THEMATIC AREA 2
Coordination
3.0 Introduction
This Thematic Area establishes the Framework for coordinating the different stakeholders involved in disaster management. It explains the process of harmonizing or bringing together diverse activities to achieve the goal and objectives of disaster management. The Thematic Area also describes required actions for harmonizing individual and organizational activities to maximize impact and achieve synergy.
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) shall be the coordinating body at the National level, while the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the Local Emergency Management Authority (LEMA) shall be the coordinating body at the State and Local Government levels respectively. Coordination process shall be time bound, participatory, impartial and transparent in order to achieve the best possible results and impact.
Effective coordination in disaster management shall be multi-sectoral, multi-resource and multi-disciplinary. This shall, amongst other things, reduce gaps in services to affected population; duplication of efforts; inappropriate assistance; inefficient use of resources; bottlenecks; impediments and slow reactions to changing conditions.
3.1 Objectives:
This Thematic Area shall have the following objectives:
- Develop horizontal and vertical coordination strategies to take care of synergy at the three tiers of Government and among stakeholders.
- Enhance efficient and effective administration of disaster management activities and operations.
3.2 Types of Coordination in Disaster Management
There are two types of disaster management coordination – strategic and operational.
3.2.1 Strategic Coordination shall support unity of efforts in implementation, and be concerned with the vertical and horizontal coordination mechanisms of the overall direction of disaster management structures. It shall involve the integration of emergency programs with other activities of government and amongst stakeholders from the community to Federal level. (See Coordination diagram).
a) Vertical Coordination: shall define the relationship among NEMA, SEMA, LEMA and community structures. This shall refer to NEMA, through the NEMA Zonal Offices coordinating the activities and operations of SEMA, LEMA and community structures. It shall also refer to SEMA coordinating the activities and operations of LEMA and community structures, and reporting to NEMA. At the local government level, LEMA shall coordinate the activities and operations of community structures, and report to SEMA.
b) Horizontal Coordination: shall define the relationship among disaster management stakeholders at different levels of government. This shall refer to NEMA, taking the lead in mobilizing and collaborating with relevant Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), DRUs, Police, Paramilitary, International and Local Non-governmental organizations, and development partners. At the state level, horizontal coordination refers to SEMA taking the lead in mobilizing and collaborating with relevant State Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), DRUs, Police, Paramilitary, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), state branches of International organizations, and development partners. At the Local Government level, horizontal coordination refers to LEMA taking the lead in mobilizing and collaborating with relevant Departments and Authorities (DAs), Police, Paramilitary, Local Non-governmental organizations, and development partners
The different coordination mechanisms (Vertical and Horizontal) shall include the setting of agreed goals, and allocation of tasks and responsibilities according to mandates and capacities.
Horizontal and Vertical Coordination in Disaster Management
Fig 3.1. Horizontal and Vertical Coordination of Disaster Management in Nigeria
3.2.2 Operational Coordination: shall involve the procedure for translating disaster management plans to field level operations and activities. Coordinating bodies shall adopt relevant approaches based on the different thematic areas of disaster management (Risk Assessment; Risk Reduction; Preapredness, Prevention and Mitigation; Response; and Recovery).
The tools for operatonal coordination in disaster management shall include:-
- Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis (VCA).
- Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
a) Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis (VCA) shall be the methodology for investigation and information gathering on hazards, vulnerability and available coping capacity of communities which shall be depicted spatially with the Vulnerability Risk Assessment Mapping (VRAM). The VCA and VRAM shall enhance stakeholders operational coordination in the following ways:
- Disaster Risk Assesment: It shall help stakeholders to understand the nature and level of risks that vulnerable people face; where these risks come from; who will be worst affected; and what means are available at all levels to reduce the risks.
- Disaster Risk Reduction: It shall help stakeholders to take informed decision on types of activities required to sensitize and create awareness for building the resilience of the vulnerable communities.
- Disaster Preparedness, Prevention and Mitigation: It shall provide stakeholders with data for implementing activities and deploying strategies for preparing, preventing and mitigating disasters.
- Disaster Recovery: It shall provide stakeholders with data required for developing and implementing rehabilitation and reintegration plans and programmes.
b) Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs)
The EOC shall be the structure that provides justification for the adoption of Incident Command System (ICS) as a management mechanism in operational coordination of disaster response. It shall be established at NEMA, SEMA and LEMA levels to lead disaster reponse (see EOC diagram Fig 2.2). EOC shall operate at the three levels, namely Strategic (Gold level), Operation (Silver level) and Tactical (Bronze level) and shall have the following structure:
- Head of EOCs: The Director General (NEMA), The Executive Secretary of SEMAs and the Head of LEMAs shall operate at Gold level as head EOCs at the National, State and Local Government levels respectiviely.
- Watch Directors: Every EOC shall have Watch Directors at Silver level. They shall be appointed from relevant stakeholders and provided with information from the Incident Commander.
- Incident Commander: The Incident Commander shall head a coordination system that operates at Bronze level. He/She shall be a representative of the Lead Agency in a disaster event and shall be responsible for on-site coordination of Operations, Logistics, Planning, Finance and Administration sectors. Lead Agency hereinafter refers to the institution that has primary role and responsbility for responding or managing specific disaster.
The Incident Command System (ICS)
The Incident Command System (ICS) shall be the framework for on-site Operations (fig 3.3). It shall:
- Integrate a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures and communications from various organizations operating within the EOC structure.
- Ensure effective and efficient incident management.
3.3 Implementation Strategies and Activities for Effective Coordination in Disaster Management
NEMA, SEMA and LEMA shall implement strategies and activities for effective and efficient coordination in disaster management which, shall include:
3.3.1 Establishment of relationship with stakeholders and sharing common understanding on problems and solutions.
These shall include:
-
- Identifying stakeholders that are relevant to disaster management.
- Appointment of disaster management desk officers in stakeholders’ institutions.
- Organizing regular meetings between and among disaster management stakeholders to share experience and review strategies.
- Conducting workshops, seminars and training programmes for stakeholders capacity development.
- Conducting regular public awareness, advocacy and education programmes.
- Conducting VCA to determine hazards, vulnerabilities and community coping capacities
- Conducting contingency planning and developing Contingency Plans
- Building scenarios and conducting regular simulation exercises among stakeholders.
- Identifying and recruiting volunteers at all levels and building their capacity for disaster management.
- publishing periodic reports on hazards, vulnerabilties and disaster management actvities within their areas of jurisdictions.
- Reviewing plans, programmes and strategies regularly.
3.3.2 Establishment of functional lines of communication amongst stakeholders.
These shall include:
- Developing relationship with relevant media stakeholders.
- Developing a database (telephone numbers, e-mails and contact addresses) of focal agencies and persons and integrating it into National, State and Local Databanks in NEMA, SEMA and LEMA respectively.
- Developing a database of available equipment that can be used for disaster management.
- Monitoring and updating information on state of preparedness of stakeholders.
- Developing MOUs and having mutual understanding with stakeholders on their participation and deployment of their equipment during emergencies.
- Establishing affordable, accessible and secured Emergency Call Centers (ECCs) at all levels of government.
- Identifying effective communication facilities, including close user group and Nigeria police radio- net for long range communication.
- Liaison with telecommunication network providers for use of their cell broadcast facilities.
- Updating database regularly.
3.4 Guidelines and Documents to be disseminated
- NEMA Establishment Act
- SEMA Law of Establishment
- LEMA Bye-Law of Establishment
- Search and Rescue and Epidemic Evacuation Plan (SAREEP)
- Vulnerabilty Capacity Analyses (VCA) of Nigeria
- Vulnerability Risk Assesment Mapping of Nigeria.