How to do VCA? - International Federation of Red Cross and Red ...

6IntroductionRed Cross Red Crescent National Societies are increasinglyworking alongside vulnerable communities, seeking to addressthe underlying causes of their problems.This shift from our more ‘traditional role’ as service providershas required a new set of ideas, attitudes, methods and tools inorder to meet our objectives in working together with people inneed.Vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA) was developed toenable National Societies to help communities understand thehazards that affect them and take appropriate measures to minimizetheir potential impact. These measures are based on communitiesown skills, knowledge and initiatives – thereby preventingthese hazards turning into disasters.KeymessageVCA is a method of investigation intothe risks that people face in their locality,their vulnerability to those risks and theircapacity to cope with and recover fromdisasters.This document is intended as a simple and practical guide forNational Society staff and volunteers who wish to undertakea local-level VCA, as part of their community programmingstrategy.Since the VCA was introduced ten years ago, National Societieshave gained a great deal of experience and expertise in its implementation,in both urban and rural communities throughout theworld. In 2003, the International Federation of Red Cross andRed Crescent Societies (International Federation) began an extensivereview of VCA, in order to capture important lessons learned,with a view to updating the process.