussions with
women’s groups to understand their role in the DRR planning and execution. The school level KAP
surveys also ensured the representation of both girls and boys from different age groups and social
categories.
Further, to ensure gender sensitivity in execution of the assignment, the evaluation team had a mix of
female and male members. The core team had two female members out of four and field team
comprised of three female members out of eight. As the evaluation involved engagement with the
vulnerable and marginalized communities, the team was careful about the local context, and at the
same time, was committed to inclusion of disadvantaged social groups such as scheduled castes (SCs)
and scheduled tribes (STs), women and girls, and persons with disabilities.
Methodology
The evaluation methodology followed a logical sequence of inter-related steps.
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Secondary Information Review
The evaluation team reviewed available literature, reports and other data sources to understand the
context of the programme.
Scoping Visit & Zero Pilot of Tools
The team conducted an initial meeting with the Evaluation Manager and the DRR Specialist at the
UNICEF office and undertook a scoping visit to Bihar. The evaluation team met the Chief of Field Office,
the DRR Officer and the evaluation officer from UNICEF and the NGO partners. The team undertook a
field visit to Samastipur and visited two villages (Salaha & Basuari) and one school (Middle School
Jitwaria). In the village and school, the team interacted with the VDMC members, DRR Catalysts, SDMC
members, School Safety Focal Teacher, DRR Champions, children and adolescents.
During the scoping visit, the draft evaluation questionnaire was tested on a pilot basis with the
community. This exercise enabled the evaluation team to better understand the programme and
helped in finalising the tools. Subsequently, a brief report on the scoping visit was submitted to
UNICEF.
Sampling
To execute this assignment, purposive and convenience sampling technique was used to select the
blocks, villages and schools. Purposive sampling ensured that the perspectives of the key stakeholders
at all levels can be decisive in explaining how the programme has been implemented. Further, data
was collected from respondents who are typically available at the school and village levels, making it
convenient. The select sample and respondents for data collection purpose has been explained
below:-
a) Selection of blocks, villages and schools
The villages and schools were selected based on the following set of indicative criteria:
Village population size - large/medium/small
Risk profile/level based on categories of disasters – low/medium/high
Programme implementation performance as per Bihar Field Office
Self-graded villages and schools (A= Excellent, B= Very Good, C= Average, D= Needs
Improvement)
The final list of selected districts, blocks, villages and schools is as follows:
S.
No. District Block Villages Schools
1 Supaul Basantpur Banelipatti MS Hriday Nagar
MS Bhagwanpur 2
Chhatapur Matiyari MS Mahdipur
2 Darbhanga Ghanshyampur Ashma MS Godhail
MS Tumaul
Kiratpur Chhilkora MS Kiratpur
3 Madhubani Madhepur Bhargama MS Bheja
MS Pachhi
Bisfi Tisi UMS Baingra
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S.
No. District Block Villages Schools
4 Sitamarhi Runnisaidpur Raipur MS Sirkhariya
Koriyahi MS HajipurBasant
Belsand MS Ibrahimpur
5 East Champaran Banjaria Kukurjhari MS Gokhula
MS Jatwa
Motihari Jhitkahiya Mukhia MS Jhitkahiya
6 Samastipur Kalyanpur Dariyapar MS Jitwariya
Akauna MS Sormar
MS Lachrampur
b) Sample size & its distribution against categories of respondents
The selected respondents for Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveys is as follows:
S.
No. Respondents FGDs KIIs
KAP
Survey
No. of
Districts
Total
Sample
1 Village Disaster Management
Committee(VDMC)
2
6 12
2 School Disaster Management
Committee (SDMC)
2
6 12
3 Implementing NGO Partners 1
1
4 Children (10-15 years) 2
6 12
5 Women (18-35 years) 2
6 12
6 DRR Catalysts
4
6 24
7 Gram Pradhan – Mukhiya
2
6 12
8 Anganwadi Worker (AWW)
2
6 12
9 Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM)
2
6 12
10 School Safety Focal Teachers
2
6 12
11 School Principals/ Head Masters
1
6 6
12 Block Education Officer
1
6 6
13 Block Development Officer
1
6 6
14 District Magistrate
1
3 3
15 District Education Officer
1
3 3
16 Two State Level Representatives 2
17 Adolescents in School (age group of
10-15)
45 6 270
The list of respondents provided in the ToR were discussed during inception phase and following
changes were suggested—
Conduct 2 FGDs with DRR catalysts instead of the originally proposed KIIs;
Undertake 2 KIIs with state representatives.
These were based on the recommendations of the Bihar Field Office, as it was felt that conducting
FGDs with DRR catalysts would be beneficial and draw more insights. This was corroborated
during the FGD sessions with DRR catalysts, who were able to add value to the discussion in a
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larger platform.
Further, in the final sample, two state representatives were interviewed. This helped in
understanding the strategies for scaling-up followed by the Bihar State Disaster Management
Authority (BSDMA).
Designing of Evaluation Tools
Based on insights from the scoping visit, the team developed draft evaluation tools. Further, the key
evaluation questions given in the ToR along with the outcomes of pilot testing also supported the
designing of the FGDs checklist, KII tools and the KAP questionnaires. In addition, the following
standard guidelines were referred to draft the evaluation tools:
CBDRR-SSP Evaluation Framework document
CBDRR-SSP Theory of Change Sendai Framework
United Nations Evaluations Guidelines (UNEG) document
Approval of Evaluation Protocol and Tools by UNICEF and the Institutional Review Board (IRB)
The evaluation design and the evaluation tools were reviewed and approved by UNICEF, the
Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) and the Independent Evaluation Committee (IEC) of Ekjut; a civil
society organization in Jharkhand.
Translation and Piloting of Evaluation Tools
The approved tools were translated into Hindi and re-translated into English to retain the exact
meaning of the questions. The translated tools were piloted in a village that was not a part of the final
sample. The process ensured that there were no redundancies in the questions and the language and
flow of questions were appropriate. Based on the piloting, the tools were modified and finalized.
Training of Evaluation Team
The Team Leader and the Evaluation Expert trained the team members on the final tools. The two-
day training was organized at IPE Global’s Patna office and following sessions were conducted:
The basic concepts of DRR
Background of the UNICEF CBDRR & SSP
FGD Guides, KII Questionnaires and KAP Survey
Fieldwork
Following the training of enumerators, the evaluation team including the Evaluation Expert, Gender
& Qualitative Specialist and a Research Associate led by the Team Leader initiated the fieldwork. The
team was split into two sub-teams and each team was responsible to undertake the FGDs, KIIs and
KAPs in respective sample villages. The team of experts and enumerators completed all the data
collection at the village and school level (Annex 5). The core experts undertook/ supervised the FGDs
and KIIs and initiated the KAPs, which was and supervised throughout the duration of the fieldwork.
Analysis of the Primary Data
Majority of the collected data being qualitative in nature was cleaned, coded, validated and analyzed
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against the parameters of relevance, effectiveness, sustainability and gender equity using
spreadsheet.
Ethical Considerations
The evaluation was guided by the United Nations Evaluation Guidelines (UNEG)27 and received ethical
approval from an Independent Ethics Committee linked to Ekjut, a local civil society organisation in
Jharkhand (Annex 4). The design of the evaluation incorporated a clear human rights, equity and
gender perspective. The team integrated the aforementioned dimensions into the execution of the
assignment, such as inclusion of girls, women and excluded communities, and analysed the effects of
the CBDRR-School Safety Programme on such groups.
To ensure impartiality, the evaluation team took into account the views of all stakeholders. As
requested by UNICEF, the data was disaggregated by gender and Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Other
Backward Classes (OBC)/ Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) status to determine whether the
intervention yielded more positive or negative effects on one group or the other. Children were one
of the key stakeholders in the evaluation process and the questionnaire & observation involved them.
Thereby, appropriate informed consent (from participating schools) and assent (from children
themselves) was collected prior to engaging them in the evaluation activities. In addition, the
evaluation team, based on the feedback from UNICEF, adjusted the FGDs with children to be more
child-friendly with respect to the duration and ways of engagement. The compendium on Ethical
Research Involving Children (ERIC)28 was refered to ensure that the evaluation design and protocol
incorporated respect for the dignity, well-being and rights of all children, irrespective of the context.
The UNEG norms29 and standards30 were observed throughout the engagement with respondents and
other evaluation stakeholders. The team ensured the confidentiality and security of sensitive
information derived from the FGDs, KIIs and KAPs and prior consent was taken from each stakeholder
before interacting with them.
The evaluation team ensured that the methods applied in the evaluation of the CBDRR-SSP caused no
physical or psychological harm to the participants. The team strictly followed the obligation of
evaluations, that is, independence, impartiality, credibility, no conflict of interest, honesty and
integrity, and accountability. The evaluators observed the obligations towards the participants
including respect for Dignity and Diversity, Rights, Confidentiality, and Avoidance of Harm.
The four obligations to participants are further elaborated as follows:
Box 2.1: Obligations to Participants
RESPECT FOR DIGNITY AND DIVERSITY
Respect differences in culture, local customs, religious beliefs and practices, personal
interaction, gender roles, age and ethnicity
Consult locally when planning the research and developing protocols
Optimize demands on the respondents’ time, and respect people’s right to privacy
Ensure that opinions and answers provided by the adolescents and children are respected
27 United Nations, U. (n.d.). UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluations. Retrieved from www.uneval.org/document/download/548 28 United Nations Office of Research,. (n.d.). Compendium of Ethical Research Involving Children. Retrieved from Compendium of Ethical
Research Involving Children 29United Nations, (n.d.). UNEG: Norms for Evaluation in the UN System. Retrieved from www.unevaluation.org/document/download/2601 30United Nations, (n.d.). UNEG Standards for Evaluation in the UN System. Retrieved from www.unevaluation.org/document/download/2601
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RIGHTS
The participants will be treated as autonomous agents and will be given the time and
information to decide whether or not they wish to participate
They reserve the right to taking independent decision without any pressure or fear of penalty
for not participating
Care will be taken to ensure that relatively powerless, ‘hidden’, or otherwise excluded groups
are represented
CONFIDENTIALITY
Respect people’s right to provide information in confidence and making the participants aware
of the scope and limits of confidentiality
Ensure utmost care and sensitivity towards adolescents’ children’s right to privacy and ensure
that their information remains confidential
Securely store, protect and dispose of information/data that has been collected
AVOIDANCE OF HARM
Evaluators shall seek to minimize risks to, and burden on, those participating in the evaluation
Employ strategies to minimize distress for all participants, especially adolescents and children
participating in the research
Take measures to ensure that harm is not caused to adolescents, children, families or
communities31
Limitations
Some of the limitations experienced during the course of the evaluation included:
i. Size of the sample The evaluation team visited 12 villages and 18 schools. Given the small size of the sample, it is
important to note that the results are specific to the selected villages and schools and may not
uniformly apply to the entire programme implementation area.
ii. Data gaps in triangulation of findings To the extent possible, the evaluation team triangulated the findings using the different information
sources - KIIs/FGDs with key stakeholders and review of programme documents. However, some
findings, which were ex post facto, such as, different children in one school reporting different
schedules for mock drills and hazard hunts during KAP did not leave room for a field based
revalidation/ triangulation.
iii. Duration of interactions with the district & state officials As per the evaluation design, the team had to conduct structured interviews with the district and state
level officials. However, due to prior engagement and their busy schedules, some of interviews did
not follow a structured approach and used a discussion method, which did not yield specific insights
expected.
31 ibid
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3 RELEVANCE OF CBDRR-SSP
This section explores the relevance of the CBDRR-SSP programme.
Relevance Description
Key Evaluation
Question
To what extent are the objectives of the CBDRR – School Safety programme
intervention still valid?
Secondary
Evaluation Questions
Are the activities and outputs of CBDRR – School Safety programme consistent
with overall goal and attainment of the objectives?
Is the design of the CBDRR intervention appropriate to reach the target
population?
Do the DRR plans reflect the needs and participation, and opportunities of
children, women and marginalized groups from a gender and equity perspective?
To what extent the objectives of the School Safety programme were valid when
it was first implemented or throughout the duration of implementation?
Are the objectives of the CBDRR – School Safety programme consistent with the
Sendai Framework for DRR?
Additional Question Do the CBDRR-SSP objectives, match with the DRR approach of DRR Bihar and other
stakeholders?
Methodology used
to assess relevance
Reviewing existing literature on DRR activities: The team thoroughly reviewed
the existing literature on DRR activities carried out at national as well as the state
levels. The literature ranged from official directives to UNICEF programme
documents.
Reviewing the Theory of Change: The theory of change shared was reviewed and
used to design the evaluation tools for analysing the outcomes and objectives of
the programme.
Using perceptions of stakeholders and observations from the field.
Alignment of Activities and Outputs of CBDRR–SSP to its goals
The overall goal of both the programmes is to “Build Disaster Risk Resilient Communities”. In order to
meet the goal, both the programmes have clear objectives. For evaluating the relevance of the
programmes vis-à-vis the objectives and goal, the evaluation team analysed each of the objectives and
the expected activities and outputs corresponding to it.
Objectives of CBDRR Programme
a) People at-risk of disasters have their own annual DRR plan
As per the conceptualized programme design, risk reduction planning is conducted at the village level
with the intended output of creating village disaster management plans. These plans are developed
with an understanding and motivation to make the community safe from disasters. This is expected
to be an inclusive process involving the village members - represented by the Village Disaster
Management Committee (VDMC), village Mukhiya and frontline workers. During the process,
discussions are conducted to prepare a budget, assess availability of resources from government
schemes and identify ways to leverage community time and collective efforts.
The team found that all the 12 villages were conducting this planning activity. The VDMCs over the
years have evolved to become strong representative community institutions. They not only conduct
planning activities, but also independently interface with block and district level officials with minimal
support from implementing NGO partners. While there are no strict rules pertaining to the tenure of
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the VDMCs and they are more or less permanent community institutions, the membership is flexible.
When a member drops out, a new member replaces her/him in consultation with the community.
With regard to the composition of members, on an average there were five female members per
VDMC out of the ones sampled, children are not included as members.
Composition of members in the sampled VDMCs
Sno. District Village Women
Members
Total
1 Supaul Banelipatti 10 18
2 Supaul Matiyari 6 20
3 Madhubani Bhadgama 1 11
4 Madhubani Tisi 4 11
5 Darbhanga Asma 5 18
6 Darbhanga Chikkora 4 11
7 Samastipur Akona 0 6
8 Samastipur Dariyapar 0 11
9 Sitamarhi Kotihari 21 22
10 Sitamarhi Raipur 9 16
11 E. Champaran Kukurjhari 3 14
12 E. Champaran Jhitkahiya 2 13
Overall, the VDMCs were taking the lead in
identifying and prioritizing disaster-
associated risks, for example, low hand
pumps, low lying houses, poor road
connectivity, lack of bridges, and other
infrastructural issues in the village. They
were completing the risk reduction
planning formats, which is a record (since
2011-12) that the VDMCs maintain of all the
disaster risk associated activities that have
been conducted at the village level thus far.
Further, these VDMCs were meeting
regularly (at least once a month) to update
their plans continually.
Further, under the programme, thematic task forces
have been constituted in every village. Some of these
thematic areas are Health and Nutrition, Water
Sanitation and Hygiene, Child protection and
Environment and Climate Change. The membership of
these task forces varies from four to six members. Their
primary responsibilities are to increase awareness on
their thematic areas among the community, identify
areas of action, and inform the VDMCs accordingly.
These task forces have also contributed to the
increased awareness on addressing disasters and
Box 3.1: All the 12 VDMCs who were consulted during the field-visit were making annual DRR plans
Plans are made by discussing and understanding the
kinds of problems/issues that people are facing
These plans are made by seeking consent and
approval from people in the Gram/Ward Sabha
Maps are made to identify threats and
vulnerabilities during Aam Sabhas
These plans are then given to the Mukhiyas to be
included in the Village Development Plans
People are given advice on how to deal with
disasters at individual level during these interactions
A task force member demonstrating how to use bottles to float during floods
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underlying risks among the programme villages.
b) The DRR Plan is supported by
committed community
members with DRR
perspective to follow it up
with duty bearers and others
To meet the stated objectives, and
effectively prepare and implement the
VDMP, VDMCs have been formed in each
of the programme villages. The VDMC
comprises of people selected by the
village community based based on
specified selection criteria (Box 3.2).
The VDMCs aim to address issues and problems that help the entire village without exhibiting any
discriminatory attitudes towards the people in the community/ village.
The findings from the field demonstrate strong presence of the VDMCs. The members have been
proactive in conducting the DRR planning exercise and ensuring the implementation of planned
activities. They have been able to engage with frontline workers (AWWs and ANMs) and duty bearers
including PRI members. In 9 out of 12 villages, the team found that these plans were discussed in detail
with the larger village community during aam sabhas. The VDMC members had the clear knowledge,
vision and thoroughness to make effective plans based on their own experience of living in a disaster
prone area, and their capacities, which have been built through the programme.
However, in the remaining cases it appeared that the VDMCs were experiencing difficulty in
conducting open meetings due to possible scepticism among the communities. For example, in Raipur
village (Sitamarhi) and Banjaria (East Champaran), the non-members from the villages discussed how
they felt that the VDMCs were only working for their benefit. A possible cause for this is that there
have been limited efforts in trying to sensitise the village population to understand the programme
and any of the VDMC members are not incentivized monetarily. These apprehensions also emerge
due to the slow process of behaviour change, a challenge all community based programmes
experience.
Despite resistance in some cases, the VDMCs have ensured that the prioritized action plan is taken to
the block and district level depending on the nature of activity. This was triangulated during the team
interactions with the officials, who clearly saw the need for such a programme and were regularly
interacting with VDMC members, especially the DRR catalysts. It is essential to note that the NGO
implementing partners have a facilitator’s role in taking these plans to higher authorities for approval.
These NGO partners have the desired motivation and leadership to support VDMCs in building disaster
resilient communities and villages.
c) Government and people come together to implement risk informed development priorities
of the people
Box 3.2: Selection Criteria for VDMC Membership
Highly self-motivated individuals with an inclination for
developmental activities for the benefit of their community.
Person’s availability in the village
Person having a good standing and acceptability in the
community
Person having experience in helping the community during
disasters as well as skills to handle disaster/emergency
situations
Thematic Task Force members being chosen for a particular
team should have some previous experience or interest in the
team’s area(s) of specialization.
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One of the main activities envisioned by the
programme is mainstreaming the VDMPs conceived at
the village level. This involves organising ward and aam
sabhas, where these plans are discussed and approvals
sought. Further, a key role played by the VDMC
members is to support the frontline workers including
AWW and ANMs to address underlying risks such as
malnutrition, need for immunization, and promoting
sanitation and hygiene.
The evaluation findings suggest that the government
representatives as well as functionaries are being engaged to address risk-informed development
priorities of the people. This is done through community meetings at the village and ward levels. The
VDMCs reported that they regularly interact and engage with Panchayat representatives at the GP
level. This was triangulated during discussions with officials who also felt that the programme was
relevant.
Another level of interaction between the community members and the government is during
emergencies. There were instances recounted by the block and districts level officials, where the
people have extended their support.
This was especially common during seasonal floods and during breach of embankments. The NGO
implementing partners had a strong role to play in trying to bridge the gap between the government
and the community.
Overall, the CBDRR programme is meeting its envisioned objectives through its activities
and desired outputs in trying to Build Disaster Resilient Communities. The evidence
suggested that the communities have been capacitated to make their own plans and
interact with duty bearers at the local level.
Figure 3.1: Relevance of the CBDRR Programme according to Officials (Key Responses n=12)
2
2
10
5
10
Prioritize issues
Collect funds for implementation of plan
Prepare a list of works
Make village maps
Have discussions with other VDMC membersand villagers
Box 3.3: Supporting Activities of VDMC as identified by ANMs and AWWs
Identification of malnourished children
Support in organising the Village Health
Sanitation and Nutrition day.
Organise discussions around health and
nutrition focused activities
Ensure that pregnant women and
children receive supplementary nutrition
from AWW centres
“The NGOs along with the community members
act as the quick response team in case of
disasters, and accidents like drowning, snake
bites, etc. They play a major role in getting the
victim to the hospital” - BDO in Madhubani
“They warn us about disasters
immediately. They help in distributing
relief. They help in raising awareness” -
BDO in East Champaran
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Objectives of SSP
a) Risks faced by children and teachers in schools during disasters are identified and
incorporated in the School Safety Plan
The activities to meet the SSP objectives have been clearly identified. The school community is
organized into School Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) with members from the Vidhyalay
Suraksha Samiti (VSS), a designated Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) body, Bal Sansad (BS) and Meena
Manch (MM). While the BS and MM are children from the school, the VSS is headed by the ward
members, and is expected to participate in SDMC meetings.
Following the formation of the SDMC, risks and vulnerabilities are identified by SDMC members
through Hazard Hunts. The children are oriented and split into groups to identify dangers in and
around schools. Once the dangers are identified, they are documented and discussed. The discussions
on the vulnerabilities are followed by the creation of a School Safety Plan, where there is
categorization and prioritization of risks. Once developed, this plan is submitted to the school
headmaster.
Figure 3.2: Process of making School Safety Plans
The evaluation findings indicate that all the schools visited had an updated plan, where the hazards,
threats and vulnerabilities had been identified and prioritized. They were able to identify clear focus
areas. For example, broken toilets, hand pumps, broken railings and lack of general cleanliness and
hygiene were common issues identified by them. The children, who were members of SDMC, were
able to lay out the process of how these school safety plans are further included in the school
development plans. Therefore, not only the risks in schools were identified but also, the disaster risks
reduction process was being led by children themselves.
b) The school community is organized to work with different stakeholders for addressing the
identified risks
The planned activities for implementing the School Safety Plans include:
Organizing meetings to share SSP with all the students, teachers, VSS and PRI;
VSS and PRIs negotiate with service providers;
Periodic maintenance of safety equipment.
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The evaluation finds that all the 12 SDMCs reviewed were regularly meeting and undertaking activities
at the school level, where all the students and the school safety focal teachers participated. However,
there were limited instances where ward members were proactively engaging in the disaster planning
process. Further, interactions with the headmasters highlighted that greater efforts were required to
sensitize local bodies, especially PRIs in order to ensure their support in reducing risks at the school
level.
On the other hand, the BEOs and DEOs were supportive of the programme. This has been possible
due to the regular interactions and liaising of the implementing NGO partners with the block and
district officials.
c) Mitigation measures are taken to address identified structural and non-structural risks so
as to create much safer and resilient conditions for children and teachers
As per the design, once the plans are made, the SDMC including members from the ward members
are expected to negotiate with the BEO/DEO to address structural and non-structural risks faced by
the children.
Overall, mitigation measures are being undertaken at the school level but handholding support to
ensure access to resources and entitlements is required. In all the instances where the school has
witnessed significant changes, the NGO implementing partners have had a major role to play. For
example, in Middle School Tumaul32 in Darbhanga district, the NGO partner (Bihar Sewa Samiti) has
supported the installation of taps, which are at a convenient height for students. Further, they have
supported in linking the school with the District Administration for introducing infrastructural changes
including getting funds approved (approx. INR 18,00,000/-) for two additional school buildings.
d) Strengthening of the capacity, knowledge and awareness of all children and teachers in
order to address non-structural risks and the dos and dont's of various disasters
As a part of the programme, there are continuous capacity building, knowledge and awareness
32 Please refer to case study- Creating agents of change (Section 10.2)
Bef
ore
SSP
(2
01
1)
1. Not enough importance given to repair work
2. Limited practice of washing hands with soap
3 . Limited knowledge about disasters A
fte
r SS
P (
20
12
)
1. Now there are focused ways of dealing with disasters-hazards hunts, SDMP
2. Children now wash their hands with soap
3. Children are very enthusiastic about learning about disasters
Figure 3.3: Differences Experienced after Implementation of School Safety Programme
"We have given the application to the Mukhiya several times to fill the holes in the ground and raise
the structures. However we have not received any help or support from him. I have also told him
several times that children from classes 1-4 sit outside, and how there needs to be a room made for
it but nothing has happened" - Headmaster
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activities conducted for teachers and children to address risk (structural and non-structural). This is
done through trainings and identifying peer educators amongst the students. Regular mock drills are
conducted in schools where children learn about the ways to deal with disasters. This is supplemented
with regular life-skills building activities including street plays, drawing competitions, quizzes,
essay/slogan writing and demonstrations.
Through interactions with the students, focal teachers, headmasters, BEOs and DEOs, it was evident
that children are regularly practicing and being trained on life-saving skills including mock drills. This
has been one of the biggest successes of the programme, as across all respondents, there was clear
mention of all the associated activities and subjects covered during the trainings. This includes basic
awareness on disasters, how to deal with them (mitigation measures), fire safety, water quality
monitoring and first aid.
Figure 3.4 depicts the key life skills learnt by the students as reported by the 12 SSFTs and 6
headmasters. The common responses included knowledge on what to do during disasters (stop, drop,
roll during fires; duck, cover, hold during earthquakes), how to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, first
aid skills including CPR and making stretchers, and basic road safety skills.
e) Linkage of schools with appropriate service providers established for sustained capacity
building, service provision and safety audits
The programme relies on the ownership and proactive role of the Department of Education (DoE) and
School Management including the Headmaster. This allows for effective implementation of the
programme because of different bodies working together to ensure school safety.
In the schools, the BEOs and DEOs understood and reinforced the importance and relevance of such
a programme. There was clear and consistent support extended from all functionaries of the DoE to
conduct trainings and build capacities of stakeholders, primarily of the children and teachers. These
trainings have been technically supported by all the NGO implementing partners, across the
programme districts (especially at the Block Resource Centre (BRC) level).
The officials discussed about how regular safety audits were conducted by them. They are regularly
Figure 3.4: Skills learnt by students as reported by HM and SSFT
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visiting schools. However, clear monitoring mechanisms to assess the programme are currently not in
place to support the officials while conducting these audits.
Overall, the SSP is meeting its envisioned objectives through its activities and desired outputs.
Children, teachers and school administration see the relevance of this programme and proactively
participate to make it a success. However, there are some challenges that emerge while liaising and
interfacing with local PRIs, which needs more focus, especially while scaling up the programme. Like
the CBDRR programme, the SSP is moving towards its goal of building disaster resilient communities
despite the highlighted challenges.
Design of the CBDRR
This section examines the design of the CBDRR intervention and its reach. It starts with a brief
discussion on the design of the CBDRR programme followed by a discussion on how, if at all, has the
programme reached the target population. ‘The at risk communities’ living in the villages have been
identified as the primary target population. This includes at risk men, women and children from socio-
economially marginalized sections of the society.
Overview of the CBDRR Design
The programme is designed to conduct risk awareness planning, as per the needs of the community
and the risks that they identify. This is a participatory process, which unfolds through community
mobilization and formation of VDMCs. Following this, the communities are supported to acquire
necessary knowledge and skills to prepare DRR plans and help build linkages to access entitlements.
The DRR plan determines the pathway for change and move towards preparedness and risk sensitive
development.
Design Principles that ensure Reach
a) Participatory and bottom-up approach
The programme by design and approach is participatory in nature. Right from identification of the
programme area to the way communities are mobilized, the NGO partners ensure that the community
members are continually engaged and included. For example, in order to form VDMCs, meetings are
conducted with key stakeholders including PRIs, frontline workers and community elders and leaders.
Further, it is expected that the VDMC has representation from different groups in the village and
remains inclusive and non-discriminatory.
b) Community and people centric
The CBDRR programme is embedded within the community, and the people’s understanding and
experience of dealing with disasters. People in the programme areas are vulnerable to different types
and severity of disasters. The model fundamentally believes that people at risk have a strong interest
in using their own capacities and volunteerism to improve their lives and becoming disaster resilient.
This is reflected in the way the village disaster management plans are made, which account for
differences and similarities within the village while dealing with disasters.
c) Leveraging resources
The programme aims at leveraging resources and schemes through existing government programmes.
It does not involve a grant or an aid based approach towards building disaster resilience hence
equitably including target communities. It motivates and encourages people to articulate their rights
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in order to become disaster resilient and increase accountability among government officials.
d) Engaging and targeting multiple stakeholders
The belief and foundation of the programme is that disasters affect everyone. Therefore, the
programme intends to impact everyone who is a part of the village community and eco system.
However, special attention is paid to the needs of women and children. In addition to focusing on
immediate disaster risks, underlying risks such as malnutrition, birth registration and WASH related
risks are addressed.
Perspectives on the reach of the programme
In order to understand the reach of the CBDRR programmes, responses from four major respondent
categories have been analysed - VDMC members, DRR catalysts, women and children. The VDMC
members and DRR catalysts, during the discussions, focused on the design aspects, which allow them
to engage with the village population. Further, they have provided examples of how the programme
has been useful in building their own capacities.
a) VDMC members
The programme has been able to engage the VDMCs in order to influence the village community at
large. VDMCs have been mobilized and capacitated in each of the villages. According to the FGDs
conducted, all the 12 VDMCs are having regular discussions with the community on issues related to
disaster risk reduction in their village. Examples of some such issues are road connectivity, toilet
construction, water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition, fire safety measures etc. Further, for preparing
the village disaster management plans, they undertake steps such as - risk identification, risk reduction
planning, budgeting, discussion of the plans with the community, and presentation of the plans during
the aam sabha for the approval of the Panchayat. Through the programme, they have been able to
liaise with the block and district level officials.
b) DRR Catalyst:
In addition to the VDMCs promoting the need for DRR planning and preparedness, the DRR catalysts
from each programme village are sensitised and trained. They are primarity responsible for ensuring
that the VDMCS are conducting all DRR associated activities and aim to ensure sustainability of the
programme. During the FGDs, all the DRR catalysts mentioned how it was initially difficult for people
to understand the purpose of the programme. It was only after multiple meetings and discussions
were they able to accept that the CBDRR programme could enable them to reduce the effects of
disasters. It is important to note that the DRR catalysts see themselves to play a pivotal role in the
planning as well as the knowledge dissemination process ensuring reach.
c) Women:
10 out of 12 women groups with whom the FGDs were conducted knew about the existence of the
CBDRR programme and/ or VDMCs in their village. These groups highlighted that the programme has
been helpful in raising awareness on disaster preparedness, ways of improving sanitation and hygiene,
and immunization and addressing malnutrition. In the two cases, where women reported that they
did not know about the existence of VDMCs, it was because there has been lack of focused
engagement from the VDMCs as a collective in their village. Upon probing, it emerged that women
from these groups knew individuals who were VDMC members. While they had initiated and
participated in discussions on DRR associated activities, there was lack of understanding on what their
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exact role was or how they can be helpful in directly addressing women related issues in the DRR
planning process.
d) Children
Children as important stakeholders of the programme are not expected to participate in the VDMC
activities. While all 12 children groups knew about the programme, they all stated that mostly adults
would attend the meetings and conduct all the DRR planning and execution work at the village level.
The findings suggest that perhaps the DRR programme did not evolve with children as the focus. While
the VDMCs recognise the importance of ensuring that children understand the significance of disaster
preparedness, there is limited focus on actively engaging them during the meetings. This could be due
to their participation in DRR at the school level.
The evaluation concludes that, from the design perspective, the programme is appropriate for its
target audience who are the community members including at risk men, women and children. The
principles of inclusion and outreach clearly emerge in the design of the programme and are
reinforced by the field findings. However, a strategic approach needs to be developed in order to
systematically engage women and children in the planning process.
Participation and inclusion of children, women and marginalized groups
The programmes are mandated to institutionalise a human rights framework into its design and
implementation. As discussed in the previous section, both the programmes have been designed
keeping in mind inclusion of and sensitivity towards children, women and socio-economic groups such
as SC, ST, EBC and OBCs. While the CBDRR primarily focuses of the village population, the SSP targets
middle school going children.
CBDRR
a) Participation of women, children and marginalized groups
During interactions with the VDMCs, women and children at the village level, it was found that the
VDMPs were made predominantly by the VDMCs in consultation with the community. With regard to
inclusion of socio-economic categories, there have not been any instances where the needs and
aspirations of different socio-economic categories were not ensured. This has happened primarily
because all the villages had a majority of SC or EBC population. This has been further elaborated in the
chapter on Gender and Equity.
With regard to women (non-VDMC members) and children, the evaluation team found that they had
a limited involvement in the preparation of VDMPs. FGDs with the 12 women groups yielded
seemingly contradictory responses. For example, on the one hand, most of the women were able to
explain the preparations that they needed to make in the event of floods, safety protocols to be
followed during cooking to avoid fires, earthquake, etc. On the other hand, when it came to
participating in the process for village disaster management planning, only half of the groups
mentioned having actively participated in it. The reason behind this contradiction is to be found in the
process of DRR planning in the village and spreading awareness on appropriate DRR behaviours. The
women were aware of the behaviours pertaining to DRR because the VDMC members keep contacting
households regarding it. Further, there are children in school who are part of the SSP. These children
discuss things learnt at school with their parents and siblings, a fact commonly emerging during the
KAP survey. This further reinforces women’s learnings from VDMC interactions.
However, with respect to DRR planning, the processes, such as, preparing the village map,
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identification of risks, and inclusion in the risks and mitigation measures in the plan are steered by the
VDMCs. Although the process is transparent and all villagers, including women, children and
vulnerable groups are informed well in advance about the exercise, their participation remains largely
voluntary. Owing to the social and cultural practices prevalent in most of the villages of the study area,
which still have very limited interactions allowed between men and women, like the strong purdah
system, it becomes a challenge for women to become active participants in the planning process. The
situation is further exacerbated by the fact that, more often than not, it is the women who are
responsible for performing household chores and taking care of children and the elderly in the family.
This leaves them with little time to get involved in activities, such as, DRR planning which usually takes
several days.
SSP
a) Equitable participation of all children
In all the schools visited, it was consistently found that the children, both boys and girls, were being
equally engaged and included. Participation of children both boys and girls from different groups was
ensured in the SDMCs as well as in the making of School Safety Plans. The needs of children more or
less remained consistent across all schools, and some of the recurring issues were - construction of
toilets, repair of classrooms, and procurement of tables and chairs. However, there were some
students who stood out and were supporting others in school as peer educators. Even younger
children from grade four to five (9—12 years) were participating in mock drills and school level
activities.
b) Inclusion of issues of girls and children with disabilities (CwD) in the SDMPs
The SDMPs are prepared keeping in mind the needs of the entire school. With regard to issues of girls,
they predominantly focused on the need for separate and clean toilets, which were consistently
included in the SDMPs. As a matter of fact, this emerged as the most important demand in all SDMPs
reviewed by the evaluation team. When it came to CwD, some SDMPs mentioned construction of
ramps. Apart from this, no other specific issues concerning CwDs was included in the plans.
While the plans made by the SDMC reflect the needs and participation of different groups, the
VDMCs needs to strengthen to ensure that there is greater inclusion of women and children in the
planning process.
Relevance and validity of the Objectives of the SSP
The objectives of the School Safety Programme were conceptualized to work in tandem with and
dovetailed into the CBDRR programme. In addition to the community, it was important to proactively
target children, as ‘agents of change’. The intended outcome of the programme is to improve the
performance of non-structural as well as structural components of the intervention schools, while
reducing risk to children and teachers from natural disasters.
Relevance to School Children and Administration and Duty Bearers
Respondent Yes No
Focus Group Discussions Participants
School Safety Focal Teacher 12 -
Key Informant Interviews
Head Master 6 -
SDMC 6 -
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DEO 3 -
BEO 6 -
The programme remains valid since its first implementation and throughout its duration, especially
because the intervention areas remain extremely prone and vulnerable to disasters. All stakeholders,
including children with whom the evaluation team interacted understood and articulated the need for
such a programme. This was reinforced by the school, block and district level administration. Another
important reason for the programme objectives and interventions’ validity is that there is enrolment
of new students every academic year whose capacities also need to be built to deal with disasters
effectively.
Further, the SSP is being scaled up
through and promoted by the
Mukhyamantri School Safety
Programme (Box 3.4). The state
administration along with the DoE
recognises a need for interventions
such as mock drills and training on
disasters at the school level. This
indicates a clear overlap of the SSP with
the mandates of the state
administration vis-à-vis disaster risk
reduction; making the activities,
outputs and objectives valid.
Figure 3.5: Relevance of the SSP Programme according to Officials
Alignment of DRR approach of BSDMA with the CBDRR-SSP
Overview of the BSDMA DRR Roadmap (2015-2030)
The Bihar State Disaster Management Authority has developed a DRR roadmap to support and address
Box 3.4: Mukhyamantri School Safety Programme (MSSP)
The MSSP aims to sensitize and train children and teachers on
preparedness measures, promote capacity building of officials
and implement structural and non-structural mitigation method
to make school a safe place for children. The programme is being
steered by the District Disaster Management Authorities
(DDMAs), in each and every school located in 38 districts of the
state. A state wide programme was conducted in July 2016,
which trained 20 milliion children through mock drills. Further, it
has been successful in identifying, strengthening and building
capacities of 150,000 Nodal Teachers cum Master Trainers, who
will be responsible for conducting SSP activities in 76,000 and
50,000 private schools of the 38 districts.
DEO
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its DRR priorities. During the Bihar Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (BCDRR) held in May 2015
in Patna, the GoB adopted the Bihar Disaster Risk Reduction Framework (BDRRF) to achieve its vision
of a Disaster Resilient Bihar.
The DRR Roadmap has adopted focused strategies and actions aimed at addressing the causal factors
of disaster risk. The emphasis is to consciously shift from focusing only on implementation of disaster
response, relief and recovery measures. In line with the Priority 4 of the Sendai Framework (“Build
Back Better”), the management of the residual risks has been accounted for in the Roadmap through
actions for ‘preparedness for effective response and recovery’.
In addition to this, the Roadmap is based-on 15 principles. These draw from the National Disaster
Management Act (2005) and National Disaster Management Policy (2009), the Sendai Framework for
Disaster Risk Reduction (2015) and the Patna Declaration (2015). The principle focus on (i)
safeguarding the rights of at-risk people and communities; (ii) ensuring the participation of these at-
risk communities; (iii) risk realised planning, monitoring and implementation of all development
initiatives; (iv) involving different stakeholders - NGOs, civil society organisations (CSOs), citizen
groups, village committes etc.; (v) recognising the importance of partnerships and contribution of
skills, resources and capacities by multiple stakeholders; (vi) establishing coherency and consistency
across different related policies, programmes and plans; (vii) ensuring transparency and accountability
towards citizens; (viii) undertaking disaster risk reduction actions towards resilience building; (ix) using
a dynamic approach towards disaster risk reduction planning and action; (x) accounting for how
disasters affect different people differently; (xi) protecting the rights of all citizens of Bihar to inhabit
in a safe and secure environment; (xii) doing no harm while undertaking risk reduction actions; (xiii)
recognising that investing in children and young people not only reduces risk in the present but also
secures the future by bringing about a culture of risk reduction; (xiv) undertaking disaster risk
reduction actions to strengthen preparedness for response and recovery; and (xv) ensuring that post-
disaster recovery and reconstruction be undertaken as opportunities to rebuild infrastructure,
capacities and systems to reduce long-term disaster risk.
Box 3.5: Approaches to Implementing the DRR Roadmap
In line with the principles and approach, detailed actions have been identified by the BSDMA along
with key stakeholders, level of implementation and timeline for all components. These include: 1)
resilient villages, 2) resilient livelihoods, 3) resilient basic services, 4) resilient critical infrastructure,
and 5) resilient cities.
Alignment of DRR Roadmap with UNICEF’s CBDRR-SSP
As discussed, UNICEF’s CBDRR-SSP Theory of Change recognises and adopts the Primacy of the Rights
Account for multiple hazards that affect Bihar- floods, droughts, earthquakes, fire etc. and adopt specific actions to be undertaken to address different types of hazards.
Recognise geographical diversity while undertaking disaster reduction actions.
Establish an enabling yet flexible policy environment for disaster risk reduction actions. Establish an enabling yet flexible policy environment for disaster risk reduction actions. Undertake selected actions through a project/pilot approach for effective scale up. Create an enabling environment to forge partnerships and make appropriate institutional
arrangements.
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of At-Risk Communities in line with the guiding principle of the DRR roadmap. Further, the programme
also enables participation and action by at-risk communities. The village level planning acts as a key
platform for communities to contribute towards the CBDRR process. Accordingly, the communities
have the right to participate in and influence DRR related decisions.
a) Alignment of DRR roadmap with the CBDRR programme
The Resilient Village Programmes (RVP) included in the
DRR roadmap, conceptualized on the lines of UNICEF’s
CBDRR programme, has been initiated in partnership
with UNICEF, CSOs and the Gram Panchayats. This will
be undertaken across all the districts of Bihar in a
phased manner from 2015-2030. The RVP focus areas
have also been conceptualized based on UNICEF’s
VDMP planning and implementation process. The
detailed implementation plan been provided in the
DRR roadmap document where the roles and
responsibilities of nodal department/agencies
including District Disaster Management Authorities
(DDMAs) have been clearly highlighted.
In addition to providing support in drafting and
conceptualisation of the Bihar DRR roadmap, UNICEF
Bihar has also prepared a process document for the effective implementation of the Resilient Village
Programme. This document acts as a guideline to create VDMPs through community development
and capacity building activities. It will further act as an aid to strengthen policy architecture for
implementation of all DRR initiatives through policies, legal amendments and directives including
guidelines and manuals.
b) Alignment of DRR roadmap with the SSP
The DRR roadmap recognises SSP’s achievements as a part of the capacity building, public awareness
and on-going schemes and programmes for promoting DRR in Bihar. The SSP is also seen as an action
point to guide the DRR roadmap’s principle of “Investing in the future through focus on schools”. As
discussed, this is being done through the MSSP.
Similar to the CBDRR, the modalities and implementation of the SSP has been documented in the
roadmap. This includes conducting Mock drills in schools; releasing annual ‘Resilient Schools’ cards;
forming a school safety advisory at the state level to work with the education department; building
capacities of teachers on disaster management by the State Council of Education Research and
Training (SCERT) and District Institute of Education and Training (DIETs); training identified school
safety focal point teachers on school safety concepts and actions; orienting BEOs, Block Resource
Coordinators (BRCs) and Cluster Resources Coordinators (CRCs), school principals to become master
trainers; and developing a school safety kit with appropriate material for students, teachers and
education officials.
The evaluation finds that the BSDMA’s DRR roadmap has drawn from the experiential learning of the
CBDRR-SSP. UNICEF has also played a critical role in supporting the GoB to implement the planned
activities by providing technical assistance and support. For example, the VDMP process document
Box 3.6: RVP Focus Areas
Disaster risks recognition, understanding
and analysis.
Disaster risk informed Gram Panchayat
level development planning, using
participatory, comprehensive and
scientific risk analysis.
Risk reduction actions based on this
planning, with a focus on vulnerable
sections and areas.
Capacity building measures for risk
analysis, risk-informed planning and risk
reduction actions.
Actions for targeted and planned
communication for DRR.
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acts as an operational guideline to implement the Resilient Village Programme.
Alignment of the CBDRR-SSP with global frameworks on DRR
In addition to programme’s alignment with the BSDMA, the evaluation team has also assessed its
relevance against the Hyogo and Sendai frameworks (Box 1.1).
Overview of Hyogo and Sendai Frameworks
The Hyogo Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was adopted by 168 UN Member states and
implemented between 2005 and 2015. The five key priority actions, under the framework are: (i)
ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority with a strong institutional basis for
implementation; (ii) identify, assess and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning; (iii) use
knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels; (iv) reduce
the underlying risk factors; (v) strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels.
This integrated multi-hazard approach addressed all the aspects of disaster reduction from risk
mitigation and preparedness to relief, rehabilitation, and recovery activities in disaster-prone
countries.
As discussed previously,the Sendai Framework was introduced as its successor to Hyogo. It aimed at
addressing existing challenges and preparing for the future by focusing on monitoring, assessing and
understanding disaster risk; strengthening disaster risk governance and coordination across relevant
sectors; enabling participation of relevant stakeholders at appropriate levels; investing in the
economic, social, health, cultural and educational resilience of persons, communities and countries
and the environment, as well as through technology and research; and enhancing multi-hazard early
warning systems, preparedness, response, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
CBDRR-SSP against Hyogo and Sendai Frameworks
The programme’s activities and outputs largely align to the priorities of both the frameworks. The
following table describes the supporting activities and key elements of CBDRR-SSP, which were in line
with the Hyogo and Sendai frameworks respectively.
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Evaluation of UNICEF’s Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction and School Safety Programme, Bihar, India (2011-2016)
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CBDRR-SSP against Hyogo Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2005-2015
Priority Action Areas
(2005-2015 Hyogo
Framework )
CBDRR (2009 -2016) SSP (2009-2016)
Qualifier Description of supporting
activities against the priority
Key Elements of the
programme Qualifier
Description of supporting
activities against the priority
Key Elements of the
programme
1 Making disaster
risk reduction a
priority
Aligned The design and implementation
involves communities to enable
understanding the risks and
consequently addressing them
as a priority.
The participatory
approaches allow
communities to
understand the
importance of disaster
risk reduction.
Aligned School Safety Programme (SSP)
design and implementation
involving the primary
stakeholders – students,
teachers and key community
representatives.
SSP’s mandate is
Disaster Risk
Reduction at school
level with school
children having the
central role.
2 Improving risk
information and
early warning
Aligned CBDRR promotes understanding
of risk and impacts; proactive
collection of information;
dissemination and alertness
towards possible disasters.
Risk identification
preparedness
measures and
proactive early warning
information collection
and dissemination.
Aligned Understanding of risk and
impacts, identification of
hazards, dissemination and
alertness towards possible
disasters.
Hazard hunt;
SDMP preparation;
Proactive warning;
information
collection and
dissemination.
3 Building a culture
of safety and
resilience
Aligned CBDRRR spreads awareness
towards Risk reduction
awareness measures and forms
self-sustained Village Disaster
Management Committee.
VDMC formation;
Risk Identification
Preparedness and
mitigation measures;
and
Mock drills
Aligned Awareness towards Risk
reduction awareness, measures.
Formation of a self-sustained
School Disaster Management
Committee, preparation of
SDMP with hazard hunt, follow
up and practising DRR mandate
at school level.
SDMC formation and
continuity;
Risk Identification;
SDMP preparation
and updation; and
Mock drills
4 Reducing the
risks in key
sectors
Partially
aligned
Risk reduction through
development of key
infrastructures such as all-
weather roads, connecting
bridges, raised plinth for the
housings, improved public
buildings such as schools at
Improved health and
nutrition practice
Improved water,
sanitation and hygiene
practice
Key Infrastructure
development – all
Aligned School Safety Programme is
largely meeting the DRR
mandate to the school
stakeholders – students,
teachers, community members
and Education officers.
Improved water,
sanitation, health,
hygiene practice
Increased attention
for development and
maintenance of
school infrastructure
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Priority Action Areas
(2005-2015 Hyogo
Framework )
CBDRR (2009 -2016) SSP (2009-2016)
Qualifier Description of supporting
activities against the priority
Key Elements of the
programme Qualifier
Description of supporting
activities against the priority
Key Elements of the
programme
higher level, raising of hand
pumps, toilet blocks. Increased
awareness and improved
sanitation practice.
weather
roads(evacuation
routes), bridges /
culverts, high plinth
housings, drainage
5 Strengthening
preparedness for
response
Aligned Preparation and updation of
Village Disaster Management
Plan (VDMP), carrying out mock
drills, following the
preparedness calendar before
flood season, developing
evacuation plans, conducting
search and rescue, stockpiling of
food, making available
emergency equipment and
material, communicating and
coordinating with Block /
District officials
VDMC formation and
regular meetings;
VDMP preparation and
follow up;
Formation of Task
forces;
Regular practice, mock
drills;
Early warning
information collection
and dissemination;
Coordination with
Local officials
Aligned Preparation and updation of
School Disaster Management
Plan (SDMP); carrying out mock
drills for better preparedness;
Early warning through
communication and
coordination with local
government, dissemination
through radio messages.
SDMC formation;
SDMP preparation
and follow up;
Regular mock drills;
Early warning
information
collection and
dissemination;
Coordination with
Local education
officials
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CBDRR-SSP against Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
Priority Action Areas
(2015-2030 Sendai
Framework)
CBDRR (2009 - 2016) SSP (2009-2016)
Qualifier Description of supporting
activities against the priority
Key Elements of the
programme Qualifier
Description of supporting
activities against the priority
Key Elements of the
programme
1 Understanding
disaster risk
Aligned CBDRR design and
implementation involving the
community the facilitating
entities in understanding the
risk, and addressing risk
reduction on a priority.
Type of disasters; Underlying
causes; Generate awareness
to act on DRR –
preparedness and mitigation
Aligned School Safety Programme (SSP)
design and implementation
involving the primary
stakeholders: students, teachers
and key community
representatives.
Builds an
understanding of how
disasters and hazards
occurs through its
trainings.
2 Strengthening
disaster risk
governance to
manage disaster
risk
Aligned Formation of VDMC; Risk
identification; preparation of
VDMP; prioritise activities in
VDMP; coordinate local
government, build
relationships with Block and
District Administration.
VDMC;
VDMP;
Prioritise actions -at
community level and seek
approval at Ward sabha/
Gram sabha.
Aligned Formation of School Disaster
Management Committee;
Preparation and updation of
SDMP; Design a succession plan.
SDMC formation;
Hazard hunt;
SDMP – planning and
follow up;
Prioritize action points
at school level;
Coordination with local
government;
Education officers on
issues and actions.
3 Investing in
disaster risk
reduction for
resilience
Aligned Risk reduction through
development of key
infrastructures such as all-
weather roads, connecting
bridges, raised plinth for the
housings, improved public
buildings such as schools at
higher level, raising of hand
pumps, toilet blocks;
Increased awareness and
improved sanitation practice.
Priority Actions on VDMP -
Infrastructure development
for risk reduction,
Safe hygiene practice;
Human Resource
development – Task force,
DRR Catalyst, VDMC
members.
Aligned Risk reduction through
preparedness and mitigation
measures such as – boundary
wall, parapet walls, filling of
gorges, toilet blocks, elevation
of hand pumps, platform
construction, construction and
renovation.
Practice, mock drills;
Prioritize action points
at school level;
Actions on safe school
environment –
infrastructure
development , repair,
elevated hand pump;
Promote safe hygiene
culture.
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Priority Action Areas
(2015-2030 Sendai
Framework)
CBDRR (2009 - 2016) SSP (2009-2016)
Qualifier Description of supporting
activities against the priority
Key Elements of the
programme Qualifier
Description of supporting
activities against the priority
Key Elements of the
programme
4 Enhancing
disaster
preparedness
for effective
response and to
“Build back
better”33
Partially
Aligned
Preparation and updation of
Village Disaster Management
Plan (VDMP), carrying out
mock drills, following the
preparedness calendar before
flood season;
Readying with the evacuation
plans, search and rescue,
stockpiling of food, emergency
equipment and material,
communication and
coordination with district
officials;
Build Back better is a post-
disaster scenario.
Effective response –
Preparedness;
Updation of VDMP
Follow up on seasonal
preparedness calendar;
Stock piling of food,
medicine, emergency
materials;
Early Warning and
dissemination.
Partially
Aligned
Preparation and updation of
School Disaster Management
Plan (SDMP), carrying out mock
drills, hazard hunts and coping
mechanism.
Updation of SDMP;
Follow up on seasonal
preparedness
calendar.
33 This situation is specific to a post disaster context and therefore was not assessed in the evaluation.
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4 EFFECTIVENESS OF CBDRR-SSP
Effectiveness of the CBDRR-SSP was assessed on the basis of the following evaluation questions.
Further, this section also assesses the Results Framework against the CBDRR-SSP theory of change
presented in the introduction.
Effectiveness Description
Key Evaluation
Question
To what extent are the objectives of CBDRR– School Safety programme
achieved/likely to be achieved?
Sub Questions Are the processes (monthly meetings, annual reviews of plans, annual
Gram Sahba meetings) of the programme sufficient to bring about
active participation of the community members to create and
implement their own DRR plans? If yes, how? If no, how can the
processes be improved?
How have the communities used learnings from the training modules
to incorporate into their DRR plans? If yes, how have they done it?
How have the communities incorporate risk reduction
perspective/knowledge/skills in pre-emptive planning and action for
other types of hazards/ risks?
What are various risk informed actions ‘types’ at the level of individual,
family, community, villages, basic services and critical infrastructure?
What were the major factors influencing achievements or non-
achievements of stated results?
According to the views of the community members, to what extent has
the CBDRR programme contributed to the reduction of the number of
deaths and severity of the impact of natural and man-made hazards in
the villages where it has been implemented? What percentages of
incidents have been dealt-with by the leadership of the VDMC without
external support?
Overview of how
effectiveness was
assessed
Analysing the existing documentation on the project
Using perceptions of stakeholders and observations from the field
Using results from the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice
questionnaires
Effectiveness of CBDRR programme processes
CBDRR process
There are several processes and interaction points through which the CBDRR programme target active
participation of the communities. During, the interactions with respondents in the programme
villages, all the 12 VDMCs confirmed holding regular review meetings every month to track the
progress on the village disaster management plan. These meetings were conducted on a regular basis
with the community, to spread awareness on issues of common interest, such as, cleanliness, safe
drinking water, immunization, etc. The same was validated through the minutes of meeting (MoMs).
The village disaster management planning came across as a fairly transparent process, with the VDMC
members mentioning the sequence of activities as described in the following figure.
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VDMCs emerge as the mainstay of CBDRR, and the DRR Catalysts are at the core of the planning
process, responsible for ensuring that the communities continue to be engaged with the programme.
10 out of the 12 VDMCs mentioned discussions with community as one of the key steps in preparing
Village Disaster Management Plans (VDMPs). All the sample villages visited by the evaluation team
had made their VDMPs. The plans were physically verified and the following observations can be made
in this regard:
a) Vulnerability mapping:
All villages had their vulnerability maps prepared in
consultation with the community. These maps had
very clearly defined village boundaries, roads,
landmarks and location of hamlets. Rivers, the
direction of their flow and bridges if any were also
clearly marked. The maps formed the initial step of
the village disaster management planning process. In
the map itself, the areas of high vulnerability were
earmarked. Some examples of such areas were -
hamlets that were secluded from the main
population, households that were close to a river or
water body, households with infants, persons with
disabilities, old age persons, etc.
A Village Vulnerability Map
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b) Regularly updated Village Disaster Management Plans (VDMPS):
During the field visit, it was observed that the
village disaster management plans were
updated on an annual basis. If the activities
envisaged in a particular financial year
remained incomplete, they were promptly
taken up in the next year’s plans.Plans include
the action which needs to be undertaken, the
amount required and the source (government
schemes or collective action). The plans, which
were verified had the plans identified along
with the amount leveraged for each of the
activities.
Once the activities to be included in the plan
were identified, people from the VDMC and
the task forces were identified to lead the
implementation of these activities. This was
done with consensus of all persons present
during the plan preparation process. The
evaluation team observed that the people
leading on the implementation were
competent and capable. They were good at articulation of the activities mentioned in the plan,
dynamic, motivated to meet officials to expedite the planned activities and above all had a strong
voluntary spirit. They were, in many cases, the opinion leaders from their hamlets and the much
needed change agents of the programme.
Level of engagement in CBDRR processes of Mukhiyas, AWWs and ANMs
Overall, the VDMCs came across as motivated and strong institutions, ably supported by the DRR
catalysts and other important stakeholders such as mukhiya, women, children, AWW, ANM. While the
stakeholders demonstrated responsiveness towards the DRR planning process, in the case of CBDRR
programme respondents showed varied levels of engagement. The involvement of women and
children has been discussed in the relevance chapter, while the role of the Mukhiya34, AWW and ANM
is discussed below:
a) Mukhiyas
11 out of the 12 Mukhiyas interviewed were aware of the programme; the remaining one had limited
knowledge as he was newly elected. However, their involvement in the programme was mostly
confined to the annual presentation of the Village Disaster Management Plan in the aam sabha, which
was required to have the panchayat’s approval. As a result, not all proposals in the Disaster
Management Plan are taken- up by the Mukhiya, which results in the remaining DRR activities to be
pushed to the next allocation cycle. This adversely affects the villages’ DRR preparedeness. One of the
reasons of limited involvement of the Mukhiya in the DRR planning process was non-coverage of all
the villages in a panchayat under the programme. If the programme village happened to be the same
34 Elected head of the Gram Panchayat
VDMC Plan, Jhikahiya Village, East Champaran
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as where the Mukhiya resided, as expected, there was greater engagement in the planning process.
In cases where the Mukhiya did not belong to the programme village there was limited involvement.
Under the Panchayati Raj, the Mukhiya is responsible for all development activities in the Panchayat.
This leaves her/him with very little time to focus on specific programmes like CBDRR. Accordingly, it is
critical that the VDMCs make added efforts to keep the Mukhiya regularly involved in the DRR planning
process.
b) AWWs
Majority of the AWWs reported to be aware of the VDMC in their respective villages and knew about
the kind of activities they were expected to be engaged in. However, when it came to the DRR planning
process, their participation was limited to sharing ideas and opinions when asked. This is further
corroborated by the response to the question on functions of the VDMC, where, only 3 out of the 12
AWWs stated that DRR planning was one of the key functions of the VDMCs.
When asked about the issues on which the VDMCs interacted with them, 10 out of 12 AWWs stated
that identification of malnourished children in the village was one of the key issues, along with,
awareness about disasters.
Thus, it is quite evident that the VDMCs interact with the AWWs on issues pertaining to their functions
and the latter are aware about the functions of the VDMC and their role in disaster preparedness.
However, their role in the DRR planning process needs strengthening, malnutrition among infants and
young children is a serious issue, which demands focused attention.
c) ANMs
ANMs are frontline health functionaries who provide primary health services at the village level. From
a DRR perspective, they play a critical role in reducing instances of seasonal epidemics, such as,
diarrhoea, dengue, malaria, etc. Further, they are responsible for immunization of children and
pregnant women. In addition to this, they provide basic clinical and referral services to the villagers.
When asked about the CBDRR programme, all ANMs reported to be aware of the programme including
the existence of the VDMC. For them the VDMC embodied a committee that was responsible for
spreading awareness about disaster preparedness and issues related to health and immunization.
Most of them reported receiving regular help from the VDMC in organizing immunization at the village
level. However, with regard to DRR planning, none of the ANMs recalled that preparing Village
Disaster Management Plans was one of the key functions of VDMCs. Likewise, they were not
particularly aware of the process followed for DRR planning at the village level and consequently did
not participate in it.
Effectiveness of Training
The training on DRR planning process may be summarized into two broad sets of activities: a) risk
assessment and analysis, and b) risk reduction planning.
Risk Assessment and Analysis
The NGO partners impart training to the community to undertake disaster risk assessment. It entails
gathering information on the various risks relevant in the context of the village and analysing them
with reference to the existing resources available to the community. The participatory nature of the
assessment helps the community to discuss hazards in an open forum and develop a vulnerability
profile of the village. It helps the community to identify and prioritize issues of village development
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and the resources required for meeting the developmental needs. Participatory tools like, Hazard-
Vulnerability-Capacity Map and Seasonal Calendars are used for involving the community on risk
assessment and analysis.
Following the risk assessment, the community conducts a risk analysis of the village. The process of
analysing risks involves discussions on the intensity, frequency and seasonality of hazards and its
potential impact on the most vulnerable.35 Risk analysis helps in identifying the immediate and
underlying causes of vulnerability. At the end of the analysis, the community arrives at a consensus
on the prioritized risk statements, which become the basis for risk reduction planning.
Risk Reduction Planning
For the purpose of risk reduction planning, community members discuss and agree about the issues
that need to be addressed on priority and the action required. The funds requirement is estimated
and a budget is prepared corresponding to each of the planned activities. The source of funds is
discussed and identified. Community members are then organized into groups to perform defined
tasks within a specific time- frame.
Format for Risk Reduction Planning36
Name of the Village: GP:
Block:
Date of Planning:
Brief Profile of the Village:
S.
No.
Risk
Factor
Actions Schemes that
can be
leveraged for
this action
Responsibility Timeframe
Community Panchayat District/
Block
Official
CBOs/
CSOs
1.
Discussions with VDMCs and community members revealed that the above processes were followed
in preparing the Village Disaster Management
Plans (VDMPs). The plans included mapping of
hazard prone areas within the village, which need
attention using either village level resources or
require government support. The evaluation team
physically verified the VDMPs in all villages and
noted that they were being regularly updated.
Further, there were instances of the community
having used its own resources and knowledge in
pre-emptive planning for disasters. Some examples
of such practices as witnessed during the fieldwork
35 Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Guidance for NGOs/ PRIs 36 VDMP Process Concept Note
A personal flood shelter in village Malkoshikapur, Supaul
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were:
Majority of the new houses were being constructed with a raised plinth level37.
Make-shift bamboo bridges (Chachari Pul) were being constructed by the community for
crossing rivers/streams.
People had constructed personal flood shelters with their own expenditure.
New roads in the villages were being constructed at a raised level.
Hand pumps were being installed on a raised platform.
Hand washing with soap was being practiced to ward off infections and diseases.
Similarly, the training on identifying threats within and around the school was cited by all SDMCs.
Accordingly, changes have been made to school infrastructure like construction of toilets, raised
plinths and filling up of pot holes in the play ground. Out of the activities conducted, hazard hunts
were the most recalled activity even among students who had graduated from middle school and were
no longer participating in the School Safety Programme38.
Risk Informed Action undertaken by the communities and individuals at the village level
The CBDRR programme followed a two-pronged approach to learning and information sharing for risk
informed actions: a) structured trainings, aimed at increasing the knowledge and skills of the
community, and b) informal learnings, aimed at promoting cross-learning and awareness generation
of communities. As a result, the community came across as an informed group, which is aware about
the various disasters common in its area, the factors causing disasters and the ways to deal with them.
The community members were well-versed with the protocols to be followed for flood preparedness,
earthquake, fire, etc. “Duck-cover-hold” and “Stop-
drop-roll” were frequently cited. Similarly, to
prevent incidents of fire, the protocols to be
followed while cooking, for example, the timings to
be adhered to and the safety precautions to be
taken were frequently mentioned.
Low-smoke chulhas (earthen stoves), emergency
kits, life jackets made from discarded bottles,
washing hands with soap, were some of the other
commonly cited examples of risk informed actions
being taken by the members of the community.
37 Case studies 38 Based on the KAP survey conducted with 45 children across the 18 schools who had graduated
Figure 4.1: Trainings under SSP as per SDMCs (n=12)
3
5
5
5
12
Checking for cleanliness and hygiene
Mockdrills
Surakshit Shanivar
Chetna Satra- after morning prayers
Hazard Hunt/Identifying threats in school
A low-smoke chulha (earthen stove)
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The communities across the evaluation area was aware of the importance of critical infrastructure,
such as, roads, bridges, flood shelters and their role in saving lives. The community representatives
could easily articulate on how road connectivity was a critical element in saving lives during times of
medical emergency, such as, illness, childbirth, accidents, etc. and that they were making a constant
effort towards ensuring this in the villages. Thus, in almost all the villages, communities had
contributed towards improving the roads that connected their village to the main road. Similarly, in
villages with rivers, communities had leveraged resources from the government to build bridges and
culverts39. Wherever, this was not possible, individuals from the village through their own effort had
built make-shift bamboo bridges known as chachri. In all the villages, the team came across one or
two such chachri40 bridges.
In the villages prone to floods, the community had
started constructing houses on a raised plinth.
Similarly, schools were being constructed either on
high grounds or raised plinth. An interesting
example of common sense solutions was witnessed
in village Khor Madanpur in Madhepura block of
Madhubani where the education department was
sceptical of the increased costs that would result
from raising the plinth of a new school building. A
solution was provided by the community, which
suggested decreasing the height of the ceiling
slightly to accommodate the costs of a raised plinth. Today the school is a boon for the children in
Khor Madanpur and adjoining villages.
Another critical infrastructure related practice
evident in all villages was the installing of hand
pumps on raised platforms. During floods and
immediately afterwards, finding clean drinking
water becomes the biggest challenge. Before the
CBDRR programme, every episode of flood was
followed by waterborne epidemics leading to
morbidity and even loss of lives. This was because
the community hand pumps installed in the villages
were on low-lying grounds. The flood waters
entered the hand pumps and contaminated the
water making it unsuitable for drinking. However,
after the programme, conscious efforts were made by the community to have hand pumps installed
either on raised grounds or on platforms that are high enough to avoid flood waters. In addition to
this, the communities have been trained on testing the quality of water and cleaning hand pumps with
chlorine tablets.
Assessment of Results Framework
39 Details have been presented in the case studies 40 Temporary bridge from locally available bamboo
A raised hand pump
A school with raised plinth
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Having built a clear understanding of the programme processes, aims, objectives and goals in the
previous sections, this section assesses the Results Framework of the programme. Upon evaluating it
against the theory of change described previously, one notes that the framework appears more
comprehensive and has broken down the concepts described in the theory of change into clearly
defined outcomes and activities. Further, the theory of change was not revised to adequately include
complex issues of sustainability and scalability. While the theory of change reflects the broad contours
and aspirations of the programme, the results framework incorporates elements (activities, targets
and performance indicators) that have emerged as the programme interventions have evolved. It is
also essential that in order to understand the programme comprehensively, the theory of change
should be looked alongside the results framework, which has more details in terms of exact outputs
and targets that will result in achieving the desired impact of improved safety and security of men,
women and children from disasters.
Following is the Results Framework designed by the UNICEF Bihar Office to monitor the activities and
outputs under the CBDRR programme. These include:
1. DRR mainstreamed in all the GP level plans of intervention blocks of the district.
2. All the schools have school safety plan in place and the same is practiced in intervention
districts.
3. Improved access to child protection services and awareness of responsibilities amongst
key stakeholders.
4. Strengthened capacity of adolescents and youth DRR/ Climate Change Adaptation (CCA)
Champions available in intervention districts for advancing DRR/CCA issues in those
districts.
The framework also identifies key performance indicators. It provides a comprehensive overview of
the outcomes, outputs key activities, targets, performance indicators and the means of verification.
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SNo. Output Key Activities Targets Performance Indicator(s) Means of
verification
Outcome 1: DRR mainstreamed in all the GP level plans of intervention blocks of the district
1 Risk aware GP Plans
prepared and approved
by Gram Sabha
Activity 1: Training of government field functionaries on
CBDRR roadmap.
Activity 2: Facilitation/ demonstration of risk- aware GP
planning processes.
Activity 3: District/ block level review/ learning
workshops with District/Block Authority.
Activity 4: Prepare annual Resilience Report Card for
each Village/ GP.
Activity 5: Monitoring of village DRR plans.
GP level plans
prepared, presented
in Gram Sabha and
implementation
initiated.
Risk assessment conducted
in every GP
DRR Plans are approved by
Gram Sabha in all the GPs
Copy of Order
issued by DM &
BDO for risk
assessment
Approved GP
plans
2 UNICEF’s priority areas
(underlying risks)
mainstreamed in DRR
plans of villages
Activity 1: Training of theme based Task Force,
preparation and implementation of thematic action
plans.
Activity 2: Monitoring and follow- up of Thematic action
plans (progress against baseline).
Every village has TF,
baseline and Action
Plan
Theme based Task Forces
formed and trained
Baseline Conducted
Action plan prepared by
each Task Force
Baseline report
Action plan &
achievement
reports
3 Communities understand
and practice safe
behaviours (‘do’s and
don’ts’) during disaster
situations.
Activity 1: Mass awareness campaigns using local folk
media, community radio etc.
Activity 2: Skill training to construction workers on safe
construction.
Activity 3: Evidence generation to map communities
understanding and safe behaviour practices.
Mass awareness
campaign in every
villages
Community members take
pre- flood preparedness
actions & safety
precautions for fire
accident.
Community has appropriate
knowledge of do’s & don’ts
of various disasters.
Preparedness
reports &
Photographs
KAP study report
4 DRR Catalysts fully
established and
functioning
Activity 1: Training of DRR Catalysts i.e. technical and
inspirational issues, management of VDMCs, monitoring/
tracking results.
Activity 2: Training of PRIs and service providers for DRR
mainstreaming.
Activity 3: Review meeting with DRR catalysts,
Every GP to have at-
least two DRR
Catalysts, received all
the necessary
trainings and
Every GP to have at-least
two trained DRR Catalysts
CBDRR programme is
managed by DRR Catalysts
DRR Catalysts are being
used as Resource persons
Catalysts action
plan and reports
Self- grading
reports of
Catalysts
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SNo. Output Key Activities Targets Performance Indicator(s) Means of
verification
government official and PRIs (Quarterly)
Activity 4: Develop annual action plan for VDMC
Federation
Activity 5: Develop learning/ resource materials
providing support to
VDMCs.
Outcome 2: All the schools have school safety plan in place and practiced in intervention districts
5 Risk assessment/ hazard
hunt conducted and
incorporated in School
Development Plans of all
the schools
Activity 1: District level review/ learning workshops with
District Authority and Education department
Activity 2: Technical trainings of Block Resource Centers
(BRC), Cluster Resource Centers (CRC) and School safety
Focal Teachers on School Safety intervention
programme process, first-aid and life-saving skills with
the help of specialized agencies
Activity 3: Demonstration of SSP processes in few
selected schools – SDMC formation, development of
school safety plans and knowledge building.
Activity 4: Prepare annual Resilience Report Card for
each School.
Activity 5: Monitoring School DRR plans.
All the SDPs have
school safety
component.
School Safety
programme
incorporated in the
monthly reporting
format of CRC, BRC &
BEO.
Risk assessment through
Hazard Hunt conducted in
every school
School Development Plans
consists of actions to
address identified risks
School Safety
plans
School
Development
Plans
Resilience report
card
6 School Community
understand and practice
safe behaviours (‘do’s
and don’ts’) during
disaster situations.
Activity 1: Strengthen Peer Educator system in all the
intervention schools on regular knowledge
dissemination, mock- drills and awareness campaigns.
Activity 2: Skill training to School Safety Focal teacher
and CRC on safe behaviours.
Activity 3: Evidence generation to map school
communities understanding and safe behaviour
practices.
All the schools have
class wise Peer
Educator and
conduct weekly
activity as per
prescribed weekly
plan.
Activity calendar for mock
drills of life saving skills has
been developed and
practiced.
KAP study report
Outcome 3: Improved access to child protection services and key stakeholders aware of their responsibilities
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SNo. Output Key Activities Targets Performance Indicator(s) Means of
verification
7 Child Protection
Committee (CPC) formed
at Block and Gram
Panchayat level and
members trained on the
CPC guidelines and
various child protection
issues.
Activity 1: Orientation of key stakeholders on CP issues
and need for CPC.
Activity 2: Formation and training of CPC at GP and block
level on CPC guidelines.
All the blocks and
GPs have capacitated
CPCs
CPC formed at Block and GP
level
Disaster Needs Assessment
(DNA) conducted at Block
level
GP & Block wise
list of CPC
members
DNA reports
8 Block and GP level Child
Protection (CP) plans
prepared and
implemented
Activity 1: Mass awareness campaign on CP issues and
child protection services/ schemes of the government.
Activity 2: Conduct block and GP level DNA/ baseline
survey.
Activity 3: Develop CP Action Plan at GP and Block level.
Activity 4: Monitoring and follow- up of CP action plan.
All the CPCs at block
and GP level have
baseline and action
plan and
implementation
initiated.
CP Action plans prepared at
Block and GP level
GP & block level
CP action plan
Outcome 4 Capacitated adolescents and youths DRR/ CCA Champions available in intervention districts for advancing DRR/CCA issues in the intervention district
9 Adolescents and youths
identified and trained as
DRR/CCA Champions
Activity 1: Identify selective DRR Catalysts and train
them to develop as champions and resource persons on
DRR/ CCA.
Activity 2: Identify adolescents and train them to
develop as champions on school safety programme.
DRR Catalysts trained
and used as resource
persons.
Adolescents trained
as school safety
champions
DRR Catalysts understand
and can explain CBDRR
roadmap.
SSP champions understand
and can explain school
safety programme
DRR Champions are used as
resource persons
List of DRR and
SSP champions
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The results framework is comprehensive and covers all the relevant activities and anticipated
outcomes. The key aspects or elements of the framework include – clearly identified results, important
village level progress reports and reports generated at the block and district levels. This is supported
by the self-grading data at the level of the SDMCs and VDMCs against defined criteria. The required
support is provided to schools and villages based on this information collected.
S. No. Grading Criteria for Villages/VDMCs
1 Monthly meetings
2 Participation in meetings
3 Performance of the committee
4 Planning progress and plan for next month
5 Quality of documentation
6 Discussions in open meetings regarding objectives for the next 3 months
7 Ability to mainstream Village Development Plans with PRI
8 Meetings of the working groups and review of their plans
9 Identification of hazards and development of plans for disaster preparedness
10 Monitoring of Village Development Plans
S. No Grading Criteria for Schools/SDMCs
1 Monthly meetings
2 Attendance in meetings
3 Review and updating of the plan
4 Hazard identification
5 Discussion about plan and incorporate the plan in school development plan
6 Selection of Peer educator
7 Review of the peer educator action plan
8 Discussion and mock drill, and cultural programme
The adopted system of the tracking of results has worked well for both the programmes. The
outcomes have been regularly monitored, which can be attributed to the motivated communities and
implementing NGO partners. This has been possible due to the efforts of the UNICEF Bihar state office
and a clear prioritization of DRR as a critical area of intervention. However, more efforts can be made
to collect information that offers gender disaggrated data to assess inclusion in the VDMPs and
SDMPs.
In addition to the tracking of results through routine monitoring, the assessment conducted by the
Knowledge Community on Children in India (KCCI) in 201341 has also supported the management of
programme results. The programme has adopted some of the key recommendations like creation of
shadow SDMC members and promoting cost effective solutions like water dispensers in schools.
However, involving children with disability in the planning process and forming strategic partnerships
with the VDMCs continues to be a challenge.
Similarly, in the case of villages, there has been an increase in interaction and coordination with
government functionaries and officials. This is also clear in the way that the UNICEF Bihar office
interacts with the BSDMA, and has been able to influence government policy and leverage funds for
DRR activities. However, more efforts are needed to make ensure that influential members from the
41 India, K. C. (2013). Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on School Safety Programme. Retrieved from https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/kap_in_bihar_practice.pdf
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communities are involved in the VDMCs and SDMCs. As discussed in the KCCI report, this will allow for
better implementation and prioritization of the planned activities.
Overall, with regard to the monitoring and accountability, regular updates and progress reports are
shared with the UNICEF Bihar office from the implementing NGO partners. There is also a clear
coordination channel established with block and district offcials. In addition to this, the results
framework has strongly focused on knowledge management and documentation of lessons learnt and
processes through case studies and documents. A few case studies have also been documented in the
form of short video documentaries. These knowledge and IEC products are comprehensive and useful
for the intended audience as well as the communities that the programme works with.
Factors influencing achievements or non-achievements of stated results
Factors Influencing the Achievement of Results
There are several factors influencing the achievement of results in a long term programme such as
CBDRR-SSP. The following factors played a key role in the achievement of results in the two
programmes:
a) Support by UNICEF
UNICEF encourages a comprehensive approach to disaster risk reduction from prevention,
preparedness, mitigation to response and recovery. In Bihar, UNICEF in collaboration with its
implementing partners has introduced the CBDRR-SSP to improve localized disaster risk reduction
practices. The risk reduction includes addressing specific needs of the community, especially women
and children to enhance their capacities and participation in all aspects of the programme.
Through the programme, UNICEF supports the implementing NGOs in conducting trainings on critical
aspects of institution building at the village and school levels, and capacity building on resources such
as DRR catalysts and SSFTs. In addition to DRR, UNICEF has also been building the capacities of these
NGOs in child protection and rights, organizational management and development, climate change
and liaising with the government. As a result, support for implementing DRR associated activities has
been proactively extended by these NGOs at GP, block, district and state levels. Further, collaborative
actions with NGO partners have also supported in building research and evidence on DRR.
Moreover, UNICEF also strategically coordinates between different stakeholders including BSDMA,
District Disaster Management Authorities, and the District and Block Administrations. The
coordination activities include organizing meetings, setting up agenda for discussion and providing the
necessary technical assistance.
In order to ensure that DRR activities remain a priority, especially at the state and district levels, a
review of the CBDRR-SSP takes place during the Department of Education’s review meeting in all
programme districts. The meeting, chaired by the District Magistrate and a UNICEF district level
representative presents the progress following a discussion on action points and next steps. At the
State level, an Annual Work Plan is shared with BSDMA during GoB’s Annual DRR Planning Exercise.
Further, regular interactions take place between the BSDMA and UNICEF’s Bihar state DRR officials.
b) Mobilization and handholding support by NGOs
In all the villages, the programme faced a number of challenges initially. The community was sceptical
of the intentions of the NGO partners. It looked at them with suspicion and expected relief in the form
of material. With time, the NGO partners were able to win over the confidence of the community.
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They were ably supported by the UNICEF team in the process, which conducted regular training and
handholding meetings with the community on issues related to CBDRR. “Kya Khoya Kya Paya” (During
a disaster what is it that you lost and what did you gain) – an exercise conducted with the community
was frequently cited as one of the effective examples that motivated the community to become
partners in the CBDRR process.
c) Commitment of the DRR catalysts and VDMCs at the village level and SSFT and SDMCs at
the school level
The VDMC, DRR catalyst, SDMC and SSFT are the strongest links in the CBDRR-SSP chain. They
comprise of some of the most committed and motivated individuals to be found in the village. The
system of meetings every month, keeping records of the minutes and regular follow up action taken
up by these institutions was key in the achievement of the CBDRR-SSP objectives.
d) Community support
The programmes would not have achieved the intended results, had it not been for the continuous
support received from the community. While it can be stated that the members of the community
supported the programme in varying degrees, but in the overall analysis, every village had regular
instances of people contributing to the planned activities in the form of either labour or material.
There were instances where the community had contributed cash. As a matter of fact, every VDMC
had a contingency fund which was purely contributory in nature. The corpus thus created was being
used by the community in times of emergency.
e) Support from government officials
Both CBDRR and SSP aim at making communities self-reliant in terms of dealing with disasters. An
integral part of the programmes is making the communities aware of their entitlements under the
various schemes of the government – schemes that may be leveraged for implementing their DRR plans.
It was noted that whenever the communities had demanded support from the nodal officers in terms of
funds being provided from relevant schemes, the latter had taken prompt action wherever possible. In
cases where this had not been possible, the officials had provided suitable guidance and help. For
example, in Khormadanpur village of Madhubani district the BDO supported the VDMC for 132 widows
to access financial entitlements from the “Vridhavastha Pension Scheme”.
Factors Influencing the Non-Achievement of Results
The evaluation did not find specific factors that limited the achievement of results.
Disaster Risk Reduction after the Introduction of CBDRR Programme
Prior to the CBDRR programme, the target communities considered hazards as “acts of god” against
which they could do little. Resigned to their fate, they would take action only after the disaster had
taken place. This led to loss of lives, limb and property. Implementation of CBDRR programme has
provided them with an opportunity to learn essential skills and knowledge in community based
disaster risk management. They have obtained knowledge on “how to” design and conduct activities
for reducing disaster risks and vulnerability.’ Today, there is a marked change in the attitude of the
community towards disasters. They are better informed of the government schemes that can be
leveraged to improve the disaster preparedness of their villages.
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As reported by the communities, in the
case of floods, none of the sample
villages had faced any major floods
natural or manmade floods since the
Kosi experience. The individuals were
confident that with the skills learnt
under the programme, they were better
placed to deal with floods if such would
happen.
Respondents also recollected how they
had followed the protocols for
earthquake when it happened in 2015
resulted in reduced loss of assets and no
loss of lives.
However, the most noticeable change which was witnessed was in the case of fire. All villages reported
a marked reduction in the instances of fire. While there would be at least five-six accidental episodes
of fire in every village earlier, the number of such incidents had now become almost negligible, with
many villages reporting no incidents in the preceding year. The communities attributed this to the
safety protocols learnt under the CBDRR programme and have been taken preventive actions
Box 4.1: Flood Preparedness in Malkoshikapur Village, Supaul
Every household in the village had started storing food grains
for at least a couple of months as a step towards flood
preparedness. Besides this, the households also contribute to a
common granary in the village. All households have an
emergency flood kit which is an airtight waterproof bag
containing rations for a week, basic medicines, some cash &
valuables and important documents of the family. The VDMC is
in constant touch with the flood control room on Kosi barrage
to communicate flood warnings to the villagers promptly. High
grounds and flood shelters have been notified for prompt
evacuation. Every household also has improvised life jackets
made from discarded plastic bottles. This demonstrates the
change in the attitude of the community towards disasters.
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5 KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES (KAP)
The KAP survey was conducted on a sample of 270 students, (142 girls and 128 boys) in 18 schools
across six districts (3 schools in each district) of Bihar (Darbhanga, East Champaran, Madhubani,
Samastipur, Sitamarhi, and Supaul) to understand the effectiveness of SSP. The objective of this KAP
was to identify the knowledge, practices and attitudes of the adolescents under the following themes:
training received under SSP, awareness of different disasters, disaster preparedness, and water,
sanitation and hygiene.
The KAP survey provides an analysis on parameters related to the above-mentioned themes based on
gender and inclusion in school (during survey). The sample of girls and boys was based on the number
of students in-the school and those who have graduated. (the total stands at 226 and 44, respectively).
The findings provide insights on the DRR practices of the students; their knowledge on SSP and an
understanding the current attitude toward the SSP. The questionnaire was designed to avoid leading
questions.
Practices
In understanding the current practices, this evaluation looked at understanding the training provided
under SSP; the status of students participation in hazard hunts and mock drills; whether children are
being proactive in discussing safety concerns and hazards; and adopting good practices related to
handwashing and safe drinking water.
5.1.1 Training
More than 98 percent (268 of 270) of the students interviewed stated that training on SSP takes place
in their schools. Out of these, 124 stated that the frequency of the training was once a week and 36
stated it was twice a week, while 7 stated the training was held very rarely and 12 cited other timelines
(Saturday, 2-3 times a week, monthly or half-yearly) for training. Based on these differences, it is
important to adhere to the SSP training calendar to ensure uniformity of implementation across
schools.
254 of 270 students (Figure 5.1) have participated in
the training sessions. A similar scenario is present in
case of distribution by gender/ inclusion in school
with majority having received/ participated in for
the SSP trainings. It is worth noting that all the
students who have graduated from school
responded that they have participated in such
trainings. Some of the core aspects of DRR that the
students described having learnt during this training
were: type of different disasters (natural and
manmade), disaster preparedness, and risk
identification at their respective surroundings.
Additionally, they reported having learnt practical skills such as preparation of a stretcher and disaster
response during earthquake, fire, floods, lightning, and snakebites.
5.1.2 Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction
133 121
211
43
84
12
0
50
100
150
200
250
Girl (n=142) Boy (n=128) In-school(n=226)
Graduatedfrom school
(n=44)No Yes
Figure 5.1: Participation of Students in Training
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Hazard Hunt
All the schools covered in the evaluation conduct
hazard hunts, an exercise in which the students are
asked to identify the risks within and around the
school premises. 94 per cent of the students
interviewed whether in-school (213 of 226) or
having graduated from school (41 of 44) expressed
that a hazard hunt had taken place in their
respective schools. These students clearly
articulated the process of conducting hazard hunts
and understood its purpose of identifying different
risks/vulnerabilities within and outside their schools
in order to formulate solutions and address the
same.
The involvement of the students in all steps of the process makes them adept to undertake such
activities at their home or village level, and help instill
the concepts of disaster preparedness in their
communities.
Overall, only 3 percent of the students interviewed
had no awareness of any such activity. They stated
that they were not informed about the hazard hunt
by anyone in their respective schools. Out of the 270
students, 239 (Figure 5.2) stated having participated
in the hazard hunt. Only 19 students (14 girls, 5 boys),
comprising of 16 in-school and 3 graduated students,
did not participate as they were absent on the days
when the hazard hunt was conducted.
Mock Drills
A similar scenario exists with respect to implementation of mock drills. 98 percent of the students
interviewed, of which 139 of 142 were girls and 126 of 128 were boys, were aware that mock drills on
lifesaving skills like fire, earthquake, first aid etc. take place in their respective schools. The same
proportion holds in case of distribution via inclusion in school. Overall, only 4 of 270 students stated
that their school had no mock drills, while 1 was unaware.
With respect to frequency of the mock drills, out of a total of 270, 151 stated that the mock drills were
held once a week and 22 stated it was twice a week, while 11 stated that mock drills was held very
rarely and 74 cited other timelines (Wednesday, Saturday, monthly or quarterly) for mock drills. This
difference arises as each school follows a different schedule for undertaking mock drills based on the
availability of the representatives from the implementing NGO partners.
Figure 5.3: Skills Learnt during Mock Drills as per Distribution by Gender (%)
“The hazard hunt involves identifying two types of risks - structural and non-structural. Amongst structural the key risks are whether the students wash their hands after usage of toilet, the status of cleanliness in school, and availability of sufficient classrooms to accommodate all students. As for the structural risks – lack of boundary walls, holes in the ground, low number of toilets with respect to the number of students in the school, placement of the hand pump in the centre of the ground and lack of any open elevanted sitting place.” Student from Gani Mohd. Rajkiya M S Jatwa Urdu in E Champaran
123 116
200
39
14 5
16
3
0
50
100
150
200
250
Girl (n=137) Boy (n=121) In-school(n=216)
Graduatedfrom school
(n=42)No Yes
Figure 5.2: Participation of Students in Hazard Hunts
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Figure 5.4: Skills Learnt during Mock Drills as per Distribution by Inclusion in School (%)
Through participation in mock drills, 96 percent of the students were trained on lifesaving skills. This
majority exists in case of distribution by gender/inclusion in school. Some of the specialized skills
learnt during mock drills include creating a makeshift stretcher; demonstrating first aid skills and
response in case of risk (Figure 5.3 and 5.4).
More than 85 percent of the students irrespective of distribution by gender/inclusion in school learnt
the skill to stop, drop, roll and duck, cover and hold as a means of disaster preparedness. However,
only about 25 percent of the interviewed students were aware of the basic first aid skills, as reported
by them. Some of the other skills learnt during the mock drills were response to floods, response to
drowning, method of crossing the road properly, response to snake bites and avoidance of diarrhoea.
Discussion on School Safety
Around 97 per cent of the students discussed the lessons learnt on school safety with members of
their family, friends, community and teachers. This is a good practice as it will spread knowledge of
disaster preparedness among the community and make them more aware of how to deal with
disasters. The most common people with whom this information is shared by the students were their
immediate family - mother, father, brother and/ or sister, followed by their friends.
5.1.3 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Apart from instilling knowledge on disaster preparedness and risk behaviour, the SSP has been
successful in developing good practices of handwashing and safe drinking water. The interventions in
changing behaviour for handwashing have been successful with all the 270 students, irrespective of
their distribution by gender/inclusion in school having stated that they always wash their hands before
meals. Out of which 97 percent of the students used water and soap to wash their hands and less than
10 percent used other methods such as plain water, water and ash, water and mud etc.
20 2520 15
86 9387 93
20 273 3
0
20
40
60
80
100
Girl Boy
Create a stretcher
Demonstrate first aid skills
Stop, drop, roll
Duck, cover, hold
Others
Don't know
22 2517 20
89 9191 84
22 3030
20
40
60
80
100
In-school Graduated from school
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In terms of use of toilet at school (Figure 5.5), there is a slight variance in the practice between girls
and boys. 89 percent of the girls reportedly use toilets in school in comparison to 79 percent of the
boys. The main reason stated was that there were no toilets for boys and they had been constructed
only for teachers and girls.
Overall 84 percent of the students stated they use the toilet in school while 16 percent do not. It is
worth noting that all the 45 students interviewed across the 3 schools in Supaul stated that they use
toilets in their respective schools. Of those who do not use the toilet, a higher proportion of students
where in-school in comparison to those who have graduated. Across all the schools interviewed, the
most common reason of non-usage of toilets was lack of cleanliness while some of the other reasons
were availability of toilets only for teachers and/or locked toilets.
A variance between students in terms of gender as well as inclusion in school was observed when
questioned on testing for water pollution (Figure 5.6). As per distribution by gender, 77 percent girls
and 82 percent boys expressed that they tested if water is polluted. Similarly, on the basis of inclusion
in school, 81 per cent of the students’ in-school and 73 percent of those who have graduated from
school tested the water for pollution. Overall, only 55 of 270 students stated that they do not test if
the water is polluted.
For testing of water, the students popularly use the H2S test to judge if the water is clean. They
mentioned filling water upto to the requisite level in the bottle and keeping it for 24 hours, in case the
water turns black, they claim it is polluted. Majority of the students were aware that boiling water and
adding bleaching powder helps purify water. Interestingly, most of the students interviewed at
127 101
189
39
15
27
37
5
0
50
100
150
200
250
Girl (n=142) Boy (n=128) In-school (n=226) Graduated from school(n=44)
No Yes
110 105
183
32
32 23
43
12
0
50
100
150
200
250
Girl (n=142) Boy (n=128) In-school (n=226) Graduated from school(n=44)
No Yes
“There is no toilet for boys. The toilets are for teachers and girls only” - Male students from Rajkiyakrit M S, Bheja School and Rajkiya Utk M S Pachahi Dakshin School in Madhubani “The toilet is mostly locked and has been opened today since they were aware that the evaluation team/NGO partners were coming to school for an assessment” – Female student from Aadarsh M S, Jitvariya School in Samastipur
Figure 5.5: Use of Toilet in School
Figure 5.6: Test if Water is Polluted
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Sitamarhi mentioned following traditional practices like using guava leaves for judging water quality.
As described by the students, the process for the same involves crushing 3-4 leaves into a glass of
water and leaving it unattended for approx. 5 minutes. Post this, if the water changes its colour to
either black/red then the water is considered impure. The same was observed in a few cases in East
Champaran, Madhubani and Samastipur.
Knowledge
The survey aims to assess knowledge and awareness of the students with respect to the SSP, SDMC,
different hazards and risks and their response to different disasters.
5.2.1 About School Safety Programme (SSP)
About 96 percent of the students were aware about implementation of SSP and the SDMC in their
respective schools. This majority exists in case of distribution by gender/inclusion in school. To
examine the scope of knowledge of SDMC, these students were further questioned on the activities
undertaken by the SDMC in their schools (Figure 5.7 and 5.8).
Figure 5.7: Awareness on Activities conducted by SDMC as per Distribution by Gender (%)
Figure 5.8: Awareness on Activities conducted by SDMC as per Distribution by Inclusion in School (%)
More than 90 percent of the students irrespective of distribution by gender/inclusion in school were
aware that SDMC provides training on addressing disaster risk and develops the school disaster
management plan. However, awareness among the students with respect to SDMC helping with
Midday Meal Scheme averaged at around 65 per cent as per both the distributions; and awareness
with respect to organization of cultural activities by SDMC was more than 70 percent across all
distributions.
As reported by the students, majority of the schools had prepared disaster management plans while
the rest did not participate in the activity. These plans identify the different risks/vulnerabilities in the
school and its surroundings, list the measures necessary for reducing the prospective risk, and lay
down a schedule for making the requisite changes. Some of the most common infrastructural changes,
as a result of these plans were construction of boundary walls, elevated platforms, new toilets and
94 9892 96
67 6982 80
0
20
40
60
80
100
Girl Boy
Trainings on addressing disasterrisk
Development of school disastermanagement plan
Help with the Midday MealScheme
Conduct cultural activities
97 9194 9169
5984
70
0
20
40
60
80
100
In-school Graduated from school
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hand pumps, repairs of broken windows and railings, and filling up holes in the ground with mud etc.
Further, to prepare for disasters the schools purchased fire extinguishers and raw materials for making
stretchers and life jackets, and prepared a first aid box with the basic medical supplies among other
things.
5.2.2 Natural and Manmade Disasters
In total, 228 of 270 students were aware that their respective schools had plans to deal with disasters,
while 24 of 270 didn’t think that their schools had any such plan and 18 of 270 students were unaware
of this exercise.
Figure 5.9: Disasters that can Affect School/ Community as per Distribution by Gender (%)
Figure 5.10: Disasters that can Affect School/ Community as per Distribution by Inclusion in School (%)
To understand the knowledge of students with respect to different types and kinds of disaster, they
were questioned on the disasters they felt could affect their school/ community and whether they
were natural/ manmade/ both. More than 80 percent of the students irrespective of distribution by
gender/inclusion in school believed that their school/ community could be affected by flood, fire or
earthquake. The least susceptible disaster as per the students is snakebites (Figure 5.9 and Figure
5.10). The students were further probed on the type of these disasters (manmade/ natural).
Type of Disasters
Fire is a Manmade
Disaster
Earthquake is a
Natural Disaster
Lightening is a
Natural Disaster
Damaged
Structures is a
Natural Disaster
Response Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Number 213 51 6 263 6 1 253 14 3 133
132 5
89 9482 80
94 96
47 4118 1722 27
0
20
40
60
80
100
Girl Boy
Flood Fire
Earthquake Cyclone
Snakebites Others
92 8980 8994 98
45 4118 1423
34
0
20
40
60
80
100
In-school Graduated from school
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Overall 86 percent of the students stated that floods are natural disasters and 79 percent said fire is a
manmade disaster. More than 94 percent of the students agreed that earthquakes and lightening are
natural disasters. It seems as if the students are clear about the types of the most common disasters
affecting them.
It is interesting to note that an equal proportion
of students agreed and disagreed with the fact
that damaged structures were natural disasters.
Apart from these natural and manmade
disasters, 84 percent girls and 90 percent boys
recognized the hazards in and around their schools, which were dangerous such as blocked doors,
broken walls, snakes, etc.
5.2.3 Disaster Response
The students were able to differentiate between the various actions required in case of diverse
disasters like flood, drowning, fire and earthquake. The responses of the students in case of each of
these disasters have been tabulated below:
Type of
Disasters
Immediate Response
Floods Collect and carry necessities like important documents, dry food, water
bottles, rope, mosquito repellants, torch.
Prepare and wear a makeshift lifejacket.
Move to higher ground.
Carry a long stick to measure the water levels.
Carry halogen tablets to purify water and drink.
Maintain cleanliness of the area in order to prevent diseases.
Drowning Jump into water to save the drowning person in case you know swimming.
Start shouting for help from elders.
Throw a stick/ dupatta/ rope at the person and drag them out.
Expel water out of the drowning person, conduct CPR and take them to a
medical centre.
Fire Stop, drop and roll.
Wrap oneself in a blanket before entering the building.
Call the fire brigade.
Douse the fire with mud or water.
Cover your mouth to save yourself from inhaling harmful fumes.
Earthquake Duck, cover and hold.
Hide under a bench/ table.
Stand in the corner of a room and cover your head.
Exit the building and move to open ground.
Avoid trees and electricity poles.
5.2.4 Knowledge about WASH
A significant number of students (93 percent) displayed their knowledge of handwashing practices by
water and soap. More than 90 percent of the students recognized the need to wash their hands before
eating and after toilet use.
Disaster Type of Floods
Response Manmade Natural Both Don't
Know
Number 26 231 9 4
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The knowledge about WASH is equally imbedded amongst girls and boys (Figure 5.11). However, on
the basis of inclusion in school, it was observed that a higher proportion of students who had
graduated from school were aware of the best practices related to handwashing (Figure 5.12). 267 of
the 270 of the students irrespective of distribution by gender/ inclusion in school recognized that
drinking clean water was necessary to avoid illnesses and diseases (like cholera, diarrhoea, malaria),
and stay healthy.
Figure 5.11: Handwashing Behaviour as per Distribution by Gender (%)
Figure 5.12: Handwashing Behaviour as per Distribution by Inclusion in School (%)
Attitudes
The survey seeks to understand the attitude among the students in terms of response when faced
with disasters and improvement in handwashing behaviour.
5.3.1 Towards SSP and Disaster Preparedness
Majority of students had a positive attitude towards SSP and deemed the programme highly
successful. They have helped them in identifying potential risks/ vulnerabilities, developing an in-
depth knowledge of disasters and inculcating skills for disaster response (Figure 5.13). This attitude is
currently present across all genders whether they are in-school or have graduated from schools where
SSP was implemented.
99 9891 90
25 2615
92 21
0
20
40
60
80
100
Girl Boy
Before Eating
After toilet use
After handling garbage
Before food Preparation
Don't know
Others
99 10089
98
233611
2020
20
40
60
80
100
In-school Graduated from school
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96 percent demonstrated a positive attitude towards SSP and agreed that it has been helpful in
increasing their knowledge on disasters and lifesaving skills. Similarly, 88 percent affirmed that hazard
hunts have helped in identification of vulnerabilities within school premises. The engagement of
students with school authorities has been highly positive. 96 percent students stated that they would
inform the school immediately in case of any potential threats likes potholes, damaged walls or broken
latrines for immediate action. The students proactively follow-up with the Headmaster/ SDMCs in case
their suggestions have been excluded from the School Development Plans. They have begun
questioning the Headmaster/ SDMC on reasons for delay in taking risk mitigations measures. One of
the reasons for delays conveyed to the students was lack of funds.
5.3.2 Towards WASH
The knowledge related to importance of good hand washing practices and safe drinking water has
been well accepted by students where SSP has been implemented.
It is important to use water purification techniques (Bleaching
powder, boiling) to prevent contamination of water. Agree Disagree
Don't
Know
Gender
Girl 138 0 4
Boy 126 1 1
Inclusion in school
In-school 220 1 5
Graduated from school 44 0 0
Total 264 1 5
It is important to wash your hands with soap. Agree Disagree Don't
Know
Gender
Girl 141 0 1
Boy 123 2 3
Inclusion in school
In-school 220 2 4
Graduated from school 44 0 0
Total 264 2 4
About 264 of 270 students recognized the importance of WASH related behaviour change. Only 1 boy
who was currently in-school thought that water purification was unnecessary, and 2 boys who were
97
88
96
96
1
4
3
1
2
7
3
1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
SSP helpful in increasing your knowledge on disasters
Hazard hunt is successful in identifying potential threatswithin the school premises
Mock drills have been helpful in increasing knowledge aboutlife saving skills
Potential threats should be brought to the notice of schoolauthorities immediately.
Agree Disagree Neither agree or disagree Don't know
Figure 5.13: Attitude towards SSP and Disaster Preparedness among all Students (%)
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in-school believed that washing hands with soap was not important. It is worth noting that all the 44
students who have graduated from school recognized the importance of using water purification
techniques to prevent contamination of water and the need to wash hands with soap.
Overall the findings from the KAP suggest sufficient evidence of the success of the School Safety
Programme (SSP) in the schools present across the six districts of Bihar covered in this study. The
students in these schools have developed in-depth knowledge of different risks/vulnerabilities and
have enhanced capacities to respond to the most common disasters. The students also have
positive attitude towards disaster response and hand washing behaviour, and have adopted good
practices in their daily lives.
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6 SUSTAINABILITY AND SCALABILITY OF CBDRR-SSP
This section explores the sustainability and scalability of the programme and answers the associated
evaluation questions. However, the questions on lessons learnt and recommendations have been
included in subsequent chapters- 8 and 9.
Sustainability and
Scalability Description
Key Evaluation Question To what extent will the benefits of CBDRR– School Safety programme continue
after UNICEF funding support has ceased?
Sub Questions If UNICEF were to withdraw support for this programme, what components
would be sustainable and what actions would be necessary for the outcomes
to be sustained?
What were the major factors, which influenced the achievement or non-
achievement of sustainability of the CBDRR– School Safety programme?
Which of the lessons learnt can be externally applied. Provide
recommendations (for UNICEF as well as the Bihar government) for further
application of these good practices in future CBDRR- School Safety
programmes.
What are the scaling-up approaches and possible strategies for scaling-up
CBDRR and School Safety programme in Bihar and for promoting CBDRR-
School Safety programme within Government system.
Is there an exit strategy in place at the level of UNICEF?
Overview of how
sustainability and
scalability was assessed
Analysing the existing documentation on the programmes: The team reviewed
and analysed all existing literature shared on the programme interventions.
Using perceptions of stakeholders and observations from field.
Sustainability of CBDRR and SSP
This section explores whether the components of both programmes are sustainable.
6.1.1 Sustainable components within CBDRR
a) Strong community institutions
At the community level, the DRR activities are linkely to continue if support is completely withdrawn.
Overall, in 11 out of the 12 cases, the VDMCs came across as strong institutions. They are motivated
and enthusiastic, and are following their mandated activities in spite of much reduced support from
the NGO partners. This includes making annual DRR plans, raising awareness on how to prepare for
disasters and pooling in resources. 11 out of 12 VDMCs felt that they were capable of sustaining the
programme without much external support. The one remaining VDMC believed that it would still
require handholding support from the NGO partner for some time.
b) Engagement with multiple stakeholders
A strong programme element of the CBDRR is the continuous interaction with the PRIs, frontline
workers, block and district level officials for leveraging of resources. In all the villages visited, there
were numerous instances where the VDMCs were reaching out to block and district level officials to
collaboratively work on improving village infrastructure to make it disaster resilient. They were also
participating in public forums namely ward and gram sabhas, and block and district level collective
discussions.
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c) Knowledge and understanding of government schemes and programmes
Some of the major government schemes to promote development at the village level are Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(PMGSY), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) etc. The
VDMCs were found to have a good understanding of the different types of government schemes and
programmes through which funds could be leveraged for implementing their DRR plans. There is
enthusiasm to continually engage with the government functionaries and demand the benefits
associated with the schemes. This enhanced knowledge allows for better implementation of DRR
plans, especially the ones dependent on government support. The knowledge and awareness has
played a critical role in VDMCs emerging as strong and committed community institutions with the
ability to sustain the programme at the village level.
d) Presence of DRR catalysts
DRR catalysts within these villages have been able to
demonstrate motivation and leadership to drive the CBDRR
programme. These individuals have experienced and dealt
with disasters themselves, and the programme relies on their
abilities and capacities to inspire and implement action on
ground. During the FGDs, the evaluation team found that
these DRR catalysts were aware of all the key programme
activities. They had an in depth and experiential
understanding of the vulnerabilities that they face, and were conducting the following activities, as
identified by them:
Ensure monthly meetings and coordination of activities.
Monitor VDMC activities and to educate the community.
Establish a connection between the VDMC and other villagers.
Connect VDMP to the main village development plans, help develop VDMPs.
To form a VDMC in nearby villages where there is no VDMC.
Increase awareness on government schemes in the villages.
Necessary Actions to Sustain CBDRR Programme
Necessary actions have been identified to sustain the CBDRR programme. These should be integrated
into the programme before withdrawal.
a) Rotational membership:
VDMCs and DRR catalysts are important stakeholders to that ensure that DRR can sustain in the
current programme context and geographies. However, in order to sustain the activities, it is
imperative that a practice of rotational membership be established for increased inclusion,
accountability and ownership of the programme. Three to five members should be replaced annually
in addition to observing a systematic approach of including women.
b) Developing local leadership:
In addition to this, continued capacity building of the DRR catalysts will ensure that the programme
sustains after complete withdrawal by UNICEF and implementing NGO partners. To strengthen the
capacities of the DRR catalysts, UNICEF has a “perspective plan for DRR catalysts”. It details out how
“We were identified by the VDMC since we were hard working and committed, and we could give time. We were chosen because we are not greedy. We were given technical training by UNICEF after which we were selected.” - DRR FGD
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the current and new DRR catalysts are being trained in order to sustain the programme. This plan
should be implemented to ensure sustainability.
6.1.2 Sustainable components within SSP
The evaluation findings indicate that there are components that make the SSP sustainable at the
school level:
a) School Safety Focus Teachers (SSFT)
One of the main reasons for effective implementation of the SSP is the presence of the SSFT. SSFT are
teachers, who have taken the additional responsibility of conducting, monitoring and sustaining the
SSP and its associated activities. The following activities have been identified at the school level
depending on the presence and motivation of the SSFT:
b) Mock Drills
In every school visited, the children were participating in different kind of mock drills. This has made
easy using catchy slogans and phases, which work well at the community levels. ‘Duck, Cover, Hold’
and ‘Stop, Drop, Roll’ were especially popular. Children were particularly enthusiastic about
demonstrating these, when asked. These have also been taught to younger children who are in school.
c) Hazard Hunts and SDMC Plans
All schools are maintaining and updating their SDMC plans after conducting the Hazard hunts. These
activities work well with children as it allows them to stay engaged and holding the school
accountable. These activities have been able to sustain, as most students are not only aware about
the plans but have also seen the school transform in terms of the improved infrastructure (e.g.
construction of toilets, repairing of buildings and playgrounds). This is encouraging and allows children
to contribute effectively in improving their schools by identifying threats and challenges. Children who
had graduated to high schools were able to discuss the kind of changes they have witnessed. In some
cases, they are continuing to be a part of the planning exercise to support younger children.
d) Chetna Satras
This is an assembly session, where everyone in the school made aware of dealing with disasters. This
is the larger school platform where mock drills and lifesaving skills practiced. This facilitated by the
teachers and students collectively, and has come to become routine in the school, which increases its
chances to continue.
Necessary Actions to Sustain SSP
Necessary actions have been identified to sustain the SSP. These should be integrated into the
programme before withdrawal.
a) Appointing a second SSFT:
The SSFT as an individual is critical for the implementation of the SSP. It is through her/his efforts and
support that students are continuously able to make plans, conduct hazard hunts and identify threats
and disasters at the school level. While the implementing NGO partners have played a critical role in
organising trainings, moving forward it is expected that the SSFTs will manage and continue the
programme. Therefore, not only do the capacities of the existing SSFTs need to be built but the
programme should try to identify a second SSFT in the school. This is critical since the teachers are
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transferable. In the event of a transfer happening, the SSP activities can be taken over by the second
SSFT.
b) Greater engagement with the community:
The findings indicate that there is little interaction between the school administration and the VDMCs.
The Bihar State Office has reinforced this, that both the programmes have independent mandates and
objectives. However, there needs to be a clear strategic vision as well as interventions to ensure
synergy between the CBDRR and the SSP. Given the fact that VDMCs are strong institutions and DRR
catalysts are highly motivated individuals, both of these community level institutions can play a critical
role in ensuring that SSP activities sustain even after complete withdrawal of UNICEF support to the
programme.
Both the programmes have key activities and objectives that can be considered sustainable as well
as community driven. However, there are few recommended actions along with existing scale- up
initiatives that can continue to sustain the on-going activities at the school and village levels. These
have been elaborated in the section on recommendations.
Factors Influencing the Sustainability of CBDRR – SSP
The following critical factors are expected to contribute towards the sustainability of both the
programmes:
CBDRR
a) Acceptance of the community
The CBDRR programme has been accepted and adopted at the community level effectively. The
community members interviewed consistently underlined the need for such a programme, as there
has been increase in knowledge and understanding of dealing with disasters. The implementing NGO
partners have played a critical role in engaging with the communities before initiating the programme.
This builds long- term trust and commitment towards reducing vulnerabilities to disasters.
b) Support received from the Block and District level officials
The block and district level officials were supportive of the programme and have enabled the
communities to leverage the resources. The requests raised by the VDMC members are process by
block officals, and required actions is undertaken to ensure that support is provided by the designated
department responsible for undertaking the task. They felt that it helped build knowledge and
understanding of dealing with disasters at the local level. Further, these capacitated community
members were able to help the block administration during disasters. There is clear acceptance of the
DRR activities conducted as a part of the programme by the District Administration. The evaluation
team received responses where, District Magistrates emphasized on the need for scaling up this
intervention across other vulnerable villages and blocks.
c) Design of the programme
As discussed, the programme is participatory, inclusive and cross cutting in addressing underlying
risks. It is grounded and institutionalized in the community and is sensitive to their experience of
disasters. Additionally, the programme understands the sustained vulnerability experienced by all
communities, and empowers them to make plans that will address their problems whilst also building
the confidence to negotiate and engage with multiple stakeholders. The design lays out a clear
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roadmap to preparedness and resilience.
SSP
a) Sensitization of the DoE in order to implement the programme
The need for an initiative like the SSP has been understood by the Department of Education, and it
resonated during the interactions of the team with the DEOs and BEOs. These officials along with the
school administration have been supportive and have officially mandated for the SSP activities to be
carried out at the school level. As primary duty bearers, the District and Block Education officers were
sensitized and supported in the identification of schools, where the programme was implemented.
They suggested that as a part of their routine monitoring exercise, they assess whether the SSP
activities are being undertaken.
b) Design of the programme:
SSP by design focuses on being accountable, child-friendly, enabling and interactive. At the school
level, it has been able to ensure that students are able to act as change agents at the school as well as
the community levels. Much like the CBDRR, the SSP empowers children to identify their programme,
make their plans, and hold the school administration accountable in case their problems are not
addressed. It uses activities such as poetry, songs/dancing, street plays, quiz and essay competitions
to builds their skills. These activities have been integrated very seamlessly into the existing school
curriculum. These simple activities have been effective in enhancing the understanding and the
practice of DRR among children and school teachers.
UNICEF has adopted a plan to scale up the SSP to 16 states across the country given that the
programme has been able to demonstrate effective knowledge transfer. Children have been practicing
the learnings from the SSP, and act as change agents within schools and villages. Selected students
have also been identified for experience sharing and skills demonstration within and outside the state
of Bihar.
Both CBDRR and SSP
a) Role of UNICEF
Since their conceptualization by UNICEF, both CBDRR and SSP have received continuous technical
assistance and supportive supervision by the DRR team at UNICEF, Bihar. Additionally, the DRR team
has been engaging with state, district and block level institutions for seeking guidance, requesting
actions, and conducting policy advocacy. Some such institutions with which UNICEF officials regularly
interact are the Department of Education, the Bihar State and District Disaster Management
Authorities, District Magistrates, Block Development Officers, Block Education Officers etc. This has
not only ensured smooth implementation of both the programmes but also continuous cross-learning
between all the bodies, which are engaged in building the DRR capacities of communities and children
in Bihar.
b) Committed and motivated NGO partners
The implementing NGO partners across the six districts have demonstrated continued commitment
towards reducing disasters and associated risks. As individuals who have faced disasters and its
repercussions themselves, they are able to contextualise interventions and understand local needs.
Given their foundation in Bihar and long drawn experience of working in disaster prone areas, these
partners have been sensitive and thorough with the CBDRR-SSP processes while working with the
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village communities and school children. This is reflected in the regular handholding support provided
to VDMCs and SDMCs while conducting regular meetings and preparing the relevant DRR plans.
Exit Strategy
The first phase of the CBDRR-SSP was initiated in 2009 and has continued till 2015. In this duration,
the programme has evolved to create strong community and school level institutions. Both
programmes have reached a level where systematic withdrawal from direct field implementation is
crucial to ensure sustainability of the process and its outcomes. Therefore, while not documented, an
implicit exit strategy has been embedded into the framework of both the programmes:
CBDRR
a) DRR catalysts
The DRR catalysts have been identified given their knowledge and understanding of the target
communities and their experience of living in a disaster prone area. They are often the most capable
members of a VDMC and pay pivotal role in the CBDRR process. These catalysts have been significantly
contributing towards strengthening their community institutions as well as mobilizing resource to
implement the DRR plans. Recognising their volunteering spirit, UNICEF and implementing NGO
partners build their capacities through trainings and exposure visits.
As an exit strategy, they are expected to provide the required leadership and address disaster
associated risks at the community level. 130 DRR catalysts have been positioned in the 255 villages
CBDRR programme villages. DRR catalysts have evolved as key stakeholders and now are responsible
for strengthening the VDMCs to ensure sustainability of the programme after complete withdrawal of
UNICEF.
b) Grading criterion
All the intervention villages/VDMCs are graded on the basis of their implementation performance,
which is monitored by the UNICEF Bihar state office. The withdrawal of NGO partner support from
Grade A villages has already begun, and by the end of 2017, the activities within these villages will be
managed by the DRR Catalysts.
c) Saturation of villages and blocks:
The villages within the intervention blocks are being saturated with support from block and district
administration. As a part of this strategy, capacity building of frontline workers (ANM, AWW) is being
undertaken for them to take on DRR responsibilities. For effective implementation of this intervention,
district and block level officials conduct periodic reviews to ensure that all DRR planning is being done
at the village level.
SSP
a) Grading criterion
Similar to the village, the intervention schools/SDMCs are also graded and support from all Grade A
schools will be withdrawn by 2017.
b) MSSP scale-up
As discussed, the SSP has already been included into the working mechanism of the DoE. UNICEF and
implementing NGO play a limited facilitation. The DoE acts as the nodal agency at the state level, and
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UNICEF has been supported them to develop programme documents and design strategies for scaling
up the MSSP.
Approaches and Strategies for Scaling-up
Government of Bihar has developed a DRR Roadmap (2015-2030) for Bihar, emerging as one of the
first organized attempts in the world. DRR Roadmap has been developed on the framework of
‘resilience in development’. The DRR Roadmap encompasses actions on risk recognition, analysis and
risk- informed programme planning for every sector and departments delivering services for survival,
growth, development and protection of children.
One of the pillar of the DRR Roadmap i.e. ‘Resilient Village Programme’ is inspired by the lesson learnt
of the UNICEF CBDRR programme. Resilient Village Programme will cover all the 45000 villages of Bihar
in a phased manner. The components of resilient village are similar to CBDRR programme of UNICEF
viz. risk analysis at village level, develop Village Disaster Management Plan (VDMP) based on the
village level risk analysis and integrate in Gram Panchayat plans. The National Disaster Management
Guideline on ‘Community Based Disaster Management’ by NDMA (in the approval process) has also
adapted UNICEF CBDRR roadmap (model) of Bihar and has case studies from Bihar.
DRR Roadmap for 2015 - 2030 gives an opportunity to scale up the school safety programme across
the State under the title ‘Chief Minister’s School Safety Programme (CMSSP)’ (Resilient Basic Services
– actions for the Education Department). Under this programme, all 79,196 government schools of
Bihar, and subsequently private schools. The CMSS programme was launched in July, 2015 with the
state wide mock-drill. The CMSSP programme guidelines revised to include the UNICEF school safety
programme processes viz. Hazard Hunt, Safe Saturday, Peer –to – Peer education and knowledge
building plan.
Scaling up Approaches
a) CBDRR
The scope of the CBDRR programme has now been expanded to 1,122 villages in the existing six
districts by UNICEF. With the point of view of scale-up and the experience of the programme team,
new roles and responsibilities within the programme have been introduced. Government frontline
functionaries will be actively linked with VDMC management for the formulation of VDMPs. The
implementing NGO partners are expected to contribute towards capacity building and handholding in
a limited capacity. Further, there has also been on-going engagement District Administration, District
Disaster Management, BDOs and Circle Officers. BDOs have selected CBDRR nodal persons from
government cadre of Vikas Mitra. The CBDRR Nodal persons play role in organising the VDMC,
developing the VDMP and subsequently including it in village development plans.
In addition to UNICEF’s scale up activities, as discussed in the section on Relevance, the CBDRR
initiatives are also being scaled up through the efforts of GoB and the BSDMA. GoB has developed a
15 year DRR roadmap, as a policy level intervention, which has adopted and incorporated learning
from the CBDRR programme. It commits to reducing the associated risks related to the disasters, as
recognized by the GoI and GoB. The DRR team at UNICEF has played a critical role in technically
supporting GoB in developing its detailed perspective plan to make the state disaster resilient. An
implementation committee has been set up by UNICEF to support the state in conducting all DRR
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activities. Further, the Resilient Village Programme (RVP) included as an action point has been drawn
out using the CBDRR programme as a model. With the objective of building capacities of communities
to become resilient through DRR planning, UNICEF has been assisting GoB in developing guidelines
and manuals for RVP.
b) SSP
SSP since 2015 has been scaled to a total of 3,318 schools across seven districts by UNICEF, as a part
of its ongoing DRR activities. The objective is to saturate the blocks and districts and support DRR
activities at the school level.
Further, the SSP has been recognized by the GoB for its achievements and contributions. Its learning
have been incorporated in the DRR roadmap, and will be scaled up through the MSSP. So far, as a part
of the MSSP scale up initiative, a school safety fortnight has been organized, where students and
teachers were trained, and government functionaries were oriented on SSP (Refer to Box 3.4).
In order to implement MSSP effectively, UNICEF along with other development partners has been
providing technical assistance, and coordination support. The UNICEF team has been working at the
state, district and block levels, and liaising with the DoE, Bihar Education Project Committed and the
SCERT. A knowledge sharing workshop was organized with GoB to discuss the modalities and
strategies that will be adopted during the implementation of MSSP. Support has also been extended
for the development of modules, guidelines and Information, Education and Communication (IEC)
materials, and monitoring of the programme.
The implementing NGO partners also continuously support capacity building activities at the cluster
and block level. Periodic block level workshops/capacity building sessions are organized with teachers
to refresh their understanding and knowledge on DRR.
Both CBDRR and SSP have demonstrated strong components of sustainability along with their
individual achievements like increasing knowledge on and preparedness towards disasters. Further,
UNICEF and implementing NGO partners as institutions have ensured that both programmes
receive the required handholding and technical support at different levels.
Examples of positive community engagement from CBDRR-SSP
The CBDRR-SSP interventions have resulted in some positive unexpected results, which were
particularly observed while conducting the case studies in the selected villages. These can act as
examples, which the programme can use while scaling-up. Additional examples can be found in other
villages and schools, which were not a part of the sample.
a) Women overcoming socio-cultural taboos
Prevalent social practices often limit women’s ability to participate in public discussions and
interactions, especially in the presence of male members. However, as observed in Malkoshikapur
village in Supaul district, the VDMC has nine female members. This is one of the few VDMCs with such
a high proportion of female members. Despite the regular set of interventions having been
undertaken in this region, women play an active role in addressing disaster-associated risks,
strengthening child protection measures, and improving the overall sanitation and hygiene of the
village. Therefore, this case study example has demonstrated that the DRR interventions have the
potential to act as a basis to mobilize women and contribute to their empowerment.
b) Collaborative action despite religious differences
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In Khormandarpur village, Madhubani district, the team observed that the VDMC formation was
initially a challenge. At the time of formation, people remained apprehensive about working together.
In addition to not having the initial confidence about the planned DRR activities, both Hindu and
Muslim communities resided in the village. Through constant interaction, they were eventually able
to overcome ideological differences, and work together to improve the village. This resulted in the
construction of a bridge connecting two sections of the village that were previously inaccessible during
floods. This improved relationship between the different sections of the population was due to the
efforts of the DRR interventions.
c) Community leaders and volunteers
As reported by many of the VDMC members, a proactive role is played by them when a disaster strikes.
For instance, in Darbhanga, VDMC members from a programme village camped overnight to ensure
that the embankment does not breach due to floods. Another example was sighted in Supaul district,
where a group of traders and moneylenders provided immediate financial relief in the village during
a fire breakout. These community leaders and volunteers emerged in all the sampled villages, who
have either led by example or have played a significant role during disasters.
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7 CBDRR-SSP FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GENDER AND EQUITY
This section explores how, if at all, has the CBDRR-SSP been able to integrate Gender and Equity
considerations by analysing the programme. It presents findings answering the evaluation questions.
Gender and Equality Description
Key Evaluation Question To what extent have activities affected marginalized communities,
addressed differences in gender, and empowered both girls and boys?
Sub Questions Was the programme design and delivery equitable to different
groups and gender?
Did the programme achieve the same level of success in different
places and with different groups?
Were there any negative effects felt by any groups?
Overview of how gender
and equity was assessed
Analysing the existing documentation on the project
Using perceptions of stakeholders and observations from field
Design and Delivery of the Programmes
The section examines whether both CBDRR and SSP programmes were equitable to different groups
and gender. As per the scope of the evaluation, the design and delivery of the programme in the
context of different socio-economic groups within the village were proposed to be studied. However,
during the evaluation it was found that the CBDRR-SSP villages in the sample were mostly inhabited
by SCs and EBCs. With this knowledge and understanding, following is a discussion on the extent to
which the programme activities were equitable and gender inclusive.
CBDRR
In order to evaluate the CBDRR programme against its design and delivery to different groups and
gender, the team identified specific activities/processes, where the programme is expected to reach
out to different sections of the populations, and analysed the same based on the field findings.
a) Area identification
The NGOs are expected to identify an area based on the criteria of vulnerability and probability of
disasters. These implementing partners gather basic information from the community, and create a
consolidated village profile, which has information of the number of households and composition of
population.
In all the villages that were visited, it was found that the socio-economically deprived sections of the
population namely SC and EBC categories formed the majority of the village population. Therefore,
the villages are not only selected based on their vulnerability to disasters but also the fact that these
sections are marginalized and vulnerable due to lack of resources and connectivity. There were
instances, where the villages comprised of women led households due to excessive migration, making
a need for such an intervention all the more relevant.
b) Community mobilization
The CBDRR programme relies on community mobilization in order to ensure that communities are
better prepared for disasters and are able to develop their DRR plans. As a part of the process, it is
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encouraged that the process be all-inclusive with participation from community leaders, ward
members, men, women and children. During the interactions of the team with the community
members through FGDs and KIIs, the findings indicated that the community mobilization exercise was
conducted keeping all of these principles in mind.
The VDMC members were able to recount experiences of when the programme was first started in
their area. This process was facilitated by the implementing NGO partners who were able to ensure
that the village at large is able to understand the need for such a programme.
c) Formation of VDMCs:
As discussed, the VDMC, as the core of the CBDRR intervention, is not only responsible for leading on
disaster reduction activities at the village level but also engaging different stakeholders. The FGD and
case study42 findings reinforce that the formation of the VDMC is indeed an all-inclusive process and
encourages representation from different sections of the society, including Hindus, Muslims, women,
etc. across the various socio-economic groups. These VDMC members have been selected with
consent from the entire village. Consequently, there is no discrimination or alienation experienced by
any sections in village, while becoming VDMC members. In addition to this, there were no instances
of further marginalization of any group in the villages visited.
However, it is important to note that while VDMC members are selected by the villagers and
voluntarily, there is no mandate, as a part of the programme to definitively ensure women’s
participation as members.
d) Functioning of VDMCs (including making plans and conducting risk analysis):
As discussed, the VDMCs are expected to make DRR plans and conduct risk assessment activities.
Currently, the VDMCs in the villages evaluated, are representative of the village population and have
taken on responsibility of developing and improving the village towards disaster risk reduction.
The discussions also highlighted that the VDMC members along with the village community undertake
regular risk analysis using the “Kya Khoya, Kya Paaya” exercise. In this exercise, they assess the
disasters and risks they have faced, establish the reasons for the same and examine their capacity to
deal with it. Based on this exercise, they identify the households with pregnant women, children, and
people with disability to provide additional supervision and support. This ensures that the most
vulnerable are the first to receive immediate relief and rehabilitation in case of disasters. However,
with regard to the planning process, women and children appeared to have a limited role. This has
been discussed in the previous section on effectiveness.
SSP
The SSP by design is inclusive and non-discriminatory. While there are specific children who are
selected to become a part of the SDMC based on merit and their membership in the Bal Sansad and/or
Meena Manch, all children participate in the activities. This is done through mechanisms such as
Surakshit Shanivaar and Chetna Satras. It was found that in all the schools, children are being equally
engaged and included in the activities. This was also reinforced by the school safety focal teacher and
headmaster, who said that children are not being left out on the basis of gender and/or social
42 Khormadanpur village acts as an example of how community members have been working together. During the team’s interaction, perspective plans were presented. These had been made keeping in mind the entire composition of the village. Efforts like cleaning a section of the village that needed attention, creating village task forces, and conducting regular gram sabhas have improved disaster preparedness and built resilience of the village community.
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category.
However, mixed responses were received while discussing about children with disabilities (CWD) and
their inclusion. In some cases, there was no reason to even account for CWDs in the school
development plans, as there were no CWDs in school. Therefore, sensitivity vis-à-vis the issue of
disability and its inclusion in school safety planning needs to be introduced and accounted for. This
allows for an improved approach to DRR planning in schools. Further, children as agents of change will
also recognise the importance of an inclusion while planning and preparing for disasters.
Overall, both programmes have been inclusive in capacitating communities and schools to plan for
disasters. However, as a part of the CBDRR programme, more efforts can be made in order to include
women in the DRR planning process, especially to address underlying risks- malnutrition, birth
registration and WASH and related risks.
Implementation of CBDRR-SSP
As discussed in the previous section, the programme is being implemented in vulnerable villages,
which are dominated by socio-economically marginalized sections of the society. Despite selection of
A, B and C graded villages and schools; there was no particular difference in implementation of the
programme. The evaluation findings suggest that the programme after 2012 has had an intensified
engagement across all the selected villages and schools by UNICEF and the implementing NGO
partners.
Implementation of the CBDRR Programme
a) Difference in implementation across programme areas
The programme is being implemented by six different NGO partners in the districts visited. Based on
the interactions and field findings, it was found that in Runnisaidpur block of Sitamarhi district, more
efforts need to be made in order to build capacities of the VDMC. During the FGD with VDMC, the
participation was limited to just one or two members out of the ones present indicating that the
understanding of the programme was limited to only a few individuals.
However, due to the efforts of the implementing NGO partner, the village DRR plans were being
maintained, and associated activities were being undertaken. Both the children’s and women’s groups
had knowledge about the measures that needed to be undertaken for disaster preparedness and
response.
Apart from this specific instance, there was no significant geographical difference that was observed
in the implementation of activities. This was also physically verified during transect walks around the
village and triangulated during the discussions with different groups.
b) Difference in implementation across different groups
As discussed in the previous sections, there was no difference in programme implementation and
consequently no observable difference in programme achievement across the communities met. This
has been possible because the programme maintains that disasters affect all. Accordingly, there have
been no instances of differential treatment by VDMCs, DRR catalysts and NGO implementing partners
towards a specific group or category. Further, the needs of people from different habitations has also
been taken care of. For example, setting up of hand pumps in different sections of the villages and
areas wise cleanliness drives were common example cited during the interactions with the
community.
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Implementation of SSP
In the schools visited, no difference in implementation was observed. The trainings by the
implementing NGO partners are conducted with the SSFT, SDMC and the shadow SDMC members. In
addition to specific trainings, school level activities include Chetna Satras, a common assembly to
discuss the importance of DRR in school, and Mock Drills. These ensure that children from the entire
school have a common and basic understanding of how to deal with disasters. The discussions with
the NGOs also highlighted that they are making equal as well as context specific efforts to ensure that
capacity of children and teachers are strengthened at the school level.
In addition to this, DRR champions from across the schools have been identified , who facilitate in
conducting trainings in school, as well as acting as resource persons while conducting block and district
level activities. These children have been a part of DRR focused exposure visits where they share their
experiences and learn about innovative ways of addressing disasters.
The SSP has been successful across all social groups. At the school level, all respondents mentioned
that no one has experienced any form of discrimination. The students from class six-eight are equally
engaged and everyone is given the opportunity to participate in all activities conducted. As mentioned,
shadow SDMC members are also trained. These are younger children, who will take over of the role
of current SDMC members once they graduate from middle school.
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8 CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNT
The evaluation has provided an independent assessment of the CBDRR-SSP, and particularly focused
on whether its processes and approaches have made the programme relevant, effective and
sustainable. As discussed, the programme performs well against the criteria of relevance,
effectiveness and sustainability. However, more efforts are needed in the areas of gender.
The findings of the evaluation indicate that the CBDRR-SSP has demonstrated its relevance in disaster
risk reduction and improve knowledge on rights and entitlements in the six intervention districts. The
evidence suggests that the programme, as a pilot, has been effective in providing a platform for
vulnerable communities for engaging with government officials and implementing NGO partners on
disaster associated risks that directly impact their lives.
Further, the VDMCs and SDMCs have the potential for improving government service delivery and
enhancing knowledge of students and community members at the school and village levels. It is also
important to note that community leadership in the form of DRR catalysts and DRR champions is a key
enabler for participatory development. While women and children can be further included in the
planning process, the model has built their capacities in dealing with disasters. The evaluation shows
that the committees are proactively participating in decision-making processes and have enhanced
implementation of the programme.
The school safety programme specifically provides evidence on the effectiveness of the model in
addressing children’s knowledge on disaster preparedness. Further, a review of the village level plans
also highlights the programme’s ability to leverage government resources. Efforts are also being made
at the block, district and state levels to integrate the disaster risk reduction model into their existing
working framework, which ensures its sustainability. This is also supported by UNICEF by scaling up
the DRR interventions in other blocks. Intensified efforts are being made across all the villages and
schools, which reflects in the findings when analysed against the period of intervention.
The CBDRR-SSP, therefore, has the potential to contribute towards addressing disaster associated risks
within the programme areas. It acts as a case study that has demonstrated the importance of advocacy
and influencing policy, leveraging and building partnerships, and overall results43 in building and
sustaining a programme. The findings also validate the envisioned Theory of Change where the
programme is moving towards its desired impact of making communities safe from disasters. Futher,
given its simple and community-led interventions and its recognition from the GoB makes a strong
case for scalability and replicability.
Conclusions
The following conclusions can be drawn from the evaluation of both the programmes:
a) Enabled communities and schools to be better prepared for disasters and build resilience
Since its implementation, the programme has progressively improved the students’ knowledge and
understanding of disasters through activities such as hazard hunts and mock drills. Regular training on
preparedness and risk reduction measures have made students aware of methods that can protect
them from floods, earthquakes and fires. At the community level, initiatives like open meetings,
formation and capacity building of village task forces (on disaster preparedness, health, nutrition,
43 UNICEF India Country Office. "UNICEF India Country Office Guidelines on Piloting and Scaling Up of Innovations and Good Practices." UNICEF, January 2013.
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WASH), engagement with government officials, and facilitating gram sabhas have enabled the village
community to prepare for disasters and build resilience using the available capacities and resources.
b) Embedded within the community and people’s experience of dealing with disasters
The CBDRR programme is embedded within the community, and the people’s understanding and
experience of dealing with disasters. It is highly participatory with continuous engagement of
community members from identification of the programme area to mobilization of the community for
programme activities. For example, in order to form VDMCs, meetings are conducted with key
stakeholders that include PRIs, frontline workers and community elders and leaders. This community
driven model fundamentally believes that people at risk have a strong interest in using their own
capacities and volunteerism to improve their lives by becoming disaster resilient.
c) Empowering children to identify threats and hazards and develop plans
The SSP has been successful in empowering the children to identify the hazards in and around school,
contribute to the school development plans, and hold the school administration accountable with
support from the SSFT in case their problems are not addressed. As mentioned, this is one of the key
reasons for the scale up of SSP to 16 states on the basis of the Bihar model.
d) Strong engagement and regular interaction between NGO partners and government officials
The relationship between the key stakeholders in the government, particularly at the block level, has
been one of the key strengths of the programme. Government officials have appreciated the
programme team’s role in offering technical expertise, initiating and supporting convergence
activities. However, while there have been clear attempts to build a strong and effective relationship
with duty bearers at the local and block level, more work needs to be done in order to improve the
interactions between the implementing NGO partners and government officials at district level. The
implementing NGO partners have taken clear ownership of the DRR agenda but they need more
support in liaising and engaging with the government at district level.
e) A shift in the mind-set of the community – from fatalism to preparedness
The sustained efforts of UNICEF and NGO partners have led to a marked change in the way the
community perceives disasters. While, prior to the programme, the community would consider
disasters as an act of god and resign to their fate, today it feels confident about dealing with them.
The confidence stems from the knowledge based actions that the community has learned through
CBDRR and SSP. The continued engagement with the district and block level officials has instilled in
them a confidence about the support from administration for their efforts pertaining to disaster
preparedness.
Lessons Learnt
The evaluation has highlighted several learning that will inform the scaling up of the model in other
villages and school, and designing similar programmes.
a) Leveraging of resources from government schemes/ programmes and interaction with
government and frontline functionaries continues to be the mainstay of programme impact
The programme has made consistent efforts to improve the knowledge and awareness of the
communities to access resources from on-going government programmes. The inclusive approach of
involving officials from different levels has supported in implementation of the VDMPs and SDMPs.
Government officials have appreciated the programme team’s role in offering technical expertise and,
initiating and supporting convergence activities with the government. These advocacy efforts from
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UNICEF and implementing NGO partners have been critical in sustaining the impact of the programme.
b) UNICEF’s advocacy efforts and technical support have resulted in strong acceptance of the
programme by GoB and must continue
Both, the CBDRR as well as SSP adopted by the GoB for addressing the disaster related risks for the
most-at risk communities in the state. While learning from the former have been included as the
Resilient Village Programme (RVP) in the DRR Roadmap of Bihar, the latter has already been scaled up
to cover over 73000 schools in the state in the form of Mukhyamantri School Suraksha Programme
(The Chief Minister’s School Safety Programme). UNICEF has played a critical role in the transition of
the two programmes into a state level policy. It has regularly engaged with BSDMA and the nodal
departments, such as, education, health, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) for policy advocacy. It has also provided high- level
technical assistance to the state in the form of training of trainers, developing capacity building
modules, DRR process documents, etc. These efforts have resulted in the effective scaling of the
programme.
c) Including women in the planning process is of utmost importance
Women are a crucial part of the socio-cultural fabric in the villages. Despite socio-cultutal challgesthe
programme has been raising awareness among women and including them in the process of planning
is equally critical. It was also observed that their issues pertaining to disasters been best addressed
when they take charge and play a leading role in the DRR planning process of the villages. These efforts
should be made across the programme geography and a strong case in point is the Malkoshikapur
village of Supaul with a predominantly women VDMC (detailed in the case studies, Chapter 10).
d) Periodic analysis of CBDRR-SSP monitoring data is critical
While there is a monthly reporting of CBDRR-SSP activities, its regular analysis for tracking progress
and taking mid-course corrections is important. This will ensure that both the block and district
administrations understand and contribute towards the DRR requirements along with providing the
necessary support.
e) Role of Mukhiya is critical for DRR planning process at the school and village levels
The Mukhiya’s role has emerged as critical for the effectiveness and sustainability of the programme.
The DRR planning activities in villages and schools get fast tracked wherever there is continued support
received from the Mukhiya. Therefore, the role of Mukhiya should be given the due importance while
trying to sustain and scale the programme. The Khormandarpur village in Madhubani district is a good
example of how a village can turn around its infrastructure with the involvement of an active village
Mukhiya.
f) Strategic geographical selection of villages and schools
The selection of villages and schools is based on their vulnerability to disasters. The methodical
prioritization of the geographies have ensured that people who have experienced disasters now feel
confident and enabled to effectively deal with them. The programme, therefore, must continue its
approach of selecting geographies that require the necessary support and intervention to build DRR
capacities.
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9 RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations were formulated based on (i) discussions with various stakeholders
involved in the designing and implementation of the CBDRR-SSP, such as, community, frontline
functionaries (AWW and ANM), GoB officials, and UNICEF; (ii) analysing community perceptions; and
(iii) reviewing relevant programme documents. The recommendations have incorporated views and
perspectives of these stakeholders to provide practical suggestions, which support and improve future
programming and implementation. Consultations with the UNICEF evaluation team have helped refine
and prioritise the recommendations.
Recommendations for UNICEF
a) Continued Technical Assistance to the Government of Bihar (GoB) for Disaster Risk Reduction
[Immediate and On-going]
Given the nascent stage of MSSP and RVP and consequent need for continued technical assistance for
some period, it is recommended that UNICEF should continue its engagement with the GoB. The
technical assistance may be provided in the following areas:
Orientation of nodal departments (mentioned above) on the DRR roadmap
Training modules on MSSP & RVP
Training of trainers on MSSP & RVP
Process documentation
Preparing policy briefs on DRR
Any other activity identified in consultation with the GoB
b) Sustained Efforts to Increase Involvement of Women and Children in the DRR Planning Process -
Women DRR Champions [Immediate]
Sustained efforts are required at the community level to increase the participation of women and
children in the DRR planning process. Keeping in mind the challenges posed by the existing socio-
cultural norms which often act as inhibitors to women’s participation in decision making, for all future
programmes, greater efforts are needed for including women and children in the village disaster
management plan preparation. There should be a mechanism to track the composition of the VDMCs
to ensure participation of women members. While there this representation, a possible mandate
would ensure that women are continually engaged. Further, the DRR catalysts should identify Women
DRR Champions in every village. These may be women who are enterprising, active and opinion
leaders for other women in the village. Following their identification, they should be trained on the
DRR planning processes. Further, the VDMC should inform the Women DRR Champions in advance to
enable them to attend the planning meeting.
c) Training and Deployment of Children as DRR Sentinels [Medium Term]
Children groups (13-15 years) should be deployed as DRR Sentinels in the village. By training on risk
identification and action they can be effective in spreading awareness on DRR and other issues of
common interest, such as, cleanliness, health & hygiene, road safety etc. They can act as the eyes and
ears of their village during cases of emergency, such as, fire, drowning, other accidents, etc. and
quickly inform elders about the mishap for affirmative action. For planning purposes, they can identify
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risks and inform the VDMCs on including them in the VDMP. They can also be involved for door-to-
door information drives pertaining to the DRR planning dates and time.
d) Increase Involvement of Mukhiyas (Elected Gram Panchayat Head) [Immediate]
Greater efforts and emphasis is required to secure the ownership of the CBDRR & SSP programmes by
the Mukhiyas. All villages in a panchayat should have the capacity, orientation and training to reduce
risks due to disasters. Once the Mukhiya, and by extension, the Gram Panchayat includes disaster risk
reduction as one of its priority areas in the village development plans, it would provide the much
needed fillip to disaster risk reduction efforts. For the purpose, a one day orientation of the Mukhiyas
may be organized at the block level. UNICEF should facilitate the orientation through technical inputs,
such as, module development, training calendar development, training material and documentation
support.
e) Greater Involvement of Anganwadi Workers (AWW) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) in DRR
Planning Process [Immediate]
Anganwadis operate during the first half of the day. In order to ensure the AWWs’ participation in the
DRR planning process, it would be helpful to conduct DRR planning activities in the second half of the
day. Further, the AWWs need to be informed well in advance about the date of the planning exercise
and also that they should come prepared with their plans pertaining to the Anganwadis that need to
be included in the VDMP.
Similarly, efforts are needed for involving the ANMs. An ANM has several villages under her mandate.
This leaves her with very limited time for activities like DRR planning. However, for improved health
outcomes of the village and also to reduce instances of communicable and seasonal diseases, it is
important that her ideas find a place in the VDMP. Accordingly, the VDMC should have a discussion
with the ANM to ensure her participation in the VDMP preparation exercise. If needed, permission to
ensure her participation must be secured from the Medical Officer In-Charge.
f) Horizontal vs. Vertical Spread of the CBDRR Programme [Immediate and On-going]
One of the issues encountered by the study team during the fieldwork was the limited involvement of
Mukhiyas in the CBDRR programme. The primary reason behind this was that the programme was
specific to a village whereas, a gram panchayat headed by the Mukhiya is comprised of several villages.
Since the Mukhiya has a much larger functional mandate, it becomes difficult for her/ him to be fully
involved in CBDRR activities. Going forward, UNICEF should adopt the strategy of taking all villages in
a gram panchayat for the CBDRR programme rather than focusing on one or two villages. This will lead
to greater involvement of the Mukhiya as the programme will have a direct benefit for the entire gram
panchayat.
g) Monitoring,Evaluation & Learning Processes [Medium-Term to Long-Term]
CBDRR and SSP, both being community driven programmes have a simple model of delivery with the
community and the NGO partners working in a close village ecosystem. The monitoring processes
accordingly are simple and comprise of monthly reporting formats and annual reports submitted by
NGO partners and village self-grading reports submitted by the DRR catalysts. These are
complemented by periodic field visit reports submitted by UNICEF programme team. In addition to
this, from time to time, the UNICEF office engages external agencies to conduct case studies and
evaluations of the two programmes. While the M&E processes have worked well for programme
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requirements, it is recommended that they should be supplemented by an equally robust system of
documentation of field level activities. Further, a periodic meta-analysis of the monthly reporting
formats as well as VDMC and SDMC meeting minutes should be undertaken by an external agency and
reports must be shared with UNICEF allowing to address implementation challenges and make mid-
course corrections. These reports must be shared with the government in addition to UNICEF. Shared
and discussed.
The UNICEF Bihar office has been documenting and disseminating programme achievements.
However, these efforts ought to be further augmented to share the experiential and programmatic
learning on a regular basis with other stakeholders intending to implement similar programmes. For
example, documentation of critical aspects such as the exit strategy will enable similar DRR
programmes implementation actions that have been successful for its smooth adoption by the state
government. Similarly, a more specific representation of the theory of change including activities,
outputs and outcomes from the results framework will support the interested audience to better
understand the pre-conditions, post conditions and impact stated in the theory of change.
Recommendations for GoB
a) Integration of School Safety Programme Reporting with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All)
Formats [Immediate]
The current reporting mechanism of the School Safety Programme (SSP) to the district administration
is piggybacked on the monthly review of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). More often than not, the SSA
activities consume major portion of the review meeting, leaving little time for SSP. If the SSP activities
are also included in a separate column of the SSA format, they would automatically become a part of
the monthly review. However, it is to be noted that the SSA review formats are designed by the
Government of India (GoI) and would require a policy decision to include the additional column. The
GoB should explore the possibility of this integration. This can be conceptualized and taken forward
as a part of the scaling up exercise undertaken through the MSSP. This will allow the GoB to
systematically review and address the DRR issues at the school level.
b) Roadmap Implementation Support Unit (RISU) [Immediate and On-Going]
The Bihar State DRR Roadmap Implementation Support Unit (RISU) has been set up to assist the GoB
to implement strategies described in the roadmap. Currently, UNICEF is supporting the RISU by
providing technical assistance as and when required. The assistance is provided in several ways,
namely, preparing technical notes, process documents, training manuals, etc. Given the infancy of the
unit, it is recommended that GoB should continue its engagement with UNICEF Bihar for providing
technical support to the unit and exchange learnings from CBDRR-SSP. This support should continue
until such time that its capacity is sufficiently built to fulfil its mandate.
c) Donor Harmonization [Medium-Term to Long-Term]
Currently, several organizations such as UNICEF, Oxfam, Save the Children and the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation are working to reduce the disaster associated burden of the state. A donor
coordination committee can be set up at the state level to improve coordination and optimize
resources being pooled in for DRR activities. This will ensure that dedicated and specific activities are
undertaken, which are in line with the implementation plans indicated in the DRR roadmap. This
platform will also prove critical to promote cross-learning and data sharing.
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d) Resilient Village Programme [Immediate and On-Going]
The Resilient Village Programme (RVP) strategy adopted by the state in its DRR roadmap is being
implemented across the state. It is recommended that the BSDMA continues its strategy of engaging
with partners to provide technical assistance for drafting plans and implementation strategy for RVP.
The plan of action must have clearly defined timelines by which every village in Bihar becomes disaster
resilient.
e) Convergence with Line Departments [Medium-Term to Long-Term]:
Although disaster management is the prime responsibility of the SDMA, disaster risk reduction can be
ensured only with the active participation of all line departments. A coordination committee with
representation from every line department needs to be set up at the State and district levels. At the
district level, this committee should meet every month to discuss the DRR activities. At the state level,
the frequency of these meetings can be quarterly.
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10 CASE STUDIES
Brief Description of the Case Studies
These case studies describe the strategy and its implementation within the programme. The main
strategies include reducing risk and building resilience/capacities, such as risk-informed programming,
risk assessment, mitigation, prevention, climate change adaptation, and advocacy. The team has used
stories from two villages and one school, and included the narratives and perspectives of community
members, VDMC members, students and school teachers.
The case studies reflect that the programme focuses on mobilizing and strengthening social structures
(VDMCs and SDMCs) for risk reduction, enabling and encouraging students to act as DRR change
agents, and supporting community action to reduced localized risk. These collectively aim to create a
long term sustained impact of dealing with disasters.
Emergent Themes
Each case study covers four interconnected themes that are important to discuss the outcome and
impact of the programme. The themes are as follows:
a) Capacity and Resilience Building:
This theme traces how in each story, the communities have been able to build their capacity and
resilience to deal with disasters through risk assessment and planning. It includes a background on
what their experiences were before 2008 and how have they been able to overcome vulnerabilities
and threats. Further, the different steps and measures that the communities have taken in order to
address the risks faced by them, and the kind of informed action that has been taken in order to
address the underlying risks was explored.
b) Reducing disaster risk through transformative change:
Within the programme, there is serious emphasis on how communities can evolve and transform
themselves. A large part of the anticipated change is dependent on the desire and need of the
communities to move from the notion of disaster relief to building resilience. The stories highlight
examples of ownership of schools and villages in ensuring the same. Some of these examples include;
construction of concrete bridges, improved school buildings, improved connectivity through roads etc.
These examples demonstrate the community’s ability to identify and address risks, and plan collective
active measures using a participatory and bottom up approach.
c) Undertaking action to reduce risks:
One of the common themes that emerged is the role that collective action plays in increasing and
catalyzing impact of any social initiative. Communities are able to positively change and prepare better
for disaster-associated risks. The team not only identified the community actions undertaken but the
fundamental characteristics of programme that supported the same. This is also evident in the case
of schools, where through support from the implementing partners, the teachers and students have
been able to improve school infrastructure and address risks at their level.
d) Engaging and liaising with multiple stakeholders:
Disaster risk preparedness and reduction can be achieved only if there is participation and
engagement of different stakeholders. It is imperative that there exists support and trust not only
within the communities but also within various duty bearers and service providers, especially at the
local level.
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Creating Change agents, Middle School, Tumaul
Abstract
Darbangha is one of the most vulnerable and disaster prone districts in Bihar. The Upper Middle
School, Tumaul located in Ghanshyampur Block has been implementing the School Safety Programme
since 2012. This case study explores some of the implementation aspects of the programme along
with its outcomes.
India and Bihar background
The Upper Middle School (UMS), Tumaul was set up in 1952. It is an important building and resource
centre for the village. UMS, Tumaul has evolved from a lower primary to a high school with renewed
school buildings and infrastructure.
The school is situated nearly 2 kilometers away
from the Kamala River, which makes it vulnerable
to recurring seasonal floods. Hence, the students
struggle to come to the school. Further, the school
also falls in seismic zone 4, and is prone to
earthquakes. Given its proximity to the pond, the
school premise remains vulnerable to snakes.
Strategy and implementation
Prior to the implementation of the programme,
students and teachers remained unaware about
disasters as there was no focused engagement by the school on the issue of disasters. Further, the
school premise itself looked very different; the ground had massive holes and remained barren. There
was also lack of cleanliness and hygiene. There were no separate toilets for girls, and there was no
space for washing hands. These were the issues and challenges, as highlighted by the Headmaster-
Mr. Pashupati Misra and the School Safety Focal Teacher- Mr. Chintamani.
The School Safety Programme started in the school in 2011 by the implementing NGO partner Bihar
Sewa Samiti (BSS, which was supported by UNICEF, Bihar). Officials from BSS used to visit the school,
and interact with the students and the school teachers. Mr. Shyam from BSS came to the school and
started the orientation and implementation activities. These interactions were sensitive, motivating
and ensured that the students felt involved and included.
Through a series of discussions and meetings, a School Safety Focal Point Teacher was appointed in
2012 to coordinate all activities. Trainings were provided to students and SSFT, along with the
orientation of the Vidhyalay Suraksha Samitee and the School Management Committee. Students
from classes 6 – 8 including members from the Bal Sansad and Meena Manch were selected to become
a part of the SDMC. This was followed by focused trainings and activities on how disasters and risks in
the school can be identified through hazard hunts. Through this activity the students arrived at
problems that needed to be immediately addressed. This included structural issues/weaknesses, lack
of equipment in classrooms, and general lack of cleanliness and hygiene.
School Building
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With deeper engagement of BSS, the activities associated with SSP were institutionalized into the
working framework of the school. This includes undertaking Chetna Satras44 during the morning
assembly at school. Also, various other activities are undertaken on different aspects of disasters to
promote the students as peer educators. In addition to this knowledge dissemination and awareness
initiative, regular cultural programmes through
Surakshit Shanivaar are conducted for improving
students understanding of local risks and hazards.
Further, through discussions, street plays, drawing
and quiz competitions, demonstrations etc.
students are continually engaged in DRR activities.
All of these activities were coordinated and
supported by the School Safety Focal Teacher.
The students have since then been trained on
preparedness measures during earthquakes,
floods and fires. Further, they also understand the
criticality of addressing structural risks like
repairing lose wires, broken windows,
malfunctioning hand pumps etc. In UMS, the
students have been regularly making their School
Disaster Management Plans, which is submitted to
the principal.
Progress, Results and analysis (from
2012 to 2016)
The programme over the years has not only
improved students’ knowledge and understanding
of disasters but also introduced sustainable measures such as improved school infrastructure. Through
regular trainings on preparedness and risk reduction measures, students are aware of necessary
structural mitigation measures that can protect them from floods, earthquakes and fires.
Since, 2012, the school has been able to leverage funds from the Gram Panchayat, School
Development Fund and MGNREGA for the following activities:
S no. Issue Funds Leveraged
1 Fire extinguishers INR 10,000
2 Kitchen shed INR 50,000
3 First Aid Kit INR 300
4 Earthquake resistant building INR 16,38,000
5 Handpump INR 28,000
6 New Taps INR 23,000
7 Toilets INR 50,000
8 Repair of toilets INR 6,000
Total INR 18,05,300
44 A dedicated session focusing on DRR activities at the school level
Students sharing knowledge related to disaster risk/preparedness
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Good practice and Lessons Learned
Overall, the School Safety Programme realizes the value and contribution of students in reducing
disaster risks as participants and agents of change. It enables students to not only to deal with
disasters but also to take responsibility to spread and disseminate their knowledge among their peers,
family and the community at large. There are several good practices that emerge from the SSP:
a) Hazard Hunts:
Students have been regularly and effectively conducting
hazard hunts. The SDMC members have been trained on
the exact process which has enabled them to recount
different disaster responses and list the exact type of
threat that they have identified. They also recollected
some of the challenges that they experienced previously
like stray animals entering the school compound and
students getting injured due to the unhinged school gate.
However, now due to their efforts and the proactive role
played by the school administration, effective risk
reduction actions have been undertaken. Further, every
year the students are continually engaged and mobilized
for creating a safe learning environment.
b) SDMP:
The School Disaster Management Plans have been
effective. The records and action points are maintained
not only at the SDMC but also at the school administration
level. In Tumaul, action has been taken based on the plans that have been submitted by the students.
The school with support from the NGO is also maintaining records of the activities that need to done
and the necessary funds corresponding to each one of them.
c) Mock Drills:
An important step to building capacity of students to deal with disasters is to ensure understanding of
what it means to live in a disaster prone area. The programme uses existing knowledge and experience
of students, and the modules include scientific reasons on occurrence of disasters. The students are
very clearly able to establish the link between the causes of the disasters and the preparedness
activities that they need to undertake as a result.
Sonam, a student of UMS Tumaul very effectively described how shifting of the tectonic
plates leads to the earthquake. She followed this up with talking about how one should
‘duck, cover and hold’ while experiencing one.
The SSP has also led to a positive and useful transfer of skills among students. They are quick and
enthusiastic to demonstrate drills that they have learnt. They have learnt elementary first-aid skills
like making a stretcher and CPR.
d) Sanitation and Hygiene Practices:
The programme critically focuses on better WASH practices among students. In Tumaul, BSS has
played an important role in students adopting good WASH practices. After the implementation of
List of Hazards Identified
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programme, a series of taps have been installed in school. This was managed by leveraging funds from
the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) programme through the Vidhyalay Suraksha Simiti (VSS).
Consequently, students have also started washing hands before the midday meals.
e) Role of SSFT:
The SSFT plays a vital role, and manages all activities associated with the SSP, as additional
responsibility at the school level. Mr. Chintamani has been managing the activities in the school. He
regularly conducts training sessions with the children, and practices mock drills. In addition to this, he
has also been maintaining the SDMP records, and works closely with the school headmaster for
smooth implementation of the plans.
f) Role of Headmaster:
The headmaster, Mr. Pashupati Mishra is responsible
for including the issues raised by the SDMC in into the
School Development Plans. He is then expected to
follow up with PRIs, Block and District levels officials
to ensure that the School Development Plans are
taken forward. In the case of Tumaul, Mr. Pashupati
Mishra takes keen interest in ensuring that school
infrastructure is continuously improved. During his
tenure, he has strongly supported for improving the
state of hand pumps, grounds and the kitchen in the
school.
Challenges
The school has made significant progress since 2012, and has managed to ensure that students and
teachers feel safe. However, more focus needs to be given to building capacity of the school
administration to liaise and interact with the PRIs.
Replicability
The programme is easily replicable and can be scaled up to all the schools in the state. The
Government of Bihar has already adopted concepts from the same as a part of the Mukhya Mantri
Suraksha Programme. It was also found that the approach of the programme is effective as well as
valid because the capacity of the students’ need to be constantly built. Further, as observed there is
confidence and enthusiasm among the students about the SSP.
Students and teachers in the school premises
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Promoting Transformative Change, Khormadanpur
Abstract
This case study explores and assesses the implementation of the Community Based Disaster Risk
Reduction Programme in the village of Khormadanpur. Since 2009, the programme has been working
towards building the capacity of the community and reducing vulnerabilities. The team identified
themes and aspects of the programme that have made it a success in this geography.
India and Bihar background
Khormadanpur is a village in Mahasingh Hasoli Gram Panchayat of Madhepur block, Madhubani
district. The village is surrounded by rivers on different sides with Gemuha on one side, a Kosi River 5
kms to the east and Kamala River 2 kms to the west. The village experiences seasonal floods and until
2007, it experienced a breach of the embankment inundating the village with flood water.
As recounted by the VDMC members, the village had severe lack of cleanliness and hygiene. This
combined with poor infrastructure and lack of connectivity added to the severity of the problems
faced. Until 2007, a collective planning exercise would determine the strategy to reach the block,
where people would travel in groups to the block. Further, the village also faced several cases of
malnutrition, diarrhoea and chickenpox due to lack of knowledge and understanding on preventive
measures. In a survey conducted by the Samajik Chetna Kendra, in 2008, a total of 46 children were
found to be malnourished. People were also unaware of the role of the frontline workers placed at
their villages. Consequently, there was limited emphasis on the importance of institutional delivery.
Strategy and implementation
The Samajik Chetna Kendra, a local NGO working out of Madhubani started the Community Based
Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) in 2009. A step wise process was followed, which included area
identification, mobilization of a VDMC, risk assessment and risk reduction planning and discussion and
building an understanding of the underlying risks. Through trainings, the VDMC was made aware of
their responsibilities and the necessary preparedness actions they need to undertake.
Once the VDMC was formed,
they started working towards
mobilizing their collective
resources, which is a significant
step towards creating a risk
resilient village. This was
supported by the engagement
and regular interaction with the
PRIs, and participation in the
Gram Sabha. At this platform,
they started articulating and demanding for their rights with the block and district level. With support
from duty bearers and government officials, the VDMC has continued to play a critical role in
developing the village.
Progress, Results and analysis (from 2010 to 2016)
a) Capacity and Resilience Building:
VDMC office in Khormadanpur
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The formation of the VDMC was an inclusive process with representation from different sections of
the society, including Hindus, Muslims, women, children, etc. Previously, people were apprehensive
about working together, and they did not have faith in the work that was being undertaken.
Eventually, they built an understanding of how the work needed to be undertaken. This was only
possible due to the consistent efforts of the SCK through trainings, public service announcements,
meetings and discussions.
There was also improvement in community interaction, as there were clear attempts to work
together. During these interactions, perspective plans were made keeping in mind the composition of
the entire village and there subjective vulnerabilities. Initiatives like open meetings, formation and
capacity building of village task forces on preparedness, health, nutrition, WASH, engagement with
government officials, and gram sabhas ensure that the village community is moving towards reducing
disasters and building resilience using the capacities and resources available.
b) Reducing disaster risk through transformative change
The community with support from the VDMC has been working towards improved preparedness for
disasters, especially floods. Most houses have opted for raised plinth levels, even though it is more
expensive. The VDMC has made consistent efforts to spread awareness regarding this critical practice.
Further, at the onset of the monsoons every household prepares its flood safety kit, comprising a
week’s ration, important documents, valuables, medicines, etc. Together, at the village level, the
VDMC and the community ensure availability of life saving supplies, use creative methods of an Early
Warning System and other IEC materials to reduce incidents of fire, identify high structures, and
enable the community to plan and account for floods. The VDMC members are also called to assist in
flood response in the Gram Panchayat. They believe that they have been able to change their mind-
set from being relief seekers to relief providers.
The VDMC members along with the village community regularly undertake risk analysis using the “Kya
Khoya, Kya Paaya” exercise. They assess the disasters and risks that they have faced, establish the
reasons for the same and examine their capacity to deal with it Based on this exercise, they identify
households with pregnant women, children, and people with disability to provide additional
supervision and support. They are first to be evacuated and receive relief and rehabilitation.
c) Undertaking action to reduce risk
The village community, with support from the VDMC has not only been able to address clear disaster
associated risks but also discuss about issues of food security, promote institutional delivery and
leverage the VHNSC for improved health and nutrition outcomes.
The VDMC has been successful in disseminating information and linking the village population to key
schemes and programmes on the basis of interest and relevance. For food security and improved
agricultural outcomes, bore-pumps have been made, and government schemes have been leveraged
for plantation of orchards and vegetables in the highlands. Further, there is also increased promotion
to grow pulses, rice and wheat for self-consumption and sustenance. After the programme, there has
been improved sanitation and hygiene, which has reduced the risk of epidemics and diseases, and
reduced expenditure on medication. Also, 3200 bank accounts have been opened through the Jan
Dhan Yojana in the village.
In an attempt to improve and promote child protection, the VDMC has made strong efforts to stop
social evils such as child labour and child marriage, and tried to ensure literacy of all children, especially
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girls. Through the Parvarish Yojana, they have also identified five children, who are being raised under
the scheme with support from the Child Development Project Officer at the District level. As a part of
this scheme, children will receive INR 1000/- every month. Moreover, there is a lot of support
extended to the elderly and persons with disabilities. For example, 132 widows have benefitted from
the “Vridhavastha Pension Scheme” in the village through the efforts of the VDMC. The members
through regular follow ups with the Mukhiya and BDO ensured that the beneficiaries received their
registration documents for the scheme and the pension on time.
At Khormadanpur, the community has also established a Disaster Relief Fund, where a collective sum
of INR 100,200 has been deposited in the Gramin Bank. The VDMC members are responsible for
managing and maintaining it. This money is used to address social needs like weddings, medical
treatments, and help perform last rights of the deceased.
The following table highlights the nature of the activities undertaken to improve village disaster
preparedness by leveraging government resources and through community contribution. A total of
approximately INR 16.4 crore has been leveraged and contributed by the community to build disaster
preparedness and resilient infrastructure in the village.
Sl.
No. Activity/Issue
Funds
contributed /
leveraged
(INR)
Source / Schemes Leveraged
1. Construction and repair of
roads
89,243,300 Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(PMSGY), Backward Regions Grant Fund
(BRGF), 13th Financial Commission,
Community Contribution
2. Flood Preparation (Flood
Shelter, immunization of
animals, raising of hand
pumps)
627,000 National Research Council (NRC) Public
Health Engineering Department (PHED)
3. Bridge Construction and
Repair
49,340,000 PMGSY
4. Toilet Construction 10,200,000 Community
5. Improving School
Infrastructure (Campus Filing
and Repair work)
3,250,000 Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme
(MGNREGS), Education Department
6. Compenzation of Crop
Damage
1,950,000 Agricultural Department
Total 154,610,300
d) Engaging and liaising with multiple stakeholders
In Khormadanpur, the programme has very strongly engaged and involved multiple stakeholders. The
meetings have been inclusive and there has been involvement of everyone from the village including
PRIs, frontline workers and the community members. Linkages between the duty bearers have
strengthened efforts to ensure resilience to disasters. With a strong emphasis on collective decision
making, the DRR activities/processes have successfully included the community in the overall
development of the village through risk reduction. For example, they were able to ensure that the
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district officials understood the need for a bridge connecting two parts of the village. Regular follow
ups and meetings with the department and PMGSY officials including engineers ensured that the
bridge was constructed. This is also next to a school, and acts as an elevated structure during floods.
Good
practice and
Lessons Learned
e) Community
Driven:
The CBDRR programme demonstrates the importance of a holistic and community driven approach,
where it tries to address issues rooted in the social fabric of the village. In the case of Khormadanpur,
the implementation strategy has been successful in addressing several issues, which act as underlying
risks and vulnerabilities. In the village, the programme has been successful in acting as an example of
trying to improve collective decision making.
f) Relationship with the Government:
One of the key drivers of the programme in Khormadanpur is the strong relationship that the village
community, especially the VDMC, shares with duty bearers and frontline workers including the ANM
and AWW. They have been supportive in addressing underlying risks such as identifying malnourished
children and improving immunization. The technical assistance provided by the implementing NGO
partners and UNICEF in training and capacity building of the VDMC has supported in ensuring that
they are able to leverage schemes and entitlement effectively.
g) Understanding of Rights and Entitlements:
The VDMC has a good understanding of schemes and entitlements associated with social protection.
In order to conduct some of their planned DRR activities, they were able to liaise and engage with the
associated departments and leverage rights under schemes like MGREGA, PMGSY, ICDS etc.
h) Acceptance of the programme at the community level:
The VDMC members along with a few additional representatives of the community strongly reinforce
the need for such a programme, as there has been an increase in knowledge and understanding of
dealing with disasters.
Challenges
After the introduction of the CBDRR programme, the village has made progress in its DRR planning
and implementation activities. However, as reported by Kamal, the DRR Catalyst, a working with
Samajik Chetna Kendra (SCK) the implementing NGO partner, a lot more needs to be done in the
Connecting bridge in the village
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village. Better infrastructural planning and support from the departments is necessary to prevent
untimely mishaps. For example, one of the connecting bridges was severely affected due to the
monsoon, causing two children to drown. This incident has triggered a need to initiate repair work
and continuous engagement with the District Authorities is underway.
Similarly, more focus needs to be given to WASH related issues. While there has been a lot of work
around addressing underlying risks, Kamal and VDMCs members believe that more can be done in the
village to improve the living conditions of the people.
Replicability
The programme is easily replicable and there have been efforts made at the local level to do the same.
Kamal and other VDMC members share information and knowledge from the programme with
members of the other villages in the Gram Panchayat. Given the simple, community oriented and low-
cost design of the programme, it can be easily scaled-up to other villages with support from
enthusiastic and motivated individuals like Kamal.
Students outside a school in Khormadanpur
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Malkoshikapur: Women Lead the Way in Disaster Risk Reduction
Abstract
Malkoshikapur is a revenue village of Banellipatti Gram Panchayat (Basantpur block) in Supaul district.
Prior to the construction of the Kosi barrage in 1953, the village faced frequent floods. Of late the
incidents of flooding have greatly reduced, with the last major floods occurring in 2008 due to a breach
in the Kosi embankment. However, that does not imply that the village has been free from other
disasters. Incidents of fire were very frequent, leading to loss of property, livestock and in some cases
even lives. Waterborne diseases and malnutrition were other disasters faced by the village. Then there
were challenges posed by the existing social malpractices, such as, child marriages and child labour.
The CBDRR programme has made the villagers aware of measures to effectively deal with disasters. It
has led to a change in the mind sets of the villagers who instead of considering disasters as acts of god
are now more prepared to deal with them. Flood preparedness, early warning system, malnutrition,
child protection, and climate change have been understood by the VDMC, and related issues
incorporated in the VDMP and action has been initiated by the VDMCs with the help of Panchayati Raj
Institutions (PRIs).
Background:
Malkoshikapur is an agrarian village. The villagers are mainly subsistence agriculturists with small land
holdings. The meagre farm outputs are supplemented by incomes from livestock, poultry and other
sources. Agriculture is mainly rain fed hence the weather plays a key role in the lives of the people of
Malkoshikapur. A good monsoon means a good harvest with enough food to eat and may be even
some surplus to be sold in the local markets. However, the years of low rainfall result in distress
migration.
The rainy season also brings with it the fear of floods. Since the village is merely 12 Km from the
eastern Kosi embankment, it is always under the potential threat of flooding due to a breach in the
embankment. The river Bochha flows in the south of the village. Heavy rains result in it flooding the
paddy fields located in the south.
Prior to the CBDRR programme, the village also suffered from locally prevalent social malpractices like,
gender discrimination, child labour, child marriage, etc. Women were hardly allowed interactions with
men outside their family. All these factors resulted in Malkoshikapur being included in the CBDRR
programme.
Strategy and implementation
Ghoghardiha Prakhand Swarajya Vikas Sangh (GPSVS) initiated work in the village in the year 2011.
The first and foremost challenge that the NGO partners faced was winning the confidence of the
villagers. The village had been completely devastated in the Kosi floods of 2008 and had received relief
measures under the ECHO programme. This had led the villagers into thinking that any NGO
approaching them must have some relief material to be provided. It took the NGO partner at least a
couple of months of sustained engagement with the villagers to make them realize that the
programme had no material benefits to offer. “Kya Khoya Kya Paya”45 exercise was conducted with
the villagers. Through the exercise, the villagers were engaged into an open conversation where they
remembered the losses that they had incurred in the past on account of their dependence on external
45 What was lost and what was gained during a time of disaster
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relief. The exercise was followed by the NGO partner explaining to them on how the CBDRR
programme would make them self-reliant in dealing with disasters. Initially there was some reluctance
on part of the villagers, but slowly they realized that the programme was for their own benefit. The
“Kya Khoya Kya Paya” exercise was one of the critical steps in securing a buy-in from the villagers.
The second major challenge was the social taboos
that prevented women from participating in any
such programmes that involved public interactions
with males of the village. The NGO partner after a
series of interactions identified Ms. Ranjana Devi as
the DRR catalyst who took a keen interest in the
meetings. She was one of the earliest members to
join the VDMC. With her involvement, other
women also started taking interest in the
programme. Today, the Malkoshikapur VDMC
boasts of 9 women members – one of the few
VDMCs with such high proportion of females. Ranjana Devi has transformed from being a shy daughter
in law of the village into a champion of the DRR cause and was recently elected the Panchayat
Secretary in a tightly contested election.
Another challenge frequently faced by the village was the social malpractices of child marriage and
child labour. The VDMC members, supported by the Child Protection Task Force of the CBDRR
programme made consistent efforts to deal with this situation and have been able to convince several
families on deferring child marriage and putting children into school rather than expecting labour from
them.
There was also the problem of clean drinking water. It became more glaring during the Kosi floods
when all hand pumps in the village were submerged. The ECHO programme initiated the installation
of a few hand pumps on raised platforms. This was further taken up under the CBDRR programme and
a number of hand pumps have now been installed on raised platforms in the village.
Progress, Results and Analysis (2012-2016):
The progress of the CBDRR programme may be analysed across two main thematic areas:
The institutions created under the CBDRR programme; and
The key initiatives undertaken
The village has fully functional CBDRR institutions, namely, VDMC & thematic taskforces. These
institutions have prepared their DRR plan, conducted regular risk assessment and reviewed their DRR
plan. Monthly meetings are being conducted regularly by the VDMC and the proceedings are being
maintained in the form of minutes. The VDMC have received several letters of appreciation from
officials for their good work.
It is because of the efforts of the VDMC that a culture of disaster preparedness has developed in the
village and damages due to disasters have reduced greatly. There has been no major flood in the
village since 2008. Only one incident of fire was reported in the village in 2016 and that too was
controlled immediately due to the timely action of the community. To prevent village fires, the VDMC
has developed norms of fire prevention and met with the Panchayat Mukhiya and sensitized him
about it. Every year the Mukhiya issues official notice to the villagers to follow the fire prevention
VDMC Members of Malkoshikapur
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norms. The VDMC and thematic taskforce monitor the village and ensure that the norms are being
followed. Additionally, upon the request of the VDMC, the Circle Officer at the block office also issues
letter to their panchayat level officials for the creation of awareness on fire prevention. In addition to
disaster preparedness, the knowledge of the community has been enhanced on nutrition, water &
sanitation, personal hygiene, etc.
The village has developed a Village Disaster Management Plan (VDMP) and incorporated it in the Gram
Panchayat plan through the Gram Sabha. It is the result of active pursuing of plans by the VDMC that
till date the village has leveraged INR 18,679,770.00 from different government schemes to improve
critical infrastructure in the village46. Following the Kosi floods of 2008, all the 152 families in the village
got displaced and suffered losses. However, after DRR planning now only 15-20 families may be
displaced. This has been made possible because most of the vulnerable families have raised their
homesteads either through the help of Panchayat or by investing own resources.
The status of water & sanitation has significantly improved in the village. In 2008 there were no raised
hand pumps, but today the village has 16 such hand pumps due to action taken by the Public Health
Engineering Department (PHED).47 The practice of disinfection of hand pumps has been started and it
is done every year at the onset of monsoon and immediately afterwards. In the aftermath of floods in
2008, there were several cases of diarrhoea in the village. However, since the creation of the Health
& Nutrition taskforce in the village which leads community awareness campaign on hand washing
practice, safe food practice, safe water storage and handling practice and controls roadside
defecation, the instances of diarrhoea have become negligible. The taskforce also orients the
community on diarrhoea management at household level through using ORS.
Gradually the cases of malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months are also reducing in the village.
This has been made possible due to the structured training given to the Health & Nutrition task force
to address the issue. Awareness raising on complete immunization is also being done by the taskforce.
Some achievements of the task forces48:
100% institutional delivery
All families practice hand washing with liquid surf or soap
32 families have smokeless earthen stoves
Child protection task force has linked 3 children with Middle School Jagearaji. Out of these
2 are boys and 1 girl.
Good practice and Lessons Learned:
As a result of the CBDRR programme, the community has started a number of good practices:
a) Flood preparedness: Every household in the village has started storing food grains for at
least a couple of months. Besides this, the households also contribute to a common
granary in the village. Food grains from the granary are provided to the poorest
households in times of need. All households have an emergency flood kit which is an
airtight waterproof bag containing rations for a week, basic medicines, some cash &
valuables and important documents of the family. The VDMC is in constant touch with the
46 GPSVS Malkoshikapur Village Profile 47 Ibid. 48 Ibid.
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flood control room on Kosi barrage to communicate flood warnings to the villagers
promptly. High grounds and flood
shelters have been notified for prompt
evacuation. Every household also has
improvised life jackets made from
discarded plastic bottles.
b) Fire Safety: Every year before the
onset of the summer season, the
Panchayat Mukhiya issues a notice to
the village on fire safety protocols to
be strictly adhered to. The VDMC
members monitor the households and
check deviant behavior. As a result, fire related incidents have become negligible in the
village.
c) Smokeless Cooking: 32 households were using smokeless earthen stoves for cooking at
the time of the study. These stoves are made from locally available material, are easy to
construct and maintain, use less fire-wood and reduce the drudgery of women.
d) Hand washing with soap: All households are practicing hand washing with soap or a
solution made from washing powder.
e) Regular Monitoring of 6-59 months old children for malnutrition: The health and nutrition
task force conducts regular monitoring of children between 6-59 months of age. As a
result of the persistent efforts of the task force, the instance of malnourished children has
become negligible today.
f) Institutional Delivery: The village has 100% institutional delivery. This has been made
possible by the efforts of the Health & Nutrition task force. Women in the village are
informed about the benefits of institutional delivery and how it is important for the health
and well-being of the mother as well as the new born.
Challenges
As already discussed, the first and foremost challenge faced by the programme was to secure the
confidence and buy in from the community. It took persistent efforts and dialogue by the NGO partner
to win the confidence of the community and ensure its involvement in the programme. Given the
prevailing social taboos in the village, it was very challenging to get the women to actively participate
in the programme. The NGO partner after spending time at the village identified women who could
champion the CBDRR cause with their peers. It is the result of these efforts that the VDMC today
boasts of 9 female members out of a total of 15. Then there were challenges related to securing funds
from government schemes for the village DRR plan. The VDMC overcame this by regular follow ups
and securing cooperation from the Panchayat Mukhiya and PRI officials.
One of the top priorities for the village today is to complete the construction of the unfinished Angan
wadi Centre. Once this is done within the FY2017-18 as per the VDMP, it will ensure that women and
children in the village get all the necessary health counselling, nutrition and Early Childhood Care &
Development services within the village. This will certainly have long lasting impact on the health and
nutrition outcomes in the village.
A VDMC Member Displaying a Life Jacket
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Replicability
There are several takeaways from the Malkoshikapur model. The “Kya Khoya Kya Paya” discussions
anchored by UNICEF and engaging women members from the NGO partner to secure the cooperation
and participation of community in general and women in particular are effective strategies that can
be replicated. The smokeless cooking stoves are a low cost technological innovation that may be used
in villages that are still not covered under the Ujjwala scheme of providing Liquefied Petroleum Gas
connections. A low cost individual flood shelter in the village can be replicated in other flood prone
villages. A similar model may be constructed with community contribution on a common land, e.g.,
Panchayat land to act as a flood shelter within the village. A community granary to provide food grains
to the needy in times of distress is another innovative idea that may be replicated in other villages.
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ANNEX 1: TERMS OF REFERENCE
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Evaluation of Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction— School Safety Programme in Bihar"
UNICEF
08.03.2016
1. BACKGROUND OF THE PROGRAMME
a) Bihar is the third most populous state in India with a population of 104 million, according to
the latest 2011 Census, with males comprising 52.2% and females 47.8% of the total
population since the sex ratio stands at 918 against the national average of 943. This is also
skewed by place of residence: urban — 895 & rural — 921. The majority of the state is rural,
with 88.7% of the total population residing in rural areas while 11.3 % in urban areas. While
overall literacy rate is 63.82% in the state, there is a noticeable gender difference between
males (71.2%) and females (51.5%). Bihar's social composition reflects a unique combination
of Scheduled Caste (15.9%), Scheduled Tribe (1.3%), and Other Backward Classes/Extremely
Backward Classes (51%) of the total population. Hindus make up 82.7%, while Muslims and
other religious groups make up 16.9% and 0.4%, respectively. Work participation rate in the
State is low with only 33.4% of the population working.
b) During the recent decade, the economy of Bihar has grown steadily. As per the latest available
data for 2013-14, the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at constant prices was 9.92%,
much higher than the national average. Despite such growth, the problem of low per capita
income (INR 14,268 in 2012-13) in Bihar is accentuated by the fact that there exists a wide
variation regarding per capita income across the districts. People living Below Poverty Line
comprised 33.74% (i.e. 35.8 million) in 2011-12.5 Bihar's Human Development Indicators (HDI)
is one of the lowest in India. The HDI value for Bihar has increased from 0.292 in 1999-2000,
to 0.367 in 2007-2008 as against the national average of 0.467. Agriculture sector is the
mainstay of the state's economy with 90% of the population dependent on it, contributing
22% of GSDP from 2010-2014. Poor infrastructure (roads, facilities, institutions) is a major
bottleneck in service delivery and development. The challenges of equity are also huge due to
a caste-ridden society, feudalistic societal structure and complex social stratification. The
performance of social sector indicators are still weak as per the latest available data:
Stunting in children below five years reduced from 56% in National Family Health Survey
— (NFHS 3) (2005-06) to 50% in the Rapid Survey of Children (RSOC) (2013-14),
Proportion of households practicing open defecation reduced from 83% in District Level
Household Survey (DLHS 3) 2007-08 to 75% RSOC (2013-14),
Institutional delivery was 28% in DLHS 3 (2007-08) and it increased to 65% RSOC (2013-
14),
Gains in immunization are good with 41% % of fully immunized children in DLHS 3 (2007-
08) increasing to 60% as per RSOC (2013-14),
Currently Married Women aged 20-24, who were married before age 18 in Bihar, declined
from 68% in DLHS 3 (2007-08) to 47% in RSOC (2013-14).
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c) In addition to the low HDI, Bihar's geographic and topographical contexts make it a multi-
hazard state that is extremely vulnerable to different kinds of disasters such as flood, drought,
earthquake, fire, cyclone, heat and cold wave, which have manifested as serious disasters
from time to time. Bihar is situated in north central India and shares its border with Nepal.
This location places much of Bihar's northern plains at the base of the Himalayan mountain
range, forming a catchment area for glacial melts and making Bihar extremely vulnerable to
seasonal flooding. As a result, 76% of the population in northern Bihar live under recurring
threat of flood and 73% of Bihar’s total geographic area is flood affected. The 2008 Kosi floods
displayed this vulnerability by devastating large areas of northern Bihar and displacing over
5.3 million people, many of them children. Geologically, Bihar encompasses high levels of
seismic activity within its borders and has a history of moderate to severe earthquakes. Its
land area is covered in seismic zones IV and V (7 districts lie in seismic zone V, 21 districts in
zone IV and rest of the districts in zone III), placing it at risk for high intensity earthquakes.The
southern part of the state covering 13 districts suffers from chronic drought situation and 27
districts fall under high speed winds zone and can experience wind velocity of 47 m/s intensity.
d) The prevalence, frequency and severity of these hazards vary across the 38 districts. The
escalation of frequent disaster events in Bihar triggered by natural hazards poses a
fundamental threat to sustainable development and infrastructure improvements across the
state. Conversely, Bihar's restricted development increases its vulnerability to disasters. This
cyclical situation creates a challenging arena for disaster management and development to
occur and has resulted in unequal levels of development between Bihar and other Indian
states, with Bihar falling behind on many development indicators.
e) Disasters have avoidable as well as unavoidable (e.g. extreme weather events) impacts on
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human settlements and various population groups depending on their exposure, capacity and
capability. They negatively impact children's and women's rights, disproportionately affect -
the poor, erode development gains and even set back progress in achieving the development
goals. Exposure to multiple hazards exacerbate already existing vulnerabilities and
inequalities; risking lives and livelihoods as a result of disasters. This calls for an immediate
need for action which ensures that disaster resilience is mainstreamed in development.
f) Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) practices operationalize localized action
for resilience building and vulnerability reduction. Overlapping and complementary practices
of preparedness, mitigation, prevention, adaptation, humanitarian response, risk reduction
etc.. are all relevant within the gamut of DRR. The fundamental premise is that any effort for
resilience building has to be driven locally, hence a 'community-based' approach finds strong
relevance for DRR. The uncertainty and variability of hazards and their impact make CBDRR
interventions a significant process to create effective DRR capability at the most relevant level.
Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) — School Safety Programme in Bihar UNICEF:
g) In August 2008, heavy monsoon rains and poor maintenance of embankment caused a breach
in the Kosi river embankment, inundating hundreds of villages in northeastern Bihar covering
four districts, damaging more than 300,000 houses and destroying at least 340,000 hectares
of standing crops. UNICEF India spent over nine million USD in humanitarian response to the
Kosi floods. UNICEF with the European Union Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection
Department's (ECHO) support implemented a Flood Recovery Programme in 68 villages of five
flood prone districts in 2009 - 2010, wherein community participation was used in risk analysis
but DRR action planning was flood preparedness and response-focused only.
h) Due to this limitation, in 2011, UNICEF Bihar Field Office made a strategic shift wherein it
initiated facilitating communities to access resources from Government programme/schemes
or any other sources to implement their own DRR plans. The programme was scaled-up to
cover 230 villages in six districts, namely Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Samastipur, East
Champaran and Supaul. Furthermore, a School Safety component (in 155 middle schools) was
organically coalesced in 2011 with this programme to further children's participation in risk
reduction at community level and to ensure that the risks faced by them in schools are actively
addressed. The programme is currently being implemented in collaboration with six NGO
partners.
The chronology/phases of CBDRR programme development is as described below:
i) PHASE I: 2009-10: Flood Recovery programme in 68 villages of five flood prone districts.
UNICEF and NGO partner driven, district administration in supportive role.
j) PHASE II: 2011- 2012: CBDRR programme initiated and progressively expanded to 230 villages
in six multi-hazard prone districts. School Safety component was integrated and piloting of
school safety initiated in 155 schools in CBDRR intervention villages. This was done with the
objective of getting children participation in CBDRR and also making their behavioral spaces
(school, play grounds) safe. The project was UNICEF and NGO partner driven, district
administration was in supportive role.
k) PHASE III: 2013 - 2016:
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Strategy to develop leadership for DRR within at-risk communities rolled out in the beginning
of 2013. A group of DRR Catalysts were selected through a rigorous process from
intervention villages and they were trained on CBDRR processes.
Strategy for integrating the project with District and Block Administration was initiated and
exit plan was put in place in 2014 partnership agreements. CBDRR project in 230 villages
handed over to DRR Catalysts & community institutions by December 2015. District
administration initiated scaling-up CBDRR covering all the villages i.e. 1,157 villages in the 15
intervention community development blocks of six districts. School Safety component took
a different trajectory and scaled-up in 3,139 schools in six intervention districts in
partnership with Education Department and respective District Administration. The success
of UNICEF-supported School Safety Programme was well recognized and triggered the "Chief
Minister's School Safety Programme (MSSP)" to cover all 73,000 schools in Bihar, which was
launched in July 2015.
l) The goal of the CBDRR — School Safety programme was to reduce vulnerability of the poor
children and women living in multi-disaster prone districts in Bihar by creating leadership for
DRR where vulnerabilities exist. This empowering process enhances resilience to risks, builds
a culture of preparedness and leads to efficiency in response and recovery actions from
community, government and other stakeholders. The CBDRR-school safety programme model
in Bihar has evolved over time in response to the community's growing knowledge, skills and
experience about DRR, constantly reinforcing the lessons learnt from the practice of DRR in
the past few years. From the outset community mobilization, organization and capacity
development to undertake their own planning work for DRR has been the primary focus of
this model. UNICEF and its partners consistently support communities to acquire necessary
knowledge and skills to prepare DRR plans. The process for planning, learning and action is
built as a continuum in community and school and the model has been configured in a manner
that empowers the communities and strengthens their external linkages with duty bearers;
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and in long run contributes to community resilience. Therefore, the primary objectives of
CBDRR were:
People at-risk of disasters have their own annual DRR plan
The DRR Plan has capable people with strong DRR perspective to follow it up with duty
bearers and others.
Government and people come together to implement risk informed development
priorities of the people.
m) Key programme interventions includes:
I. Community mobilization and organization of at-risk men, women and children though
reflective exercises built around communities' own disaster experience;
II. Build DRR perspective and capacity of women and children for participatory risk
assessment, risk prioritization, vulnerability and capacity assessment etc. to feed into DRR
planning for annual and other forms of plans and actions;
III. Skill building and guidance for the development of risk aware development planning (DRR
plan) with key stakeholders (PRIs, Schools and government) that feeds into the Gram
Panchayat plans via Gram Sabha and DRR plans implemented by leveraging action from
Government programme and schemes.
n) Over the years, efforts have been made to provide the required leadership skills and
knowledge to target communities enabling them to meet the challenges of increasing disaster
risk. Key lessons learnt is that facilitative and capacity building work on demand side can
enable DRR work by leveraging resources from Government development programme even
though the government development programme by themselves may lack DRR perspective.
CBDRR— School Safety programme has demonstrated that it is possible for people at-risk of
disasters to leverage action/resources for DRR work from the development schemes and
programme of Government India, which are aimed as entitlements of the various population
groups (infants, senior citizens, school going children) and general development needs of the
rural population.
o) UNICEF and NGO partners facilitate the process and consistently support communities to
acquire necessary knowledge and skills to prepare DRR plans and help build external linkages
to access resources to advance DRR. As part of demand-side work, UNICEF and partners
continuously invest in learning needs analysis and link the community with various
Government institutions for capacity development. While UNICEF maintains a clear sight of
community empowerment process, partners provide supportive supervision (least intrusive)
to enable various elements of the participatory process such as monthly meetings of Village
Disaster Management Committees (VDMC), risk analysis and prioritization, annual planning
and review, presentation of DRR plans in Gram Sabha, etc.
p) The DRR programme strategy is now very well understood by VDMCs, and School Disaster
Management Committees (SDMC5), and DRR Catalysts and by and large they are leading its
implementation. Their voluntary (passionate) engagement since 2011 works as a reinforcings
and balancing loop in building community as a resilient system. The bottom-up approach to
DRR planning reinforcing loop is one in which an action produces a result, which influences
more of the same action thus resulting in growth or decline. This has been able to produce
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sustained results for all the programme villages. The diversity of results suggests that
communities are able to prioritize and strategize mix of work on primary and underlying risks,
which are essential for sustainability of DRR work. The plans have been able to bring at-risk
people/children and Government together for implementation of risk reduction work both at
village and school level. The programme is implemented with the following stakeholders:
Children, women, men, DRR Catalysts, Panchayat Raj representatives, Aganwadi Workers
(AWW), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM)/Health Workers, School Teachers, School
Principals/Head Masters, Block Education Officers, Block Resource Coordinators, Block
Development Officers, District Collectors, District Education Officers, etc.
q) A study by the KCCI UNICEF Internship Programme in 2013 found that against each dollar
spent by UNICEF on capacity building, the community is able to leverage USD 191 worth of
Government resources. Emergence of local voluntary leadership for DRR and regular
implementation of DRR Plans over the last five years are probably a sufficient evidence that a
bottom-up approach to DRR planning can be aligned with top-down social protection and
other programme of Government to reduce disaster risks.
2. OBJECTIVE:
a) 2.1: Evaluation Purpose: The purpose of the evaluation is to draw valuable lessons from
CBDRR—School Safety programme regarding overall relevance, effectiveness, and
sustainability of the strategies and the activities in enhancing resilience of the at-risk
communities, especially children and women, with an aim for up-stream advocacy to inform
State/National policies and global programming in DRR.
b) 2.2: Evaluation Objectives: Specific objectives of the evaluation are:
Assess the relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of the bottom-up approach to risk
informed development planning and implementation through CBDRR—School Safety
programme at village, school, community and government level in all the six intervention
districts of Bihar;
As part of the effectiveness criterion, a knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) test
would be conducted with a select sample of students in the 6 districts;
Assess CBDRR— School Safety programme against Sendai Framework for DRR (2015)
(Annexure 2: Sendai Framework for DRR);
Document 3 in-depth case studies of 3 villages to understand the processes it underwent
to be disaster resilient;
Identify/document lessons learnt and best practices of the programme:
Key factors and best practices contributing to the programme successes or failures
Lesson learnt that can be externally applied and provide recommendations
Scaling-up approaches and better strategies for scaling-up CBDRR programme.
c) 2.3: Audience and Use of the Evaluation: The findings will be used by UNICEF in developing
a strategy for furthering the agenda of resilience building within UNICEF India Country Office
for scaling-up CBDRR and School Safety interventions. Similarly, it will be useful for DRR
section in India Country Office to develop key advocacy issues. The Government of Bihar has
planned replicating CBDRR programme across the state in its DRR Roadmap for 2015-2030
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and there are chances of its replication in other Indian states as National Guidelines on
Community Based Disaster Management by the National Disaster Management Authority.
Other stakeholders, including government and non-government agencies, will also benefit
from this evaluation and use the findings for any future CBDRR and School Safety interventions
in India and the South Asian context.
3. SCOPE OF THE EVALUATION:
This outcome and process evaluation will look at the 6 districts where CBDRR— School Safety
programme has been implemented. The timeline period of the evaluation is 2011 — 2016
(the period from CBDRR programme initiated to the present).
The areas that will be covered in the evaluation are CBDRR— School Safety programme
models, progress trajectory (how the programme graduated from one level to another level)
implementation strategy/programming perspective, programme processes, community
institutions, Task Forces, DRR Catalysts, DRR Plans, monitoring mechanisms, leveraging &
linkages with Gram Panchayat, school, administration at various levels, service providers,
scaling-up approach, results achieved so far in terms of resilience building, system change for
DRR (i.e. risk informed GP plans/School Development plans).
The evaluation team will do desk review, hold meetings with UNICEF, field visits to villages
and schools in intervention districts, hold meetings with NGO partners, communities, PRIs,
and government counterparts at various levels.
CBDRR programme should be evaluated against Sendai Framework for DRR.
a) The design of the evaluation should be guided by a human rights, equity and gender
perspective, i.e. data collection and analysis should pay close attention to how human
rights, equity and gender have been integrated into the interventions, such as the
inclusion of girls and women and excluded communities, and the effects of the CBDRR—
School Safety programme on such groups. It is expected that data will be disaggregated
by sex and SC/OBC/EBC status to determine whether the intervention yielded more
positive or negative effect on one group or the other. Children will also be key
stakeholders in the evaluation process as the questionnaire and observation will involve
them.
b) The UN Evaluation Group (UNEG) norms and standards will be observed. Furthermore
UNEG ethical considerations will be respected, particularly in relation to including the
views of adolescent groups and community members. Sensitive information may derive
from the FDGs and IDIs and the team will ensure the utmost confidentiality when
conducting such research. Interviews with stakeholders will also be done with prior
consent.
c) The three OECD-DAC evaluation criteria will be applied and proposed key evaluation
questions against each criterion are described below:
Evaluation questions:
d) Four primary evaluation questions, with their appropriate sub-questions, are annexed
(Annexure — 3: Questions matrix). The bidders will use these to decide what is feasible
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within the given timeframe, data context and budget and is encouraged to improve the
matrix as appropriate. Since this will be primarily a qualitative evaluation hence only three
evaluation criteria i.e. Relevance, Effectiveness and Sustainability will be used. The reason
why the impact criterion is not being considered for this evaluation is because it is being
carried out ex post without the requisite data to assess impact rigorously. It would be
difficult to construct a valid and credible counterfactual group either in time (e.g. before
the project) or in space (e.g. in similar districts) after the programme has been
implemented (where the allocation of programme intervention was not randomized)
without introducing various biases. At the onset of the programme, the goal was to build
the capacity of the communities and have DRR plans in place. It did not include higher
impact level results such as reduction in deaths or property losses. Thus, it would be
difficult to now go back and measure the impact of the programme if the programme logic
did not extend itself to such high level of results.
e) As for the criterion efficiency, it is not chosen to be a part of this evaluation because a
study was carried out in 2013 which looked at the funds leveraged from Government
compared to UNICEF funds. Therefore, there is sufficient evidence that the programme
has been efficient with respect to funds leveraging. The evaluation agency will examine
three villages in-depth to understand the processes it underwent to be disaster resilient,
which would provide some aspect of efficiency in terms of funds leveraged, necessary
human resources to carry out the tasks, and the time required.
f) Furthermore, it is necessary to limit the scope of the evaluation by focusing on only three
criteria so that the task is more manageable given the time and resource constraints.
4. SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY:
a) The key methodology to be used in the evaluation: The proposed formative evaluation will be
non-experimental and will use mostly qualitative methodology for assessment of the
evaluation criteria mentioned above. The qualitative methods such as Focus Group
Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (Klls), In-depth Interviews (IDIs), and
Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) may be used for the evaluation. Agencies are encouraged
to reflect on the context of the CBDRR-School Safety programme, and the objectives and
criteria of the evaluation, to propose other innovative methods that UNICEF should consider.
Accordingly, appropriate protocols will be developed by the evaluation team.
b) In terms of data available, the evaluation should rely on the primary sources as part of the
data collection exercise. UNICEF partners have been collecting data for the implementation
of the programme since the beginning, such as information on the DRR plans of the village,
funds leveraged from Government, meeting minutes from villages, and grading of VDMC and
SDMC. UNICEF will provide all the available data to the selected agency. There is also a
monitoring system in which partners do monthly tracking of annual targets as part of their
monthly reporting to UNICEF. These monthly reports may also provide some insights.
(Annexure — 4: List of documents for desk review)
c) Sampling Strategy: The following sample size (in six intervention districts) table is only
indicative for the purposes of bidding. Agencies are requested to either validate the
suggestion or propose an alternative approach with well-thought out explanations as to why
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the alternative approach is more appropriate. Please note that the inclusion of primary
subjects in the data collection should take into consideration human rights, gender, and equity
aspects, ensuring that these rights holders have equal opportunities to participate. Agencies
are encouraged to share how they will ensure a representative and diverse sample.
Sl. No. Stakeholders/Target Groups FGDs Kill IDI Sample size
1 Village Disaster
Management Committee
(VDMC)
2 FGDs per
intervention dist.
12 FGDs
2 School Disaster
Management Committee
(SDMC)
2 FGDs per
intervention dist.
12 FGDs
3 Implementing NGO Partners 1 FGD 1 FGD
4 Children (10-15 years) 2 FGDs per
intervention dist.
12 FGDs
5 Women (18-35 years) 2 FGDs per
intervention dist.
12 FGDs
6 DRR Catalysts 4 per district 24 KII
7 Gram Pradhan - Mukhiya 2 per district 12 KII
8 Anganwadi Worker (AWW) 2 per district 12 KII
9 Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) 2 per district 12 KII
10 School Safety Focal
Teachers
2 per district 12 KII
11 School Principals/Head Master 1 per district 6 KII
12 Block Education Officer 1 per district 6 KII
13 Block Development Officer 1 per district 6 KII
14 District Collector 3 Districts 3 KII
15 District Education Officer 3 Districts 3 KII
d) Additionally, UNICEF would like to conduct a KAP survey with adolescents in three schools per
district (for a total of 18 schools) to gauge the level of awareness on disaster planning and
resilience. The schools should be selected depending on the level of high, medium, or low
implementation success of the schools, according to information which will be provided by
the implementing partners and UNICEF subsequently. The sample size for this KAP survey is
estimated to be 10-15 students per school for a total of 180-270 students. While the aim of
the single-difference endline KAP in the intervention districts is to get a sense of students'
knowledge, attitudes, and practices, it should be recognized that there are limitations to this
approach, such as only understanding the KAP level of these students and to not draw any
causal inference of the programme since a valid counterfactual is not chosen and many factors
could have contributed to the students' KAP.
e) The selected evaluation agency should further advise on the evaluation design,
implementation and analysis specifics. A pre-bid meeting to answer queries related to the
evaluation will be made possible to interested agencies, after which technical presentations
to UNICEF would be requested from all short-listed agencies after submission of technical and
financial bids either in UNICEF, Delhi Office or UNICEF, Bihar Office. After the selection process
is completed, the evaluation agency will develop a protocol that details sample size
estimation, sample selection procedures, select villages/schools for the evaluation, validate
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or reconstruct the Theory of Change of the CBDRR intervention, indicators,
questionnaires/tools for data collection, survey implementation plan, data processing and
analysis plan, and dissemination plan. Additionally, it will also develop protocols for ethical
standards. The hired agency should ensure that their researchers/evaluators/ enumerators
are IRB certified or have appropriate ethics training and that they have a process to get
external IRB approval as the primary data collection will involve children.
f) Limitations of the evaluation: As this is a qualitative evaluation, contribution of the
programme in reducing the vulnerability of the population is expected to be assessed. It is not
an expectation of UNICEF that attribution would be possible due to a lack of a counterfactual.
However, the evaluation team is encouraged to explore whether it would be possible to
demonstrate an improvement in the well-being of the population in the programme area due
to the contribution of such intervention based on available data and potential methods. This
can be finalized in consultation with UNICEF after the first scoping visit to the field.
g) The availability of existing data may be a concern since there is no secondary source for data
on DRR, which is why this is framed as a qualitative evaluation. The evaluation agency should
rely on the institutional memory of staff as most of the implementing staff have remained the
same and the various qualitative techniques available at their disposal but should also be
aware of the risks that this approach may cause. Access to the communities is not a problem.
5. EVALUATION MANAGEMENT
a) A Reference Group with 5-6 members will be formed to oversee the evaluation process and
ensure compliance to UNEG Norms and Standards. It is an independent group of UNICEF and
non-UNICEF experts constituted for a specific evaluation by UNICEF India. It serves as an
advisory body which supports the evaluation by a) providing strategic direction and technical
inputs, b) monitoring progress and quality, c) supporting dissemination of findings, as
applicable, and d) bringing critical issues to the notice of the Research and Evaluation
Specialist, UNICEF Delhi, who provides oversight for all evaluations conducted at UNICEF India
and will serve as the Evaluation Manager in order to ensure quality, transparency, and
independence.
b) For local logistics, the UNICEF Bihar office will provide the necessary support to the evaluation
team, such as making introductions to certain stakeholders. Local travel logistics should be
organized by the evaluation team.
6. SCHEDULE OF TASKS & TIMELINE
a) It is proposed to complete the evaluation within 16 weeks accomplishing the key tasks as
mentioned below:
Desk review of the project documents and secondary data analysis
Meeting with key stakeholders
Tools and questionnaires development
Field testing and finalization of evaluation tools
Data collection
Data analysis and draft report preparation
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Submission of final report and presentation
b) Annexure-5 is a Gantt chart with more details.
7. ESTIMATED DURATION OF CONTRACT: 16 weeks (1 April 2016 to 22 July 2016)
8. DELIVERABLES:
Inception report with sufficient programme background/context, evaluation purpose,
objectives & questions, detailed methodology, including analytical framework, processes,
time-line and tools within 21 days of contract signing (3 weeks) after field visits and meeting
with the Reference Group.
Audit trail 1 of comments on the draft Inception Report (to keep track of comments and how
they are being addressed).
A draft Evaluation Report by June 30 2016 accompanied by in-person presentation with the
team to the Reference Group.
Audit trail 2 of comments on the first draft report.
Power point presentation of the findings of the evaluation
A final Evaluation report with maximum 50 pages by 22 July 2016, incorporating comments
from UNICEF. The evaluation report should be in line with UNICEF-adopted UNEG Evaluation
Report Standards (Annexure 6) as it will be shared externally for quality assurance review by
UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) and be uploaded onto UNICEF's Research and
Evaluation Database and the Global Evaluation Reporting Oversight System (GEROS) and
become public.
Raw data, fact sheets, tables
Structure of the Inception Report
Title page
Table of contents
Acronyms
List of tables and figures
Executive summary
Introduction
Purpose of inception report and activities undertaken to develop it
Evaluation context
Programme summary and theory of change to be used in the evaluation
Evaluation purpose, objectives and scope, with deviations from the TOR and limitations of the
evaluation
Evaluation methodology and approach
Sampling methodology
Fieldwork and analysis
Ethics and UNEG standards
Evaluation process (Workplan, Governance, Communication)
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Annexes, including protocols/questionnaires
Structure of the Evaluation Report
a) In preparing the evaluation results, the findings will be evidence based and will have clear
references to the source. The structure of the evaluation report (not more than 50 pages) could
be as follows:
Title page
Table of contents
Acronyms
Executive Summary with the purpose of the evaluation, brief methodology, key findings,
conclusions and recommendations in priority order
Introduction that includes a description of the programme intervention, Log frame/result
matrix/theory of change
Purpose of the evaluation
Key questions and scope of the evaluation with information on limitations
Approach and methodology
Findings by criteria and conclusions
Recommendations, it will be explicitly linked to the findings and with the target audience
identified
Lessons learned
b) In addition, the final report should contain the following annexes:
Terms of Reference for the evaluation
List of meetings attended
List of persons interviewed
List of documents reviewed
Any other relevant materials
9. QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
This evaluation is to be conducted by an agency with 12-15 years of experience in the field of
DRR with expertise in monitoring, evaluation and documentation of DRR/humanitarian
actions, participatory planning, and risk analysis in India.
The team members must have experience doing evaluations using participatory approaches
involving children, men, and women, and analysis using qualitative and quantitative
techniques. Preference will be given to team members with at least a Master's degree in a
relevant field.
The agency will assign/make available at least three evaluation team members for the
proposed assignment with respect to gender balance.
The Team Leader should have at least Masters' degree, PhD preferred, in a relevant field and
10 years professional work experience evaluating development programmes. Preference will
be given to those with experience in evaluating humanitarian or DRR programme. The Team
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Leader and members who should be available to work on the evaluation throughout the
evaluation process. Change of the evaluation Team Leader or members will not be accepted
without prior approval from UNICEF.
The team members should have hands on experience of conducting programme reviews,
disaster management programme and good understanding of CBDRR, School Safety,
resilience building, emergency preparedness and response, particularly experience working
with vulnerable populations such as women and children.
The team members should have experience in doing capacity building with communities as
well as evaluating such efforts.
Excellent command of written and spoken English and Hindi.
The contracted agency must comply with UNEG Norms and Standards.
Preference will be given to agencies that can provide 2 publically available evaluation reports
as part of the proposal. Preference will also be given to evaluation reports related to DRR,
humanitarian actions, or community resilience building.
10. DUTY STATION
The evaluation team will work from their base station with field travels to the CBDRR and School
Safety programme districts in Bihar.
11. OFFICIAL TRAVEL INVOLVED
Field travel to CBDRR and School Safety programme districts (6).
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ANNEX 2: EVALUATION MATRIX
S.N. Questions Sub-questions How judgement is formed Expected sources/methods Criteria
1 To what extent are the
objectives of the CBDRR– School
Safety programme intervention
still valid?
Are the activities and outputs of CBDRR– School
Safety programme consistent with overall goal and
attainment of the objectives?
Is the design of the CBDRR intervention appropriate
to reach the target population?
Do the DRR plans reflect the needs and participation
opportunities of children, women and marginalized
groups from a gender and equity perspective?
To what extent the objectives of the School Safety
programme were valid when it was first
implemented or throughout the duration of
implementation?
Are the objectives of the CBDRR– School Safety
programme consistent with the Sendai Framework
for DRR?
Triangulate info from
discussions with
different groups of
people and review of
data sources
KII with men, women, girls
and boys from VDMC and
SDMC members
FGD with VDMC members
(both gender mixed groups
as well as only with men,
women, girls and boys, and
different social groups)
FGD with non-VDMC, Non-
SDMC members
PRA techniques
Relevance
2 To what extent are the
objectives of CBDRR– School
Safety programme
achieved/likely to be achieved?
Are the processes (monthly meetings, annual reviews
of plans, annual Gram Sahba meetings) of the
programme sufficient to bring about active
participation of the community members to create
and implement their own DRR plans? If yes, how? If
no, how can the processes be improved?
How have the communities used learnings from the
training modules to incorporate into their DRR plans?
If yes, how have they done it? How have the
communities incorporate risk reduction
perspective/knowledge/skills in pre-emptive
planning and action for other types of hazards/ risks?
Triangulate info from
discussions with
different groups of
people and review of
data sources
Comparison of number
and severity of types of
hazards throughout the
programme
implementation phase,
including before and
after. Compare this
Documents review
IDIs/ KIIs
Group interviews
After Action Reviews
Review of meeting minutes
Desk review of minutes of
VDMC and SDMC
Review of DRR plans
FGDs with VDMCs, SDMCs
and community
Effectiveness
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S.N. Questions Sub-questions How judgement is formed Expected sources/methods Criteria
What are various risk informed actions ‘types’ at the
level of individual, family, community, villages, basic
services and critical infrastructure?
What were the major factors influencing
achievements or non-achievements of stated
results?
According to the views of the community members,
to what extent has the CBDRR programme
contributed to the reduction of the number of deaths
and severity of the impact of natural and man-made
hazards in the villages where it has been
implemented? What percentages of incidents have
been dealt with by the leadership of the VDMC
without external support?
information with other
information collected
from KIIs, FGDs, etc.
3 To what extent will the benefits
of CBDRR– School Safety
programme continue after
UNICEF funding support has
ceased?
If UNICEF were to withdraw support for this
programme, what components would be sustainable
and what actions would be necessary for the
outcomes to be sustained?
What were the major factors which influenced the
achievement or non-achievement of sustainability of
the CBDRR– School Safety programme?
What are the lessons learnt that can be externally
applied and provide recommendations (for UNICEF
as well as the Bihar government) for further
application of these good practices in future CBDRR-
School Safety programmes?
What are the scaling-up approaches and possible
strategies for scaling-up CBDRR and School Safety
programme in Bihar and for promoting CBDRR-
School Safety programme within Government
Triangulate info from
discussions with
different groups of
people
Examinations of
UNICEF’s inputs in the
last 6 years (financial
and human resources)
Comparison of % of
plans being
implemented at
different junctures
Review of other scaling
up strategies that may
be applicable for DRR
context
KIIs (DRR Catalyst, Block
Development Officers)
Documents/literature
review
IDIs with NGO
partners/VDMC members
(particularly vulnerable
groups)
IDIs with UNICEF staff and
front line workers
KAP with adolescents in
three school per district
Examine three village in-
depth to understand the
processes it underwent to
be disaster resilient.
Sustainability
and Scalability
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S.N. Questions Sub-questions How judgement is formed Expected sources/methods Criteria
system.
4 To what extent have activities
affected marginalized
communities, addressed
differences in gender, and
empowered both girls and boys?
Was the programme design and delivery equitable to
different groups and gender?
Did the programme achieve the same level of success
in different places and with different groups?
Were there any negative effects felt by any groups?
Triangulate info from
discussions with
different groups of
people
FGDs/KIIs with vulnerable
groups, boys and girls
Interviews with project
implementing partners and
district functionaries
Equity and
Gender
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ANNEX 3: CBDRR-SSP PROGRAMME PROCESSES
Process followed under the CBDRR programme
The process begins with mobilizing, educating and raising awareness of the community for formation
of the VDMC. The members of the VDMC are selected in an open meeting with the consent of the
entire community. The VDMC is responsible for conducting the village risk assessment and facilitating
the development of village plans (through a participatory and community based approach). The VDMC
is further responsible for coordinating and involving Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and other
frontline government functionaries for the effective implementation of the planned activities and
mainstreaming the village’s DRR plans within the Gram Panchayat (GP) plans through regular meetings
and interactions.
The approval of plans follows a well defined sequence of activities: once the plans are prepared by the
community, the VDMC presents it to the GP head in the Aam Sabha for approval. The approved plans
are included in the panchayat development plan and presented to the Block Development Officer
(BDO) for necessary action and releasing funds. The VDMC facilitates this process by regular follow
ups with the BDO. If the sanctioning of funds gets delayed for any reason, the VDMC promptly
escalates it to the District Collector’s office for expediting the process. The NGO partner plays the role
of a facilitator during the entire process. Following the sanctioning of funds, the VDMC and the
community join hands to work on improved infrastructure for the village. The evaluation team
encountered several examples of such infrastructure in the form of, weather proof internal roads in
the villages, flood shelters, schools and houses with raised plinths, handpumps on raised platforms,
etc.
It would be pertinent to add that the DRR planning process is steered by the DRR Catalyst. In the
beginning of 2013, a group of DRR Catalysts were selected at the village level to develop leadership
within-at-risk communities to ensure sustainability of the CBDRR programme. These individuals have
the unique quality of volunteering and leadership demonstrated at the village level, and were sincerely
contributing towards the VDMC led process of risk informed planning as well as following it up at the
GP and the block levels for effective implementation. Their strengths as identified by the programme
were (i) that these were highly motivated individuals who participate in all community based
processes; (ii) they had acceptance and respect from all community members; and (iii) they had the
critical personal experience of dealing with disasters, and understanding of the chronic
underdevelopment in the villages. Today, there are close to 130 DRR catalysts working in 255 villages.
Many among them are women and people from the vulnerable sections of the villages. They act as
one of the most significant change makers and key stakeholders in the CBDRR programme to ensure
community ownership and sustainability of the programme. (Office U. B.)49
Within a year of the selection of DRR catalysts, partnership agreements were put in place with the
block and district administration to scale-up the CBDRR programme. This was followed by the district
administration initiating a scale up of the CBDRR covering all the villages in the 15 intervention
community development blocks of six districts. By December 2015, the 255 pilot intervention villages
were handed to DRR Catalysts and community institutions.
49 Office, U. B. (n.d.). Perspective plans for DRR Catalysts 2015. UNICEF.
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Process followed under the SSP:
The broad contours of the approach followed by UNICEF for promoting School Safety are:
a) Risks faced by children and teachers in schools are identified systematically by school level
institutions to champion the cause of school safety. For the purpose of orientation on school
safety and necessary training and capacity building, effective School Disaster Management
Committee (SDMC) is formed. Through participatory child friendly exercises like ‘Hazard hunt’50,
existing areas of vulnerability are mapped and developed into a ‘School Safety Plan’.
b) The mitigation measures to address the identified structural and non-structural risks are
documented as a ‘School Safety Plan’, which is finalized in consultation with various stakeholders
such as school management committee members, teachers and students, and reviewed
periodically. The finalized plan is negotiated through the SMC and PRIs with different service
providers and departments for timely implementation.
c) The capacity, knowledge and awareness of different actors and institutions are built to address
non-structural risks. It includes training of select students on different aspects of disasters, to
promote them as peer educators who conduct mock-drill exercises and follow up with other
children periodically. It includes conducting awareness programme for children on local hazards
and risk reduction through various methods like discussions, street plays, drawing competitions,
quiz competitions, essay/ slogan writing and demonstrations. In addition, School Safety Focal
Point Teachers are provided a series of trainings to enhance their capacity for anchoring the school
safety initiative in their respective schools. The broad areas of the training programmes for
students and teachers include, basic awareness on local disasters; their effects and mitigation
measures; first-aid; fire safety; water quality monitoring etc.
50 Hazard hunts are undertaken at the school level by SDMC members supported by the School Safety Focal techer. Children identify hazards and threats in schools, which are included in the school disaster management plan.
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ANNEX 4: ETHICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE APPROVAL ON TOOLS
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ANNEX 5: LIST OF MEETINGS ATTENDED
SNo. Nature of Meeting Date Location List of Participants
1. Inception Phase- Meeting at National Level with
Evaluation Specialist and Emergency Specialist
2nd June 2016 New Delhi Ms. Trang Ho Mortan
Mr. Sarabjit Singh Sahota
Mr. Alok Pattanaik
Mr. Sanjay Tripathi
Ms. Divya Hariharan
Ms. Pranita Choudhary
2. Scoping Visit- Meeting with DRR Officer and
Programme Officer
28th June 2016 Patna, Bihar Mr. Shivendra Pandeya
Mr. Banku Bihari Sarkar
Mr. Yameen Mazumdar
Mr. Alok Pattanaik
Mr. Sanjay Tripathi
Ms. Divya Hariharan
Ms. Pranita Choudhry
3. Scoping Visit- Meeting with DRR Officer and
Implementing NGO Partners
29th June 2016 Patna, Bihar Mr. Banku Bihari Sarkar
Mr. Virendra Pandey
Mr. Mukul Pandey
Mr. Ashok Kumar
Mr. Shyam Kumar Singh
Mr. Kamal Kamat
Mr. Sandeep Kumar Kaushal
Mr. ShankarChaudhri
Mr. Paras Nath Singh
Mr. Ravindra Kumar
Mr. Alok Pattanaik
Mr. Sanjay Tripathi
Ms. Divya Hariharan
Ms. Pranita Choudhry
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SNo. Nature of Meeting Date Location List of Participants
4. Scoping Visit- Meetings with CARD at Samastipur 30th June – 1st June 2016 Samastipur, Bihar Mr. Paras Nath Singh
Mr. Shankar Chaudhri
Mr. Alok Pattanaik
Mr. Sanjay Tripathi
Ms. Divya Hariharan
5. Meeting with Evaluation Reference Group post
submission of Inception Report
28th July 2016 New Delhi Ms. Trang Ho Mortan
Mr. Sarabjit Singh Sahota
Mr. Banku Bihari Sarkar
Mr. Alok Pattanaik
Mr. Sanjay Tripathi
Ms. Divya Hariharan
Ms. Pranita Choudhary
6. Meeting with Evaluation Consultant and DRR
Officer on evaluation tools before pilot testing
10th August 2016 New Delhi Mr. Banku Bihari Sarkar
Ms. Manveen Kohli
Mr. Alok Pattanaik
Mr. Sanjay Tripathi
Ms. Divya Hariharan
Ms. Pranita Choudhry
7. Ethical Review Committee meeting with Ekjut 19th August 2016 Rachi, Jharkhand Ms. Divya Hariharan
5 Members of the Ethical Review Committee
8. Meeting with DRR officer and Implementing NGO
partners to finalise sample villages and schools
1st September 2016 Patna, Bihar Mr. Banku Bihari Sarkar
Mr. Virendra Pandey
Mr. Mukul Pandey
Mr. Ashok Kumar
Mr. Shyam Kumar Singh
Mr. Kamal Kamat
Mr. Sandeep Kumar Kaushal
Mr. Shankar Chaudhri
Mr. Paras Nath Singh
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SNo. Nature of Meeting Date Location List of Participants
Mr. Ravindra Kumar
Mr. Sanjay Tripathi
9. Meeting with DRR officer, Social Policy and
Evaluation Expert, Evaluation Consultation,
Emergency Specialist to finalise tools
18th October 2016 New Delhi Mr. Banku Bihari Sarkar
Ms. Manveen Kohli
Mr. Prabhat Kumar
Mr. Alok Pattanaik
Mr. Sanjay Tripathi
Ms. Divya Hariharan
Ms. Pranita Choudhry
10. Meeting with Shri Vyas ji, Vice Chairman- Bihar
State Disaster Management Authority (Conducted
as a part of fieldwork)
8th December 2016 Patna, Bihar Shri Vyas ji
Mr. Banku Bihari Sarkar
Mr. Sanjay Tripathi
Mr. Alok Pattanaik
Mr. Shyam
11. Meeting with Mr. Shivendra Pandeya, State
Programme Manager- UNICEF, Bihar (Conducted as
a part of fieldwork)
8th December 2016 Patna, Bihar Mr. Shivendra Pandeya
Mr. Banku Bihari Sarkar
Mr. Sanjay Tripathi
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ANNEX 6: LIST OF PERSONS INTERVIEWED
1. State Level KIIs
SNo. Respondent Name of Respondent
1. Programme Manager- UNICEF, Bihar Mr. Shivendra Pandeya
2. Bihar State Disaster Management Authority- Vice Chairman Shri Vyas Ji
District: Supaul
SNo. Respondent Name of Respondent
1. District Magistrate Baidhyanath Yadav
2. District Programme Officer Md. Haroon
Block: Basantpur
SNo. Respondent Name
1. Block Development Officer
2. Block Education Officer Bimla Maria Lakran
Village: Banelipatti
SNo. Respondent for KIIs Name
1. Gram Mukhiya Jagdish Yadav
2. Ex. Mukhiya Veena Devi
3. Anganwadi Worker Sunita Devi
4. ANM Raj kumari
Respondents for FGDs
SNo. VDMC Members Children Women
1 Shanti Devi Ladli Kumari Amerika Devi
2 Akli Devi Nilee Kumari Puja Devi
3 Asha Devi Pardip Kumar Lila Devi
4 Sunila Devi Arvind Kumar Shanti Devi
5 Azad Kumar Yadav Sandip Kumar Chandrika Devi
6 Maha Devi Suresh Kumar Meera Devi
7 Mina Devi Birendar Kumar Tara Devi
8 Ramawati Devi Niraj Kumar Prabha Devi
9 Rita Devi Radha Kumari Vimal Devi
10 Sarita Devi Puja Kumari Monika Devi
11 Bhajju Ram Rani Kumari Mo Koushlya Devi
12 Sadaman Ram Kavita Kumari
13 Vishundev Ram Rinki Kumari
14 Parmeshwar Ram Simpi Kumari
15 Baleshwar Mehta
16 Surendra Ram
17 Naresh Paswan
18 Fullo Devi
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Village: Matiyari
SNo. Respondent for KIIs Name
1. Gram Mukhiya Parvin Kumar Mehtar
2. Anganwadi Worker Sadhana Kumari
3. ANM Bina Kumari
Respondents for FGDs
SNo. VDMC Children Women
1 Sunita Devi Rakesh Kumar Chaupal Salita Devi
2 Manjula Devi Nitish Kumar Paswan Tariya Devi
3 Parmila Devi Karan Kumar Paswan Rajkumari Devi
4 Samrika Devi Atiranjan Kumar Mehta Ramshobha Devi
5 Bachandev Mandal Deepak Kumar Chaupal Sukumari Devi
6 Umesh Kumar Ray Rina Kumari Sunita Devi
7 Arjun Sharma Anu Kumari
8 Tulsi Devi Arti Kumari
9 Roshan Kumar Barbariya Rani Kumari
10 Ramdas Ray Nisha Kumari
11 Bechan Ray Manisha Kumari
12 Hansraj Singh Neha Kumari
13 Sahdev Sharma
14 Bauaalal Sada
15 Dayaram Sada
16 Santosh Kumar Ray
17 Davendra Kumar Singh
18 Lalit Kumar Mandal
19 Kirishan dev Mandal
20 Sulekha Devi
Middle School: Mohaddipur
SNo. Respondent Name
1 Headmaster/Headmistress Lal Bahadur Yadav
2 School Safety Focal Teacher Bashudev Mehta
SDMC Members
1 Suman Kumar
2 Md. Yehamshan Khan
3 Prince Kumar
4 Deepak Kumar
5 Khushbu Khatun
6 Pooja Kumari
7 Guriya Kumari
8 Chandni Kumari
9 Aarti Kumari
10 Priya Kumari
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Middle School: Bhagwanpur II
SNo. Respondent Name
1. Headmaster/Headmistress Rajendra Prasad Kanth
2. School Safety Focal Teacher Shivdev Parsad Sahu
SDMC Members
1 Kishor Kumar
2 Indar Kumar
3 Sonu Kumar
4 Anjali Kumari
5 Buity Rani
6 Payal Kumar
7 Seema Kumari
8 Arti Kumari
9 Puspa Kumari
10 Jyoti Kumari
11 Ripesh Kumar
12 Kirishan Nandan Kumar
13 Ropesh Kumar
14 Dipesh Kumar
15 Shivdev Parsad Sahu
16 Kajal Kumari
17 Anshu Kumari
18 Chalchal Kumari
KAP Respondents
SNo. Lalit Narayan MahaVidhyalay,
Hridaynagar
Upgraded High School
Mahadipur
Mahavidhyalay Bhagvanpur-
2
1 Gautam Kumar Jha Akash Kumar Rajesh Kumar
2 Nisha Kumar Sanjana Kumar Arti Kumar
3 Ruchi Kumar Virbahadur Sharma Rupa Kumar
4 Gaurav Kumar Mishra Khushbu Khatun Anchal Kumar
5 Deepu Kumar Rupesh Kumar Dipesh Kumar
6 Mohit Kumar Puja Kumari Anand Bharti
7 Byuti Kumari Puja Kumari Kajal Kumari
8 Anshu Kumari Girdhar Krishna Murari Chalchal Kumari
9 Sakshi Kumar Chandni Kumar Soni Kumari
10 Nilesh Acharya Dipak Kumar Kavita Kumari
11 Raksha Kumari Prince Kumari Dharmendra Kumar
12 Milee Kumari Priya Kumari Byuti Rani
13 Alisha Kumari Niki Kumari Mamta Kumari
14 Varsha Kumari Punyanand Kumar Ram Sagar
15 Rakesh Roshan Muskan Kumar Shambu Kumar Ram
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District: MADHUBANI
SNo. Respondent Type Name of Respondent
1. District Magistrate Girivar Dayal Singh
2. District Programme Officer Ramashray Prasad
Block: Madhepur
SNo. Respondent Type Name of Respondent
1. Block Development Officer Mithlesh Prasad
2. Block Education Officer Nirmal Kumar
Village: Bhargama
SNo. Respondents for KIIs Name
1. Gram Mukhiya Muntun Devi (W/O Ashok Kumar Jha)
2. Anganwadi Worker Madhumala Devi
3. ANM Malti Kumari
Respondents for FGDs
SNo. VDMC Members Children Women
1 Lila Devi Gita Kumari Gulab Devi
2 Mukesh kumar Ram Rahul Kumar Shakunti Devi
3 Bachcha Mansoori Akash Kumar Sunita Devi
4 Rambhajan Paswan Bechan Kumar Sumitra Devi
5 Ganesh Prasad Ram Lalit Kumar Anar Devi
6 Chhate Lal Sada Sushil Kumar Yadav Triful Devi
7 Ramsakal Sada Ramkumar Yadav Triful Devi
8 Shiv Kumar Sada Prabhash Kumar Yadav Durgi Devi
9 Chandrakant Ram Sonu Kumar Ram Surji Devi
10 Ramvriksh Sada Amit Kumar Babita Devi
11 Sravan Kumar Ravikant Kumar Khaee Geeta Devi
12 Aarti Kumari Sumitra Devi
13 Mamta Kumari Shanti Devi
14 Mamta Kumari Bimal Devi
15 Aarti Kumari Geeta Devi
16 Aarti Kumari
Village: Tisi
SNo. Respondent for KIIs Name of Respondent
1 Gram Mukhiya Chhote Panjiyar
2 Anganwadi Worker Sunila Devi
3 ANM Anita Kumari
Respondents for FGDs
SNo. VDMC Members Children Women
1 Vijay Kumar Sahani Mohammad Zaifi Sita Devi
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2 Narayan Mukhiya Prabhat Kumar Pratima Devi
3 Ram Lalit Sharma Jitendra Kumar Mukhiya Soni Kumari
4 Ram Ganesh Mukhiya Bajrangi Kumar Khushabu Kumari
5 Nawi Hussain Arjun Kumar Sharma Puja Kumari
6 Nujahat Praveen Rasheeda Khatun Kavya Kumari
7 Banarsi Devi Deepika Kumari Gita Devi
8 Pramila Devi Sumaiya Parveen Sumitra Devi
9 Rudal Mahto Sudha Kumari Mantoriya Devi
10 Ram Vilas Mahto Reeta Kumari Sunita Devi
11 Ruksana Begam Shanti Kumari Pinki Devi
12 Farzana Parveen Parwati Devi
13 Rafat Parveen Savita Devi
14 Pritee Kumari Ramkumari Devi
Middle School: Bheja
SNo. Respondent Name
1 Headmaster/Headmistress Ainul Haque
2 School Safety Focal Teacher Parshuram Mishra
SDMC Members
1 Lakshmi Kumari
2 Manisha Kumari
3 Radha Rani
4 Keshav Kumar Singh
5 Ashutosh Kumar Mishra
6 Shivam Kumar Pathak
7 Aakriti Kumari
8 Soni Kumari Mishra
9 Shobhaya Singh
10 Kanchan Kumari
11 Bishwash Kumar Mishra
12 Juhi Kumari
Middle School: Baingra
SNo. Respondent Type Name of Respondent
1 Headmaster/Headmistress Sudhir Kumar Thakur
2 School Safety Focal Teacher Manish Kumar Garg
SDMC Members
1 Ajay Kumar
2 Sahanwaj Hussain
3 Najir Hussain
4 Md. Ismil
5 Afroj Aalam
6 Md. Bali Ullah
7 Lala Babu Sah
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8 Amna Sams
9 Fiza Naj
10 Archana Kumari
11 Rishu Kumar
12 Rahul Kumar Ray
13 Md. Najish
14 Himanshu Kumar Jha
15 Rohilt Kumar Thakur
16 Neha Parveen
17 Rubi Kumari
18 Sahbin Khatun
KAP Respondents
SNo. Utkramit Maha
Vidhyalaya, Bhaingra,
Bisfi
Rajkiya Utkramit
Mahavidhyalaya, Pachahi
(Dakshin), Madhepur
Rajkiya MahaVidhyalay,
Bheja, Madhepur
1 Mohammad Ajnabi Sah Manjit Kumar Yadav Vishwas Kumar Mishra
2 Mohammad Sanaullah Nikita Kumari Soumya Singh
3 Mohammad Mokhtar Amarjit Kumar Yadav Ramanju Kumar Mandal
4 Neha Praveen Abhishek Kumar Jha Radha Rani
5 Chotti Kumari Sanjit Kumar Shivam Kumar Pathak
6 Sultan Ahmad Ritesh Kumar Yadav Rajan Kumar
7 Kalpana Kumari Arun Kumar Sona Kumari
8 Ezaz Ahmad Saraswati Kumari Manisha Kumari Mishra
9 Rubi Kumari Bhavna Kumari Tulsi Kumari
10 Afiya Parveen Payal Kumari Prince Kumar Mishra
11 Reshma Praveen Arvind Kumar Dilkhush Kumar
12 Mohammad Alakam Muskan Kumari Santoshi Kumari
13 Lalbahadur Shah Manjit Kumar Sahni Laxman Kumar Mukhiya
14 Ajit Kumar Chalchal Kumar Sagar Kumar Mishra
15 Prabhat Kumar Ranjit Kumar Shah Priya Kumari
District: DARBHANGA
SNo. Respondent Name
1 District Magistrate Dr. Chandrashekar Singh
2 District Programme Officer Mr. Rajnikant Praveen
Block: Ghanshayampur
SNo. Respondent Name
1 Block Development Officer Mr. Amrinder Kumar Singh
2 Block Education Officer Mr. Pitambar Prasad
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Village: Asma
SNo. Respondents for KIIs Name
1 Gram Mukhiya Jawahar lal Yadav
2 Anganwadi Worker Mala Kumari
3 ANM Manju Kumari
Respondents for FGDs
SNo. VDMC Children Women
1 Ravindar Parsad Ankita Kumari Yadav Samtula Devi
2 Chedi Ram Soni Kumari Rinku Devi
3 Phuleswar Mandal Pooja Kumari Subhkala Devi
4 Baraj Mohan Sada Kaushal Kumar Sunita Devi
5 BasuDev Paswan Md Sahmad Suruti Devi
6 Mahesh Parsad Yadav Shyam Sunadar Kumar Punita Devi
7 Utam Yadav Dinesh Kumar Aruliya Devi
8 Ganga Naran Abrokh Kumar Subhkala Devi
9 Kalar Sada Viswjeet Kumar Fuliya Devi
10 Ganawr Sada Sajan Kumar Aruliya Devi
11 Boban Sakhi Raju Kumar Sunita Devi
12 Rajbind Kamat Kirishna Kumar Janki Devi
13 Ganga Sada Bodhiya Devi
14 Parmeswari Devi Sita Devi
15 Somani Devi Soniya Devi
16 Soniya Devi Sunita Devi
17 Amna Khatun
18 Noor Mohmad
Village: Chhilkora
SNo. Respondents for KIIs Name
1 Gram Mukhiya Sude Kamti
2 AnganwaDi Worker Gita Devi
3 ANM Anju Kuamri
Respondents for FGDs
SNo. VDMC Children Women
1 Kamlesh Kumar Mukhiya Sudha Kumari Jagiya Devi
2 Dinesh Sada Punita Kumari Babda Devi
3 Jailal Yadav Soni Kumari Bisakha Devi
4 Arvinad Kumar Yadav Manisha Kumari Bunda Devi
5 Pachhu Chopal Baby Kumari Siyapati Devi
6 Bahadur Sada Janki Kumari Lalita Devi
7 Daneswar Chopal Sangita Kumari Pawan Devi
8 Gita Devi Pooja Kumari Kagiya Devi
9 Bhagiya Devi Jay Parkash Mukhiya Tara Devi
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10 Benki Devi Rajnish Kumar Mukhiya Roshan Khatun
11 Bilayiti Sada Kanchan Kumari Sudhira Kumari
12 Rukmini Kumari Manju Devi
13 Sakunti Devi
14 Ramsakhi Devi
15 Anita Devi
16 Indarkala Devi
Middle School: Godhail
SNo. Respondent Name
1 Headmaster/Headmistress Abdul Jabbar
2 School Safety Focal Teacher Sunil Kumar
SDMC Members
1 Adarsh Kumar Yadav
2 Rajesh Kumar
3 Md. Samim Aalam
4 Shaket Kumar Kant
5 Parmod Kumar Saw
6 Anish Kumar Yadav
7 Rahul Kumar Bharti
8 Jay Prakash Thakur
9 Asha Kumari
10 Lila Kumari
11 Radha Kumari
12 Chandni Kumari
13 Renu Kumari
14 Sonali Kumari
15 Radhika Kumari
16 Priyanka Kumari
Middle School: Kiratpur
SNo. Respondent Name
1 Headmaster/Headmistress Aditya Kumar Tiwari
2 School Safety Focal Teacher Jiya Lal Saday
SDMC Members
1 Lonu Kumari
2 Injula
3 Durga Kumari
4 Sudha Ranjan
5 Viveka Kumari
6 Puja Kumari
7 Jay Krishan
8 Madhav Kumar Ray
9 Rajesh Kumar
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10 Vivek Kumar
KAP Respondents
SNo. Rajkiya Madhya
Vidhyalaya Kiratpur
Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya,
Godhail
Anugrah Smarak Rajkiya
Madhya Vidyalaya, Tumaul
1 Nishu Kumari Sumit Kumar Giri Sajan Kumar Thakur
2 Vivek Kumar Nisha Kumari Suruchi Kumari
3 Chandan Kumar Rahul Kumar Bharti Priti Kumari
4 Sarita Kumari Saurav Kumar Bharti Alok Kumar Mandal
5 Praveen Kumar Mithlesh Kumar Yadav Vikash Kumar
6 Nunu Kumari Rubi Kumari Bambam Kumar Thakur
7 Ravindra Kumar Dharmendra Kumar Giri Rohit Kumar Rana
8 Sudha Rajjan Chotti Kumari Muskan Kumari
9 Madhav Kumar Ray Jyoti Kumari Akshita Kumari
10 Puja Kumari Rakesh Kumar Bharti Gopal Kumar Singh
11 Raushan Kumar Ranjiv Kumar Raj Seema Kumar
12 Ranjan Kumar Sanjeet Kumar Mahto Raunak Singh
13 Shobhit Kumar Vijay Kumar Bharti Sonam Mishra
14 Priti Kumari Khushbu Kumari Aman Kumar Thakur
15 Rakesh Yadav RaushniKumari Sangita Kumari
District: SAMASTIPURl
Block: Kalyanpur
SNo. Respondent Name
1 Block Development Officer Mr. Dhananjay Kumar
2 Block Education Officer Mr. Nandan Prasad
Village: Akouna
SNo. Respondents for KIIs Name
1 Gram Mukhiya Sobha Devi
2 Anganwadi Worker Sunita Devi
3 ANM Raj Kumari Devi
Respondents for FGDs
SNo. VDMC Members Children Women
1 Santosh Sahni Roshan Kumar Banarsi Devi
2 Treeveni Sahni Kajal Kumari Indu Devi
3 Dev Narayan Sahni Kajal Kumari Gita Devi
4 Vijendra Sahni Nisha Kumari Ranju Devi
5 Ram Narayan Sahni Subash Kumar Anita Devi
6 Dilip Kumar Sahni Vicky Kumar Rita Devi
7 Jitendar Kumar Radhiya Devi
8 Manish Kumar Rinku Devi
9 Kirishana Kumar Bipin Devi
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10 Sanjana Kumari Ranju Devi
11 Partima Kumari Urmila Devi
12 Puja Kumari Sunita Devi
13 Anjali Kaumari Sarita Devi
14 Anjali Kaumari Mira Devi
15 Kalpana Kumari Bachhi Devi
16 Nidhi Kumari Parwati Devi
17 Neha Kumari Babli Devi
18 Putal Devi
19 Rita Devi
20 Yashoda Devi
21 Anita Devi
22 Munni Devi
23 Munki Devi
24 Sanju Devi
25 Sima Devi
26 Khushbu Devi
27 Gulab Devi
Village: Dariyapar (Namapur)
SNo. Respondents of KIIs Name of Respondent
1 Gram Mukhiya Arpana Kumari (W/O Manoj Kumar Thakur)
2 Anganwadi Worker Aarti kumari
3. ANM Raj Kumari
SNo. VDMC Members Children Women
1 Anil Kumar Thakur Sanjida Tarnum Nandani Devi
2 Diplal Garai Sayra Tarnum Phulo Devi
3 Ram Rajan Garai Rohi Parwin Krishana Devi
4 Ramnaresh Ray Ayesha Parween Renu Devi
5 Laxman Das Shushila Kumari Kalpana Devi
6 Radhe Shayam Panjiar Shivani Kuamri Bina Kumari (ASHA)
7 Radhe Shayam Chaodhary Kajal Kumari Arti Kumari
8 Kamlendra Kumar Vimal Kumari Vimla Devi
9 Sunail Thakur Aeti Kumari Sakuntla Devi
10 Sunail Kumar Chaodhary Saloni Kumari Madhuri Kumari
11 Krishan Kumar Rawat Renu Kumari
12 Bishnu Nrayan
13 Kesaw Narayan
14 Sawanavi
15 Nawswa Nasim
16 Busra Parveen
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Middle School: Sormar Paran
SNo. Respondent Type Name of Respondent
1. Headmaster/Headmistress Renu Kumari
2. School Safety Focal Teacher Shivchandra Ram
SDMC Members
1 Priyam Priti
2 Seema Kumari
3 Rupa Kumari
4 Moni Kumari
5 Riya Priyadarshini
6 Priya Kumari
7 Jyoti Kumari
8 Munmun Kumari
9 Pragya Kumari
10 Sheha Bharti
11 Reema Kumari
12 Chandan Kumari
13 Sujeet Kumar
14 Abhishek Kumar
15 Adarsh Kumar
16 Divyanshu Shekhar
17 Divyanshu Kumar
Middle School: Jitwariya
SNo. Respondent Name
1. School Safety Focal Teacher Rita Kumari
SDMC Members
1 Radha Kumari
2 Kajal Kumari
3 Amarjeet Kumar
4 Rahul Kumar
5 Tanu Kumari
6 Roopa Kumari
7 Jyoti Kumari
8 Alka Kumari
KAP Respondents
SNo. Rajkiya Utkramit Madhya
Vidhyalya, Lakshrampur
Adarsh Mahavidhyalaya,
Jitwaria
Utkramit Madhya Vidhyalaya,
Jitwaria
1 Tarannum Parveen Amarjeet Kumar Riya Priyadarshan
2 Savana Praveen Rahul Kumar Seema Kumari
3 Mohammad Mushtak Puja Kumari Anshu Kumari
4 Abhishek Kumar Mohini Kumari Jyoti Kumari
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5 Naveen Kumar Chotti Kumari Niraj Kumar
6 Ruksana Khatun Bharti Kumari Ragini Kumar
7 Nagma Khatun Ayushi Kumari Satyam Kumar
8 Rupam Kumari Sharem Kumari Nisha Kumari
9 Mohsharrat Praveen Nishu Kumari Abhishek Kumar
10 Utkarsh Kumari Pallavi Bharti Adarsh Kumar Jha
11 Kundan Kumar Murali Manohar Kumar Farzana Khatun
12 Palak Kumari Nainsi Kumari Sonam Kumari
13 Priti Kumari Chandni Kumari Rupa Kumari
14 Himanshu Kumar Sonam Kumari Priti Kumari
15 Rakeela Khatun ANamika Kumari Aman Kumar
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District: SITAMARHI
Block: Runnisaidpur
SNo. Respondent Type Name of Respondent
1 Block Development Officer Mr. Neeraj Anand
2 Block Education Officer Mr. Madhvendra Kumar
Village: Koriahi (Bagahi Ramnagar)
SNo. Respondents of KIIs Name
1 Gram Mukhiya Renu Devi
2 Anganwadi Worker Kamini Chaudhary
3 ANM
Respondents of FGDs
SNo. VDMC Children Women
1 Chandrika Mahto Partima Kumari Kiran Devi
2 Sumitra Devi Sawran Kumar Pawan Devi
3 Koushlya Devi Santosh Kumar Gita Devi
4 Pawan Devi Yash Kumar Rita Devi
5 Lalita Devi Kajal Kumari Chinta Devi
6 Sarita Devi Sugandha Kumari Chuliya Devi
7 Rinku Devi Rakhi Kumari Lalita Devi
8 Sikilya Devi Sima Kumari Malti Devi
9 Gita Devi Rahul Kumar Mausham Kumari
10 Ramchandra Mahto Rahul Kumar Nilay Devi
11 Chulhiya Devi Rohit Kumar
12 Sarvsiya Devi Ritik Kumar
13 Rita Devi Ranjit Kumar
14 Chandri Devi Ajit Kumar
15 Siyapati Devi Sanjit Kumar
16 Paro Devi Sonu Kumar
17 Rina Devi
18 Malti Devi
19 Shail Devi
20 Sumitra Devi
21 Sunayana Devi
22 Urmila Devi
Village: Raipur
SNo. Respondents of KIIs Name of Respondent
1 Gram Mukhiya Randhir Kumar Singh
2 Anganwadi Worker Bina Devi
3 ANM Ranju Kumari
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Respondents of FGDs
SNo. VDMC Children Women
1 Rampartay Ray Ram jee Sahni Prema Devi
2 Lalbabu Baitha Ram Kumar Jayaman Mosmat
3 Adhyachhlal Sahni Aarchna Kumari Banarsi Devi
4 Ram parvesh Sahni Avilasha Kumari Sumitra Devi
5 Arun Kumar Ray Ravita Kumari Gita Devi
6 Hulas Sah Suman Kumari Bachhi Devi
7 Amresh Kumar Chandni Kumari Munar Devi
8 Sihasan Devi Sanjit Kumar Shivkala Devi
9 Malti Devi Kiran Kumari Sarita Devi
10 Gaytri Devi Manish kumar Janki Devi
11 Champa Devi Jaikal Devi
12 Keshri Devi Badni Devi
13 Dulari Devi Kalewari Devi
14 Champa Devi Ranju Devi
15 Raj kali Devi Gita Devi
16 Koshalya Devi Gaytri Devi
Middle School: Sirkhiriya
SNo. Respondent Type Name of Respondent
1. School Safety Focal Teacher Chandar Shekar Kumar
SDMC Members
1 Mahesh Kumar R
2 Sundaram Kumar
3 Pankaj Kumar
4 Dhiraj Kumar
5 Prince Kumar
6 Priyanka Kumari
7 Runi Kumari
8 Anjali Kumari
9 Manish Kumari
10 Anu Kumari
11 Puja Kumari
12 Shalu Kumari
13 Anamika Kumari
14 Madhuri Kumari
15 Gunja Kumari
16 Sujata Kumari
17 Priya Kumari
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Middle School: Hazipur Basant
SNo. Respondent Type Name of Respondent
1. Headmaster/Headmistress Radhir Kumar
2. School Safety Focal Teacher Ranendra Pratap Singh
SDMC Members
1 Rohit Kumar
2 Sashi Ranjan Kumar
3 Bikram Kumar
4 Dukhan Kumar
5 Parshuram Kumar
6 Chandan Kumar
7 Anil Kumar
8 Priti Kumar
9 Shushma Kumari
10 Dipa Kumari
11 Neha Kumari
12 Rangila Kumar
13 Kajal Kumari
14 Aarti Kumari
KAP Respondents
SNo. Rajkiya Madhya Vidyalya,
Hajipur Basant
Adarsh Madhya Vidyalya,
Sirkhiriya
Rajkiya Madhya Vidyalya,
Ibrahimpur
1 Munni Kumari Naresh Kumar Ram Shekar Kumar
2 Ajit Kumar Guddu Kumar Sati Kumari
3 Soni Kumari Kanchan Kumari Jyoti Kumari
4 Raja Kumar Shilpi Kumar Phool Kumar
5 Pankaj Kumar Deepa Kumari Ritu Kumari
6 Rahul Kumar Anisha Kumari Kamlesh Kumar
7 Sarita Kumari Mohammad Talib Madhu Kumari
8 Amit Kumar Ashish Rajjan Manika Kumari
9 Santosh Kumar Janat Khatun Ritu Raj
10 Ranjan Kumar Mamta Kumari Aarti Kumari
11 Vibha Kumar Phabili Krishna Kumar
12 Dhananjay Kumar Nitesh Kumar Shilpi Kumari
13 Lakhan Kumar Sonu Kumar Kamod Kumar
14 Ramesh Kumar Sonalika Kumari Vikki Kumar
15 Nitu Kumari Amaresh Kumar Sunita Kumari
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2. District: EAST CHAMPARAN
Block: Banjaria
SNo. Respondent Type Name of Respondent
1 Block Development Officer/Circle Officer Ravi Ranjan Jamaiyar
2 Block Education Officer Wasim Ahmed/Dr. Sant Kumar Jha
Village: Kukurjari
SNo. Respondents of KIIs Name of Respondent
1 Gram Mukhiya Chandradev Parsad Yadav
2 Anganwadi Worker Partima Kumari
3 ANM Ignesia Kujur
Respondents of FGDs
SNo. VDMC Members Children Women
1 Surendra Kushwaha Minta Kumari Kiran Devi
2 Sivbalak Ray Palak Kumari Jyoti Devi
3 Raghuvir Chandra Maurya Rani Kumari Gita Devi
4 Anil Kushwaha Nipu Kumari Rita Devi
5 Misha Kumari Sachin Kumar Hiramati
6 Bipin Mahto Avisek Kumar Savita Devi
7 Dara Patel Premjeet Kumar Anarkali
8 Sudama Mahto Vishal Kumar Ramrati Devi
9 Birendar Parsad Manish Kumar
10 Amar Kishor Kushwaha
11 Dev narayan Parsad
12 Parbhunath Parsad
13 Ignesia Kujur
14 Nirmal Kumari
Village: Jhitkahiya
SNo. Respondents of KIIs Name of Respondent
1. Gram Mukhiya Ragini Devi (W/O Arvind Kumar)
2. Anganwadi Worker Lalmuni Devi
3. ANM Bibha Kumari
Respondents of FGDs
SNo. VDMC Members Children Women
1 Basi Akhtar Soni Kumari Mina Devi
2 Md Navi Ulla Anjali Kumari Goniya Devi
3 Fiyaz Ahmad Antima Kumari Koyli Devi
4 Sekh Abas Hushn E Tara Koshlay Devi
5 Kariman Ram Nibha Kumari Basmati Devi
6 Raj narayn Shahni Akhilesh Kumar Koshalya Devi
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7 Parhlad Parsad Irsad Alam Sabita Devi
8 Siwalak Ram Radhe Shyam Kumar
9 Laxmi Sah
10 Hari shankar Sahni
11 Langar Sah
12 Noor Mohamad
13 Binda Parsad
Middle School: Jhitkahiya
SNo. Respondent Type Name of Respondent
1 Headmaster/Headmistress SHIVJEE PRASAD
SDMC Members
1 Akhilesh Kumar
2 Nitesh Kumar
3 Irsad Alam
4 Radhe Shyaam Kumar
5 Rakesh Kumar
6 Husan-e-Tara
7 Rukhsat Jahan
8 Amita Kumari
9 Nisha Kumari
10 Rani Kumari
11 Soni Kumari
12 Deva Kumari
13 Nisha Kumari
14 Ganesh Kumar
Middle School: Gokhula
SNo. Respondent Type Name of Respondent
1. Headmaster/Headmistress Aabid Hussain
2. School Safety Focal Teacher Savitari Yadav
SDMC Members
1 Sabnam Khatun
2 Nidhi Kumari
3 Tabashum Khatum
4 Jyoti Kumari
5 Brijesh Kumar
6 Ragini Kumari
7 Chanda Kumari
8 Sundarmala Kumari
9 Pushpa Kumari
10 Amit Kumar
11 Mohammad Jabi Ullah
12 Mohamad Murjiv Rahman
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13 Ankit Kumar
14 Ranjan Kumar
15 Raja Babu Kumar
16 Ajad Aalam
17 Prakash Kumar
18 Rahul Kumar
19 Ranjan Kumar
KAP Respondents- East Champaran
SNo. Rajkiya Utkramit Madhya
Vidyalya, Gokhula, Banjaria
Gani Mohamad Rajkiya
Madhya Vidyalya, Jatwa
(Urdu), Motihari
Rajkiya Madhya
Vidyalya,Jhitakahiya Semra,
Motihari
1 Rahul Kumar Mohammad Barkat Ullah Surendra Kumar
2 Brijesh Kumar Abu Sharma Divya Kumari
3 Poonam Kumari Ruksana Khatun Nusraj Jahan
4 Karan Kumar Juganu Tara Arun Kumar
5 Rinju Kumari Jiya-ul-haq Anshu Kumari
6 Raja Kumar Sajud Aalam Sudha Kumari
7 Gulnaj BEgham Sufiya Anjum Soni Kumar
8 Rambha Kumari Mohammad Mamum Rashid Pushpa Kumari
9 Veena Kumari Mohammad Amatams Alam Rupesh Kumar
10 Manshika Kumari Mohammad Reyazul Haq Rohit Kumar
11 Farzana Khatun Khushbu Tara Alka Kumari
12 Nemat Jahan Shahbaj Alam Gufrana Khatun
13 Tabassum Khatum Nashima Khatum Nilofar
14 Sriprakash Kumar Pramod Kumar Mamta Kumari
15 Nezam Hussain Mohammad Shahabuddin Aisa Khatun
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ANNEX 7: LIST OF DOCUMENTS REVIEWED (As per ToR)
1. CBDRR Capitalization Report 2005-2011
2. Compendium of Human Stories
3. Handout- School safety programme
4. Notes from monitoring mission of SSS
5. Perspective plan for DRR catalysts
6. Results framework
7. School safety for School children
8. School safety pack for District Authorities
9. Short document on school safety
10. Theory of Change – CBDRR
11. TOR-ERG Final
12. UNICEF- KAP study on school safety
13. UNICEF – CBDRR model in Bihar India
14. UNICEF –Leveraging resources for resilience
15. UNICEF- CBDRR Process document
16. UNICEF- Universalia Draft report review template
17. UNICEF- Universalia Inception Report Review Template
Case Studies
1. Assisting Communities in facing disasters
2. Mainstreaming disaster mitigation onto the Development Agenda
3. Addressing Malnutrition and other Vulnerabilities in Disaster Response
4. Training school children to Face disasters
5. Baingra Middle school Madhubani, Bihar
6. Bhagwanpur-2 Middle School, Birpur, Supaul, Bihar
7. Tuamul High School, Ghanshyampur, Darbhanga, Bihar
8. Case Studies of DRR Catalysts
Flyers
1. Capacity Building to capability enhancement
2. Community mobilization and organization for DRR
3. Bottom-up mainstreaming of Disaster Risk
4. Participatory planning for disaster risk reduction
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5. Reducing underlying risk- Habitat level
6. Children & community participation in school safety
7. Partners proposal and Agreements – 2011- 2016
Technical Stories
1. Application of Inter-mediation Skills
2. Cluster partnership: impact Investment for Accelerating Disaster preparedness results
3. Bottom-up approach to DRR mainstreaming in Development
4. Dopamized programme Implementation – Kindling spirit of voluntarism
Village & School list and grading
1. List of intervention villages and Schools
2. Self-grading SDMC’s – December 2015
3. Self-grading VDMC’s –December 2015
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ANNEX 8: BIBLIOGRAPHY
Authority, N. D. (n.d.). National Disaster Management Authority. Retrieved from Bihar SDMA Office: http://ndma.gov.in/en/bihar-sdma-office
Bank, W. (2012, May). India: Issues and Priorities for Agriculture. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/05/17/india-agriculture-issues-priorities
Bank, W. (n.d.). Indian Agricultural Issues and Priorities . Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/05/17/india-agriculture-issues-priorities
Bihar, G. o. (2015). Roadmap for Diasaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Retrieved from http://www.disastermgmt.bih.nic.in/Circulars/Draft_Bihar_DRR%20Roadmap.pdf
Bihar, G. o. (n.d.). Bihar State Disaster Management Authority. Retrieved from http://bsdma.org/Home.aspx
Government of Bihar, W. B. (2010). Bihar Kosi Floods (2008) Needs Assessment Report. World Bank. India, K. C. (2013). Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on School Safety Programme. Retrieved from
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/kap_in_bihar_practice.pdf
Nations, U. (2015). Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Retrieved from http://www.preventionweb.net/files/43291_sendaiframeworkfordrren.pdf
Nations, U. (n.d.). UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluations. Retrieved from www.uneval.org/document/download/548
Nations, U. (n.d.). UNEG Standards for Evaluation in the UN System . Retrieved from www.unevaluation.org/document/download/2601
Nations, U. (n.d.). UNEG: Norms for Evaluation in the UN System. Retrieved from www.unevaluation.org/document/download/2601
Office, U. B. (n.d.). Perspective plans for DRR Catalysts 2015. UNICEF. Office, U. I. (2013, January). UNICEF India Country Office Guidelines on Piloting and Scaling Up of
Innovations and Good Practices. UNICEF. Research, U. O. (n.d.). Compendium of Ethical Research Involving Children. Retrieved from
Compendium of Ethical Research Involving Children UNICEF. (2016, April). Terms of Reference - Evaluation of CBDRR-SSP . UNICEF. Unisdr. (2005). Hyogo Framework for Action. Retrieved from
https://www.unisdr.org/2005/wcdr/intergover/official-doc/L-docs/Hyogo-framework-for-action-english.pdf