Each Oxfam country programme should have a Contingency Plan that will detail the risk and predicted impact of disease outbreaks, natural disasters, political instability/ violence and other complex emergencies. There should also be specific guidelines for the remote management of programmes to maximise our impact regardless of our direct presence.
Minimum Requirements
In collaboration with Programme Management and the Humanitarian Programme Co-ordinator, WASH teams should:
- Consider the main WASH-related risks in the programme (and/or in country-wide) and feed these into the country contingency planning process.
- Train partners in contingency planning and emergency preparedness: frequently local partners are far better placed to respond to emergencies and continue services during remote management.
- Participate in inter-agency contingency planning (e.g. through the WASH Cluster or UN OCHA) related to public health risks.
- Advocate for appropriate contingency stocks to be held at country level through the UN or NGO systems.
- Consider running a simulated response to the highest WASH risks as part of staff capacity building and preparedness.