BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA) 
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA) 

 

SUCCESS STORY:  

THE ASIA FOUNDATION BUILDS CAPACITY IN THE PACIFIC 

 

 

The Pacific Islands each have a unique culture 
but share a commonality—geography.  The 

Pacific Islands geography results in the islands 
being among the most disaster prone regions 

in the world.  To mitigate the effects of 

disasters throughout the region, 

USAID/OFDA has supported The Asia 
Foundation disaster management trainings 

since 1995.  The trainings have addressed the 

challenge of changing standard operations and 

thinking to improve disaster management 
through both regional and national level 

engagement.  
 

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The Asia Foundation was integral in 

introducing disaster management 

methodologies to the Pacific.  Formal disaster management systems did not exist in the Pacific prior to 

the introduction of The Asia Foundation regional training programs.  The development of the field has 
facilitated both national and regional level disaster preparedness and mitigation activities, resulting in a 

proactive rather than reactive approach to disaster management.   

A training group in Vanuatu completes the IDA training (courtesy of The Asia 
Foundation). 

 

Key concepts based on these trainings have been adopted into standard protocol in the region.  Red 
Cross Societies throughout the Pacific adopted Initial Damage Assessment (IDA) forms as a result of IDA 

training.  The Government of Fiji is currently adapting the IDA form to meet its own sectoral needs.  

Standard operating procedures for national emergency operations centers (EOCs) are based on The Asia 
Foundation’s EOC management trainings.  In addition, language and protocol incorporated into disaster 
management legislation originates from the Foundation’s trainings.  

  

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With USAID/OFDA support, The Asia Foundation has conducted the longest-running disaster 
management training programs in the Pacific.  Several regional actors indicate that one of the key 

strengths of the program is the longevity, with which comes an understanding by The Asia Foundation 
that developing new ways of thinking and operating is not an overnight process.  The Foundation’s long-

term regional commitment and disaster management expertise are vital components to overcoming 
challenges and ensuring that new generations of responders develop the competency and ability to 

operate in difficult situations.  The commitment of The Asia Foundation is also significant given the nature 

of government structures in the Pacific, which result in high staff turnover and often places individuals 

with little disaster-related experience in the disaster management field. 
 

 

 

November 3, 2009 

 

Longevity does not mean that the programs have remained stagnant.  The Asia Foundation trainings have 

evolved over the years based on identified needs and have been tailored to the country and individuals 

involved in the training.  The Asia Foundation initiated Introduction to Disaster Management (IDM) 
training in 1995 to bring a broader understanding of the field to the region.  During the course of the 

trainings, The Asia Foundation staff indentified a gap associated with an actual mechanism with which to 

conduct assessments.  As a result, the Foundation developed IDA training and, more recently, has 

implemented the EOC management training, a highly technical course that provides guidelines for the 
establishment of emergency centers during a disaster.  The trainings undergo constant scrutiny and 

revision to ensure the highest possible quality—quality that has made the trainings well-known and 

respected throughout the region.     
 

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The Asia Foundation works in cooperation with the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission 

(SOPAC), a 21-country organization responsible for regional coordination during a disaster.  Through 
disaster management trainings designed to increase response capacity, the Foundation supports SOPAC 

community risk programs focused on building local capacity to mitigate and respond to disasters.  By 

working through the regional structure, The Asia Foundation ensures an integrated approach to disaster 

management with local stakeholders.  The Foundation is not just an element of disaster response, but part 
of a much broader disaster management regional strategy.   

 

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Local government representatives and 

international organization leaders agree that 
Kathryn Hawley, The Asia Foundation’s 
program director of USAID/OFDA’s Pacific 

Disaster Risk Management Program, is a 

driving force behind the success of the 

training programs.  Involved with the trainings 
since 1995, Hawley brings a recognized 

consistency and professionalism to the 

program, as well as 37 years of Pacific 

knowledge and experience. 
 

Hawley is also in the business of helping to 

identify and nurture new disaster 

management leaders.  The trainings aim to 
build capacity in the Pacific by engaging new instructors in disaster management.  These instructors then 

act as training facilitators.  Hawley has developed a network of instructors throughout the Pacific who 

now hold several key positions in government and relief agencies.  The former director of the National 
Disaster Management Office in Fiji, who now serves as Commissioner of the Western Division, highlights 

the value of looking at the trigger and not just the problem, which is a new way of thinking developed 

through the The Asia Foundation trainings.  

Asia Foundation trainers conduct a training exercise in the Cook Islands 
(courtesy of The Asia Foundation).  

 
The Foundation’s trainings continue to change mindsets and perceptions in the Pacific, leading to an 

examination of the disaster management status quo and adoption of new, systemized approaches to 

disaster management.  The ongoing demand for trainings by governments throughout the region is a 

testament to the value and quality associated with the courses and their delivery methodology.  
 

  

USAID/OFDA information products are available at http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian _assistance/disaster_assistance.