Haiti Earthquake Reconstruction Knowledge Notes from ... - GFDRR

6 | Haiti Earthquake Reconstruction
Managing Post-Disaster Aid
The Haiti Earthquake will be remembered as one of the most tragic natural disasters in recent times
and also as one of the largest relief and recovery efforts ever. The international community has an
opportunity to help Haiti and demonstrate that it has learned the lessons of previous large-scale
natural disasters, especially from post-Tsunami. Given the outpouring of global solidarity it is most
likely that there will be enough resources to rebuild Haiti. However, the success or failure of Haiti’s
reconstruction will depend on the management and implementation of these resources.
Key Decision Points
1. Establish early the best mechanism to
manage the recovery. Clear modalities of
operation will be critical.
2. Speed should override detailed planning
in the early phase. A “cluster
approach” can help establish clarity on
leadership.
3. Hold (monthly) decision meetings with
international partners and conserve the
time of senior government officials.
4. Tracking the money and results needs
to be started early. A strong and detailed
Damage and Loss Assessment is critical to
effectively allocate resources later.
5. Establishment of a Multi Donor Trust
Fund can help reduce fragmentation of
aid.
6. Allow for flexible PFM arrangements.
Projects do not need to be channeled
through country systems if the regular
budget cycle makes efficient implementation
difficult.
Haiti will be the most important test of the international
community’s ability to coordinate
aid effectively since the post tsunami reconstruction.
Haiti has been receiving a huge inflow
of resources and this increasing volume of aid will
come with increasing fragmentation. Aid coordination
will thus be one of the most important challenges,
both in the short term for the relief effort
as well as in the medium term when the reconstruction
effort begins.
The strength of Haiti’s and international management
system will determine the success of
the recovery effort. Haiti’s senior government officials
will most likely be overwhelmed by requests
from well-intentioned donor partners. It is important
that development partners and
NGOs do not overestimate their individual role.
Too frequent individual interaction with senior
government officials creates a high risk of draining
unnecessarily the scarce human resources of
Haiti’s government. A recent survey of humanitarian
assistance considered the lack of effective and
efficient coordination as the biggest constraint to
a successful response to humanitarian operations
(see figure 1).