OFDA/LAC Regional Disaster Assistance Program

The program's primary objective is to promote disaster risk management and risk reduction at the local and national levels, with a focus on strengthening disaster preparedness and response capacities. The RDAP works to ensure that disaster risk management is a national and local priority, with a strong basis for implementation. The program's approach emphasizes knowledge, innovation, and innovation to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels. The RDAP also supports national self-sufficiency in disaster response, particularly for low- to moderate-level disasters. IRG has managed the OFDA/LAC RDAP since 1998, with a series of contracts, extensions, and modifications. The program has expanded its scope from disaster response to a full spectrum of disaster and risk management services. The RDAP has also emphasized several forward-looking initiatives, including disaster risk reduction and regional "communities of practice" to foster sustainable disaster management and risk reduction at the local and national levels. The RDAP has a network of 27 Disaster Risk Management Specialists (DRMS) and five Sub-Regional Managers (SRMs) based in countries throughout the region. These personnel implement the program's five-year plans and annual operational plans, which are then broken down into quarterly work plans. The program's work is guided by these plans, which serve as the basis for the RDAP's activities. In the fourth quarter of Year 1, the RDAP continued to implement its five-year plans and annual operational plans. The program's priorities for Year 1 included tailoring its internal procedures to the new contract's organizational structure, monitoring the execution of the OFDA/LAC country plans, and harmonizing country-level activities with the overall OFDA DRR program for the LAC region. The RDAP also continued to review and update project files, consolidate the regional instructor network, recertify instructors needed in each country, and finish the baseline survey that IRG will use to monitor impact over the next four years. The program's priorities for Year 2 include implementing the new round of small grants activities, reviewing and updating project files, and consolidating the regional instructor network. The RDAP works to ensure that disaster risk management is a national and local priority, with a