acted south and south-east asia regional strategy 2013 – 2015

ACTED South and South-East Asia Regional Strategy 2013 – 2015 P a g e | 0


Table of Contents

Message from the ACTED South/South-East Asia Regional Director 3

Section 1. Introduction to ACTED 4

Our Mission: Providing Adapted Responses 5

Our Vision: To guarantee the link between Emergency, Rehabilitation and Development 5

Our International Networks 5

ACTED in Figures 6

Section 2. South and South-East Asia: A Profile 7

Section 3. ACTED’s Work in South and South East Asia 10

India 11

Sri Lanka 11

Myanmar 12

Thailand 12

Cambodia 13

Laos 13

Indonesia 13

Section 4. ACTED’s 2013-2015 Strategic Approach 14

Program Pillar 1: Building Disaster and Climate Change Resilience 15

Program Pillar 2: Strengthening Civil Society and enhancing Good Governance 19

Program Pillar 3: Pro-Poor Economic Development 22

Program Pillar 4: Emergency Response and Recovery 25

Cross-cutting Aspects 27


Message from the Regional Director

On behalf of the Agency for Technical Cooperation and

Development (ACTED), it is my great pleasure to share with

you ACTED’s South and South-East Asia Regional Strategy

2013-2015. This strategy constitutes a road map for ACTED’s

activities in the region for the next three years.

South and South-East Asia is a large and diverse region with

South Asia being the poorest-performing sub-region in Asia as

well as one of the poorest-performing regions globally while

in South-East Asia most countries have achieved middle

income status. Nonethless, despite its diversity, the region

also shows common trends – for example growing inequality

and social exclusion, triggered by unequal economic growth,

more frequent and severe disasters due to climate change, environmental degradation and rapid

and unplanned urbanization as well as persistence of hunger among almost half a billion people.

Against this backdrop, we developed this strategy following consultations throughout 2012 with all

our important partners, including countries of intervention, donors, civil society organizations,

implementing partners and other key stakeholders. We also realized that over the past years, ACTED

had developed a rather diverse and scattered project portfolio in its countries of intervention and

there was need to better streamline our interventions and develop a more focused and coherent

programmatic approach that meets the needs and challenges of the South and South-East Asia

region.

ACTED’s strategy seeks to address the myriad developmental challenges from the regional level

down to the community level, where it counts and is felt most with a focus on a) building disaster

and climate change resilience; b) strengthening civil society and good governance and c) facilitating

pro-poor economic development. Of course, with Asia being the world’s most disaster-prone region,

ACTED as a humanitarian organization will continue to fulfill one of its key mandates: to intervene

quickly to save lives, reduce suffering and protect the integrity and dignity of people in distress.

The implementation of this strategy will I hope ensure the continued success and contributions of

ACTED towards building capacity and linkages for resiliency, economic development, and

empowerment in South and South East Asia. It is through the generous support of our donor

partners as well as the dedicated efforts of our staff and implementing partners that ACTED is able

to deliver the assistance it does.

André Krummacher

Regional Director

ACTED South/South-East Asia


Introduction to ACTED

Section 1


ACTED (Agency for Technical Cooperation

and Development) is a non-governmental

organization founded in 1993 with

headquarters in Paris, France. Independent,

private and not-for-profit, ACTED respects a

strict political and religious impartiality and

operates according to principles of non-

discrimination and transparency in 32

countries around the world.

Our Mission: Providing Adapted Responses

ACTED’s vocation is to support vulnerable

populations affected by wars, natural

disasters and/or economic and social crises,

and to accompany them in building a better

future, thus contributing to the Millennium

Development Goals. The programs

implemented by ACTED in Africa, Asia, the

Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean

aim to address the needs of populations

affected by wars, natural disasters and/or

economic and social crises. Our interventions

seek to cover the multiple aspects of

humanitarian and development crises through

a multidisciplinary approach which is both

global and local, and adapted to each context.

ACTED is committed to meeting the highest

standards of accountability and strives to

meet the needs of the most vulnerable

populations by delivering appropritate

humanitarian service in each situation. As a

charitable organization, we will intervene

whenever and wherever needs arise,

guaranteeing the quality and relevance of our

interventions and innovating whenever

possible. ACTED is a member of HAP

International which supports humanitarian

accountability and quality management.

Our Vision: To guarantee the link between

Emergency, Rehabilitation and Development

ACTED’s vision is to establish a link between

emergency, rehabilitation and development.

Once basic needs have been covered, living

conditions remain critical as our intervention

areas are among the poorest and most

vulnerable in the world. We guarantee the

sustainability of our crisis interventions by

remaining in the field after emergencies to

develop needs-based programming to meet

the development goals of communities we

work with.

Our International Networks

ACTED’s global presence is composed of a

network of field missions supported by

regional coordination offices and

representative delegations in Washington,

D.C. and Geneva that inform strategy and

enhance efficiency of our interventions.

Regional and representative offices

communicate with international humanitarian

institutions and donors about our strategy

and current projects, needs assessment of

emerging crises, and evolution of the

humanitarian context in countries where

ACTED is present.

ACTED strives to share experiences and

expertise with other actors working in

development cooperation, with whom we

share common values. ACTED is part of


Alliance 2015 (www.alliance2015.org), a

partnership of seven like-minded, non-

government organizations working in the field

of development cooperation and for the

Millennium Development Goals composed of

CESVI from Italy, Concern Worldwide from

Ireland, Welthungerhilfefrom Germany, Hivos

from the Netherlands, IBIS from Denmark,

and People in Need from the Czech Republic.

ACTED is also member of Voice

(www.ngovoice.org), the European network

representing 85 European non-governmental

organizations active in humanitarian aid

worldwide, as well as of CoordinationSud

(www.coordinationsud.org), the French

network for relief agencies.

ACTED in Figures

ACTED budget evolution 2005-2012

Expense share per region (2012)

Expense share per donor type (2012)

Staff per region

Total staff: 3,236 as of 31/12/2012

Asia 41%

MENA 10%

Africa 46%

Central America/ Caribbean

2%

Europe 1%

Bilateral 40%

Europe 34%

Multilat. 22%

Private 4%

Asia 55%

MENA 8%

Africa 33%

Central America/ Caribbean

3%

Europe 1%


South and South East Asia: A Profile

Section 2


Both South and South-East Asia have

witnessed strong and steady economic

growth during the last two decades ranging

from 5% to 8% annually. One of the region’s

greatest successes has been in propelling a

large number of people out of poverty and

halving the proportion of people living on less

than $1.25 per day thus meeting the MDG

objective. Many countries in the ASEAN

region have reached middle-income status

and are depending on foreign aid less and

less. Across the region and within countries

however, there are striking disparities in the

achievement of poverty reduction. While the

regional average of the population living

below $1.25 per day is 25%, the rate ranges

from 3.8% in Malaysia to 55% in Nepal. South

Asia continues to be home to almost 40% of

the world’s poor. 1

Poverty headcount ratio at $1.25 a day

With respect to most MDG targets, South Asia

is the poorest-performing sub-region in Asia

as well as one of the poorest-performing

regions globally. Underachievement of MDGs

is a compelling indicator of growing inequality

against a background of social exclusion which

jeopardizes equitable implementation of

government-led pro-poor and social inclusion

policies. Economic growth has actually

resulted in an overall increase of socio-

economic disparity among regions at the sub-

1 World Bank, World Development Indicators

national level, especially between urban

centers and the rural countryside. Many

people have prospered while large numbers

still live in miserable conditions; unequal

development drives migration that puts

pressure on traditional community structure

and social cohesion. The Gini coefficient on

per capita income has deteriorated in most

countries over the same period: in India from

32.5 in 1993 to 37 in 2010, in Indonesia from

29 in 1990 to 39 in 2011. Marginalized and

vulnerable people, especially indigenous

groups are often the most affected by this

growing inequality. About one quarter of all

indigenous peoples in the world live in South

and South-East Asia. They usually have low-

impact lifestyles and sustainability has been a

necessity for survival, but they are often the

most vulnerable members of society to

economic development impacts and

environmental change. Little progress has

been made over the past decade in

mainstreaming their concerns into

development decision-making.

Many countries in the region have made

insufficient progress in eradicating hunger and

malnutrition. Persistence of hunger among

almost half a billion people threatens the

long-term sustainability of the region’s

economic growth and development. Around

one in every six persons in the region suffers

from malnourishment, and an average of one

in three children is underweight. Sri Lanka has

regressed in reducing the number of

underweight children, while Indonesia, Lao

PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines, Bhutan, India,

Nepal and Pakistan are in serious risk of failing

to meet this MDG. Only Thailand has met this

objective so far and Cambodia, Vietnam,

Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives are

on track to reach this MDG.2

2 UNESCAP, Approaches to Combat Hunger in Asia

and the Pacific, 2010.


Climate change and global warming

associated with greenhouse gas emissions are

becoming the most serious threats to

challenge the region in the years to come.

South and South-East Asia are particularly

exposed to a variety of hydro-meteorological

and geophysical hazards: coastal and lowland

flooding and sea level rise, already affecting

millions, are expected to intensify. Poor

people and those who occupy marginal

coastal lands are most vulnerable to present

and future flooding impacts. Hydro-

meteorological events occur most frequently

in the region and affect the highest number of

people, while geophysical events result in the

highest number of fatalities: In the last 3 years

alone, 245 natural disasters have caused over

14,000 deaths, displaced almost 2.5 million

people and affected some 114 million people

in total. Flooding and storm events accounted

for 46% and 18% of all disasters in the region

respectively between 2010 and 2012.3

3 Center for Research on the Epidemiology of

Disasters (CRED)

South and South-East Asia are also rich in

biodiversity, but this biodiversity is under

serious threat from over-exploitation and

human activities that result in habitat loss and

degradation, which also contribute to climate

change.

In recent years, South and South-East Asia

have made steady improvements in

guaranteeing political rights and civil liberties.

A number of countries have improved

democratic institutions such as elections and

have increased pluralism and freedom of

association. The most significant recent

progress with regards to political liberalization

is occurring in Myanmar which had endured

decades of political repression under a

military junta. Still, many problems persist in

the region regarding fundamental rights and

only India, the world’s largest democracy, and

Indonesia have been rated ‘free’ by Freedom

House.4

4 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2012.

MDG progress table from UNESCAP, Asia-Pacific Regional MDG Report 2011/2012


ACTED’s Work in South and South East Asia

Section 3


ACTED’s presence in India began in 2005,

following the devastating Indian Ocean

Tsunami of late 2004. ACTED’s projects

targeted some of the hardest-hit areas in

Tamil Nadu with relief and recovery

assistance through support to food security,

shelter, WASH and livelihoods. In 2007, the

tsunami programs ended, but ACTED

intervened immediately following the Kosi

River floods in Bihar, targeting the border

district of Madhubani. In 2008, another series

of floods occurred – the worst experienced in

the flood-prone state – impacting 2.3 million

people, at which point ACTED expanded

operations to Supaul District. Humanitarian

assistance and rehabilitation was provided

through 2008 and 2009. In 2009, Cyclone Aila

hit the coastal regions of Eastern India and

Bangladesh, impacting an estimated 2.3

million in India’s eastern states. Focusing on

the more remote areas of India’s Sunderbans,

the Gangetic delta that drains into the Bay of

Bengal, ACTED implemented a range of relief

and rehabilitation projects in West Bengal

State following Aila as well as more localized

flooding in 2011 and 2012. While

mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

has been a core element of ACTED’s

emergency reponse programming since

operating in West Bengal, ACTED began

implementation of specific community-based

disaster risk reduction activities in order to

build the resilience of disaster prone

communities. Since late 2012, ACTED began

operations in the North East Indian state of

Assam to assist flood-affected households on

the island of Majuli, the world’s largest fresh

water island. From 2013, this work will be

expanded into longer-term disaster risk

reduction interventions on the island.

Emergency response and disaster risk

reduction remain the cornerstones of ACTED’s

work in India. These are areas in which the

vibrant civil society remains relatively weak

and which seriously impact the lives of many

of India’s most vulnerable, holding

development gains in India’s poorest regions

back.

In Sri Lanka, ACTED launched its operations in

January 2005 in response to the Indian Ocean

Tsunami. Interventions focused on providing

immediate relief and rehabilitation in the

Eastern Province, one of the hardest-hit areas.

The resumption of fighting due to the

decades-old ethnic conflict in 2006 resulted in

massive displacements of the civilian

population and ACTED responded by

implementing emergency water, sanitation

and hygiene activities for 16,000 Internally

Displaced Persons (IDP), alongside its

tsunami-related rehabilitation activities.

Following the end of conflict in the east and

as civilians began returning to their homes,

ACTED shifted its focus to livelihood support

and rehabilitation of critical infrastructure in

the post-conflict and post-tsunami context.

As the violence spread however to the north,

ACTED expanded its operations to these

conflict-affected areas to address the critical

needs of people displaced by the fighting by

providing emergency relief. In order to link

relief, rehabilitation and development, ACTED

maintained operations in the east with

activities geared towards economic

development, food security and civil society

strengthening.


When the civil war ended in May 2009, ACTED

continued to employ a two-pronged strategy,

with the implementation of short-term relief

and rehabilitation interventions in the north

and longer-term development activities in the

east. Strengthening Civil Society Organizations

(CSOs) and supporting small-scale economic

development are at the heart of ACTED’s

long-term work in Sri Lanka and will continue

to evolve in line with the changing contexts in

the east and the north.

ACTED has been actively supporting

vulnerable populations in Myanmar since

opening operations in the aftermath of

Cyclone Nargis in 2008. During the response

following the cyclone, ACTED’s interventions

mainly focused on Labutta Township in

Ayerwady Division, where more than 110

villages were provided with emergency Non

Food Items (NFIs), emergency shelters as well

as WASH support. After January 2009,

emphasis shifted to early recovery through

durable shelter (Build Back Better), WASH

infrastructure and livelihoods programs. With

the evolution of the context, ACTED programs

have shifted towards recovery and

development activities in 2010-2011 with a

greater focus on community-based

approaches to livelihoods and Disaster Risk

Reduction (DRR) among vulnerable coastal

communities. As Myanmar initiated its

political and economic transition, 2012

opened the possibility for ACTED to expand

activities to new areas including the Dry Zone,

Rakhine, and Kachin as well as to provide

support to civil society organizations in

partnership with the Myanmar Women

Entrepreneurs Association (MWEA). Today

ACTED maintains the capacity to act

effectively in both emergency response

(ongoing distribution of emergency shelter

and NFIs in Kachin), as well as in the

rehabilitation/development context (DRR,

livelihoods, support to civil society).

ACTED started operations in Thailand in late

2012 following the opening of its regional

office for South and South-East Asia in

Bangkok earlier that year. ACTED works in the

refugee camps along the Thailand-Myanmar

border, preparing refugees for potential

return to Myanmar through vocational skill

development. ACTED also addresses the social

and economic development needs of Thai

host communities living around the refugee

camps to compensate for some of the adverse

impacts on the local physical and socio-

economic infrastructure that are a

consequence of the camps. Activities include

advisory services and support to small and

medium enterprises to create employment

opportunities in some of the most

impoverished communities, strengthening of

local civil society organizations and

sustainable natural resource management.


In Cambodia, ACTED’s presence was

established in 2009 through a merger with

Pharmacists without Borders (PSF). PSF had

been present in Cambodia since 1991,

implementing health projects with a focus on

HIV/AIDS and STI prevention. Today, ACTED’s

programming builds on this background and

maintains a strong focus on health;

interventions include sexual and reproductive

health education targeting youth with a

particular focus on most-at-risk populations

such as sex workers and the gay community in

urban areas. Outside the health sector, ACTED

supports national civil society organizations to

address Sexual- and Gender-Based Violence

(SGBV) and, in response to the devastating

2011 floods, implements post-emergency

livelihoods interventions and WASH

programs.

ACTED has been registered in Lao PDR since

late 2011 and is planning to become

operational in one of the least developed

countries in South-East Asia during 2013.

Planned activities include the organizational

and operational capacity-building of Lao civil

society organizations, the promotion of

climate-smart agricultural practices in upland

areas in order to reduce carbon emissions,

contribute to resilience to climate change and

safeguard farmer’s food security. In addition,

ACTED plans to support biodiversity

conservation efforts in protected areas of

Northern Laos through the development of

innovative, multi-stakeholder management

and financing plans as well as poverty

reduction among local communities.

ACTED began implementing a humanitarian

relief program in Aceh, Indonesia in early

2005 in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean

Tsunami. This disaster was soon followed by

the Sumatran Earthquake in March of 2005

which devastated the island of Nias, off the

west coast of North Sumatra. ACTED quickly

expanded operations to Nias and became one

of the primary international NGOs leading

relief and rehabilitation efforts in water,

sanitation and shelter for affected

communities. ACTED has worked continuously

in Nias since 2005, linking relief and

rehabilitation projects to more recent

development interventions focusing on

disaster risk reduction, agriculture and fishing

livelihoods recovery, and child protection. In

2012, ACTED expanded operations to Nusa

Tenggara Timur in eastern Indonesia, applying

disaster preparedness and mitigation

expertise developed in Nias to design a

community-based disaster risk reduction

intervention targeting hazard-prone coastal

communities in southern Belu District. ACTED

also expanded operations to North Sumatra’s

capital, Medan, where an intervention to

prepare youth, journalists, and civil society

organizations for elections in 2013 and 2014 is

ongoing.


ACTED’s 2013-2015 Strategic Approach

Section 4


Our Objective: To provide adapted tools to build capacity and linkages for resiliency, empowerment, and economic development in South/South-East Asia

Program Pillar 1

Building Disaster and Climate

Change Resilience

Program Pillar 2

Strengthening Civil Society and Enhancing Good

Governance

Program Pillar 3

Facilitating Pro-Poor Economic

Development

Program Pillar 4

Emergency Response and

Recovery

Program Pillar 1: Building Disaster and Climate Change Resiliency

Situation Analysis

Asia is the most hazard-prone region in the

world. Compared to other regions, Asia has

suffered the largest number of disasters in the

last decade and has suffered proportionally

more disaster-related losses. Its people are

four times more likely to be affected by

natural disaster than in Africa and 25 times

more than in Europe or North America. With

25% of the world’s gross domestic product,

the region accounted for 38% of the economic

losses due to natural disasters during 1980–

2009. 5 South and South-East Asia are

particularly exposed to a variety of hydro-

meteorological and geophysical hazards.

Hydrological and meteorological events have

the highest level of occurrence in the region

and affect the highest number of people while

geophysical events result in the highest

number of fatalities: In the last 3 years alone

(2010-2012), 245 natural disasters have

caused over 14,000 deaths, displaced almost

2.5 million people and affected some 113

million people in total. Flooding and storm

events occur most frequently and accounted

for 46% and 18% of all disaster events in the

5 ADB’s Response to Natural Disasters and Disaster

Risks, 2012

region respectively between 2010 and 2012.6

Cambodia, Laos and Thailand appear in the

Global Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2013 most-

affected countries. All recorded their severest

natural hazard-related catastrophes in 2011,

and Thailand is listed as 2011’s most natural

disaster-affected country. The country

experienced its worst flooding ever that year,

triggered by the landfall of Tropical Storm

Nock-ten. The flooding led to losses worth

$43 billion, making it one of the most costly

natural disasters of the world.

Worldwide, the highest impact of a single

natural disaster in terms of population

affected was recorded for India at


Disasters (CRED)


300,000,000 people during the 1987 and 2002

droughts.7 The countries in which ACTED is

working in South and Southeast Asia are at

high risk of extreme weather patterns and/or

geophysical events.

In recent years, the frequency and severity of

floods and storms and their impact on human

life and economic development has increased

as a result of climate change and poor

management of natural resources. The gains

that South and Southeast Asia have made

through economic development in the last

decade are threatened; socially and

economically marginalized groups suffer

disproportionately. Growing concerns about

the impact of climate change are of particular

relevance in South and Southeast Asia. It is a

region where social and political structures,

demographic pressures, poor urban planning,

livelihood practices and economic

development entail a high vulnerability to

more frequent, more intense hazards, whose

magnitude is unpredictable. According to the

Climate Change Vulnerability Index 2013, all

cities that are at extreme risk from changing

temperatures and weather systems and may

see an increase in frequency and severity of


Disasters (CRED)

key hydrological and meteorological events

due to climate change are located in the

South/South-East Asia region.8 This calls for a

much stronger focus on disaster preparedness

and prevention coupled with Climate Change

Adaptation (CCA). One US Dollar invested

today in reducing disaster risk can save at

least four US Dollars in future relief and

rehabilitation costs.9

Generally, governments in South and South-

East Asia have put Disaster Risk Reduction

(DRR) high on their political agendas. There is

an increasing level of understanding among

national authorities of the inextricable link

between disaster preparedness, mitigation

and prevention as well as between DRR, CCA

and sustainable development. Progress has

been made in the implementation of the

Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 with

regards to developing disaster management

legal frameworks and setting up national DRR

platforms. However, in many countries there

remains insufficient capacity to implement

effective DRR programs; the current focus is

on preparedness, response and relief with no

adequate mechanisms to integrate sound

mitigation and prevention approaches linked

to sustainable management of natural

resources and CCA into national and local

level development planning. The

implementation capacity is particularly limited

with regard to support at sub-national and

community levels. Indeed, local communities

are largely unprepared to face and respond to

recurrent disasters which progressively

reduce their coping capacities and hinder

their own development efforts.

8Maplecroft Climate Change Vulnerability Index

2013 9 ADB’s Response to Natural Disasters and Disaster

Risks, 2012


ACTED’s Programmatic Approach

Principles:

Alignment with the Hyogo Framework of

Action 2005-2015, the ASEAN Agreement

on Disaster Management and Emergency

Response (AADMER) and the SAARC

Disaster Management Framework.

Support to national plans and national

disaster management structures and

linking country actions to regional actors

such as Asian Disaster Ppreparednesss

Center and Regional Consultative

Committee.

Integration of the sustainable

management of natural resources and

CCA into DRR programs.

Holistic interventions combining

preparedness, mitigation and prevention

to address unsafe conditions, dynamic

pressures and underlying causes and to

strengthen both coping and adaptive

capacities.

Practical Actions:

Community-Based DRR activities including

setting up Early Warning Systems,

capacity-building and training of

Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)

and local authorities, as well as small-

scale infrastructure and services at

community level including infrastructure

support, mitigation works, eco-

engineering, non-structural mitigation

activities, and awareness raising and

education among the general public.

Pilots at community level on improved

and more sustainable management of

natural resources, integration of climate-

smart practices into livelihoods systems

and promotion of resilient livelihoods.

Technical support and capacity

development of disaster risk management

structures and organizations at the sub-

national and local level.


Implementation of CBDRR models with a

systematic focus on mainstreaming DRR

and CCA into local development plans and

processes.

Dissemination, replication and advocacy

to scale-up DRR and CCA

and to institutionalize successful models

into development processes in

collaboration with local government

authorities to improve governance in

relation to disasters and climate change.

Improving access to information through

vulnerability and capacity assessments,

GIS mapping, and multi-stakeholder

forums.

Project Snaphot India: Making most-vulnerable communities more disaster resilient ACTED India’s Sunderbans Disaster Preparedness and Risk Mitigation Project highlights the importance of combining a CBDRR approach to increasing community resilience with improved government capacity through stronger vertical linkages and advocacy on mainstreaming DRR.

Working with communities in the highly disaster-prone Sunderbans region in eastern India, the project has a strong focus on building community capacity and planning through the training of specialized Task Force Teams and Village Disaster Management Committees (VDMCs), intensive door-to-door awareness raising on household preparedness and participatory methods towards the identification of risks and planning for their reduction and mitigation. Linking

with elements of Climate Change Adaptation, the project also carries out innovative pilots on building the resilience of agricultural livelihoods through agro-aqua-forestry models and self-help group-led seed and grain banks. In parallel, recognizing the need to capitalize on these gains to ensure their replication and up-take by authorities, the project also concentrates on mainstreaming DRR into Panchayat development plans through consultative and participatory planning processes. In the next phase of the project, ACTED is planning on strengthening the vertical linkages between communities and local authorities to promote the replication of community DRR successes to other areas and within the disaster management authority structures.


Program Pillar 2: Strengthening Civil Society and Enhancing Good Governance

Situation Analysis South and South-East Asia have seen a

marked increase in the number, diversity,

focus and influence of Civil Society

Organizations (CSO). CSOs are the democratic

vanguard and the key intermediary between

citizens and the state. Civil society and other

Non-State Actors (NSA) play a crucial role in

increasing the capacity of local government

and other service providers to deliver relevant

and higher-quality services by empowering

citizens to demand transparency,

accountability and increased participation.

They also provide a platform and a voice to

marginalized groups. CSOs have the potential

to promote socially inclusive policies to avert

political instability and create favourable

conditions for achieving the MDGs.

Civil society in South and South-East Asia

faces a number of challenges and constraints.

The region scores an average of only 0.479

out of 1.0 in civic activism, namely access to

civic associations, participation in the media,

and the means to participate in civic activities

in order to influence public policies and

decisions, as compared to 0.634 in Australia,

0.642 in the United States or 0.616 in the

United Kingdom. 10 According to the

Worldwide Governance Indicator “Voice and

Accountability” which measures to which

10

Indices of Social Development, 2010 Dataset

extent a county’s citizens are able to

participate in selecting their government, as

well as freedom of expression, freedom of

association, and a free media, South-East Asia

has a combined average governance score of -

0.71 (-2.5 being the lowest score and 2.5. the

highest) and a percentile rank of 29.66%.11

This data shows that in a number of countries

in the region, civil society’s operational space,

both in political and legal terms, is restricted.

It is, therefore, difficult for CSOs to engage

with the state and the political system and

simultaneously work towards state

accountability. In Sri Lanka and Myanmar, for

example, decades of conflict have significantly

weakened links between state and non-state

actors. This is due largely to the population’s

eroded trust in both the local and national

government.

In general, countries in the region are creating

more space for CSOs to operate. Despite the

overall trend towards greater operational

space for civil society, repressive practices,

such as harassment of civil society activists,

especially those working on human rights and

social justice issues, continue. In the most

extreme cases, the personal safety of activists

speaking out on these issues can be put at

risk. Additionally, many CSOs in the region are

often small and informal and do not have the

organizational and operational capacity to

effectively advocate beyond their immediate

local communities. Joint initiatives and

networking at local, national and regional

level need to be developed in order to amplify

voices and defend local interests. The lack of

sustainable resources and weak governance

both in the external environment and within

CSOs hinders their effectiveness.

11

Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2011 Dataset.



Principles:

Working with existing and established

structures wherever possible to increase

sustainability.

Fostering an environment of trust and

dialogue between state and non-state

actors with a focus on accountability and

transparency.

Ensuring the active engagement and

participation of marginalized groups in

decision-making processes.

Practical Actions:

Capacity-building of CSOs and other non-

state actorss operating at sub-national,

national and regional level in five aspects

of organizational development

(organizational management; financial

management; leadership, participation

and group dynamics; Project Cycle

Management, external relations) using

the ACTED CSO capacity development and

assessment toolbox (Grassroots

Organizational Capacity Assessment -

GOCA).

Targeted technical support to improve the

quality of service delivery by a)

developing the capacity of CSOs to act as

service providers that complement

government functions and b) ensuring

transparency and accountability of state

actors towards citizens through the

promotion of linkages between state and

non-state actors (e.g. Citizen Report Card,

Service Provider Directory) and c) the

provision of third-party monitoring.

Provision of small grants to CSOs to fund

innovative and/or pilot initiatives by CSOs

that either enhance service delivery

and/or contribute to good governance

processes.

Enhancing CSO understanding of financial

resources with a particular focus on

assisting CSOs to access funding – both

public and private – in order to implement

a greater number of initiatives identified

by the communities they represent.

Promoting networking among CSOs at

national and regional level and developing

the capacity of CSO networks and

coordination bodies to pool CSO interests

in order to amplify their voice and

influence vis-à-vis national, regional and

global public and private actors.


Project Snapshot Indonesia: Towards a Vibrant and Inclusive Electoral Process

In Indonesia ACTED is building civil society capacity and contributing to good governance through the Youth, Journalist, and Civil Society Capacity-Building Project (YJCS-CBP) which provides education and raises awareness among students in senior high schools and universities in one of Indonesia’s largest urban areas of the electoral process in order to stimulate youth engagement and participation in democracy. A youth-oriented election handbook produced and distributed to students is complemented by practical exercises including voting simulation and candidate discussion forums. The project also provides organizational development and technical training to CSOs in North Sumatra who are working in the areas of democracy and human rights to strengthen and empower them as monitors of national and provincial elections in 2014. Working with local partner Kajian Informasi, Pendidikandan Penerbitan Sumatera (KIPPAS), the project trains print, radio, television, and online journalists in political and election reporting standards as well as civic journalism to increase media focus on grassroots perspectives in relation to the democratic process. KIPPAS is working with electoral commission authorities and journalists to develop a voluntary code of conduct specific to election reporting standards. The project also involves students, journalists, and CSOs in the production of creative multi-media content and public events that have the potential to reach a large proportion of Indonesia’s fourth most-populous province.

Project Snapshot Sri Lanka: Fostering Partnerships for Good Governance After decades of conflict and ethnic strife in the north of Sri Lanka, the relationship between the civil society and local government is, at best, strained. It is necessary to foster social integration and develop partnerships between CSOs and local authorities in order to increase trust with the local government. Enhancing these partnerships and capacities will also facilitate improved delivery of basic services. ACTED’s project develops a sustainable CSO resource centre which will provide trainings relevant to the needs identified by CSOs. The resource center also provides a space for organizations to meet and support each other. Through the support of ACTED and the resource centre, CSOs are encouraged to develop partnerships with local authorities and develop relevant projects targeting the specific needs of their communities related to health, gender and the environment. CSOs are empowered to use a community score card to provide feedback on the quality of services provided by local authorities. Along with the development of a service provider directory, CSOs will be enabled to open a dialogue with their local authorities on the provision of services. In turn, local authorities are meant to advocate for the integration of people’s needs into government plans and policies.


Program Pillar 3: Facilitating Pro-Poor Economic Development

Situation Analysis:

Most countries in South and South-East Asia

have seen remarkable achievements in

economic growth and poverty reduction over

the last two decades. Between 1990 and

2010, the average annual Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) growth rate reached about 7%.

This growth has improved living conditions

and reduced poverty as the region’s average

per capita GDP in 2005 Purchasing Power

Parity (PPP) terms increased by about 250%

between 1990 and 2010. The proportion of

the population in the region living on or below

the $1.25-a-day poverty line fell from 48% in

1990 to about 25% in 2010. Many countries in

the ASEAN region have reached middle-

income status and are depending on foreign

aid less and less. Across the region and within

countries however, there are striking

disparities in the achievement of poverty

reduction. While the regional average of the

population living below $1.25 per day is 25%,

the rate ranges from 3.8% in Malaysia to 55%

in Nepal. South Asia is home the largest

concentration of people living in debilitating

poverty and social deprivation (approx. 40%

of the world’s poor).12

In addition, the performance in growth and

poverty reduction has also been accompanied

by rising inequality of per capita expenditure

or income, as measured by the Gini

coefficient, in most countries in South and

South-East Asia. For example, Indonesia saw

its Gini coefficient worsen from 29 in 1990 to

12

World Bank, World Development Indicators and World Bank, “The South Asian Paradox”, Feature Story 25 October 2012.

39 in 2011 and India from 32.5 in 1993 to 37

in 2010. This widening disparity between the

‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ is a growing concern

and threat to South and South-East Asia’s

long-term growth and stability. The forces of

technological progress, globalization, and

market-oriented reform - the primary drivers

of the region’s rapid growth - are putting a

wedge between the incomes of the rich and

poor. These factors tend to favor owners of

capital over labor, high-skilled over low-skilled

workers, and urban and coastal centers over

rural and inland areas. According to various

national household surveys conducted in the

mid- to late 2000s, these inequalities are

evident in that school-age children from

households in the poorest income quintile

were three to five times as likely to be out of

primary and secondary school as their peers

in the richest quintile in some countries, or

that infant mortality rates among the poorest

households in some countries were double or

triple the rates of those among the richest

households. In the most extreme examples,

the chance of a poor infant dying at birth was

more than 10 times higher than for an infant

born to a rich family. 13

Considering the potential that today's poor

represent as tomorrow's middle class, there is

a need to set the conditions that expand

opportunities for individuals, families and

communities to express their full economic

potential, and to reduce poverty by expanding

employment and income-generation

opportunities.

13

Asian Development Bank, Asian Development Outlook 2012 – Confronting Rising Inequality in Asia.



Principles:

Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) approach

considering the poorest communities as

entrepreneurs and innovators with the

potential to create wealth.

Community-Driven Development -

communities can take control over

strategic decisions regarding investment

resources for local development including

construction of infrastructure and the

provision of basic services.

Public-Private Partnerships and multi-

stakeholder processes as viable solutions

for fast tracking development, improving

access to basic social services, and

ensuring cost efficiency along the way.

Social protection as an approach to

address consequences of inequality and

enhance the capacity of the most

vulnerable to manage economic and

social risk such as unemployment,

exclusion, sickness, disability and old age.

Practical Actions:

Advisory services and support to Small

and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to create

employment opportunities in some of the

most impoverished communities through

support to development of business

plans, vocational and on-the-job training,

linking with markets, and financial

literacy.

Value chain approaches to help poor

producers increase their production--

(good agricultural practices, access to

inputs, and support from extension

services), capture market opportunities,

obtain fair deals, and produce higher-

quality products thus increasing incomes

and employment and harnessing

economic growth.

Provision of financial services to the

working poor including micro-

entrepreneurs and SMEs who currently

lack access to banking, in partnership with

ACTED’s partner financial service

providers like Oxus and Babyloan.

The OXUS Group (www.oxusnetwork.org) was created by ACTED in July 2005 with the aim to fight poverty through the provision of microfinance services to the working poor. OXUS aims at empowering disadvantaged people, integrating a commercial approach into a broad human development framework. The OXUS Group’s goal is to act as a catalyst for large numbers of urban and rural low income entrepreneurs’ efforts to achieve better economic security, by delivering sustainable and client-oriented financial services. The OXUS Group has already set up microfinance institutions in five Central Asian and African countries, and plans to expand its network in order to be present in 12 countries by 2015.

Support to the creation of Private-Public

Partnerships linking private companies,

civil society and local governments in

order to ensure that social and

environmental standards are respected,

co-create public goods, address systemic

constraints and advocate for relevant

sector reforms and investment.

In partnership with Convergences2015

(www.convergences2015.org), promotion

of projects and new collaborations on

sustainable development, microfinance,

social business and entrepreneurship and

social and solidarity-based economy in

South and South-East Asia.

http://www.acted.org/


Project Snapshot Myanmar: Economic Empowerment of Women

In Myanmar ACTED is successfully supporting the development of the Myanmar Women Entrepreneurs Association (MWEA) into a strong platform actively supporting women’s economic empowerment while ensuring respect of women’s rights in the workplace. The project Enhancing the capacity of civil society to promote women's rights and economic empowerment in Myanmar creates market linkages between SMEs run by women in different parts of the country (including rural areas), and promotes

women’s economic empowerment through training and networking. It also provides a direct channel to the government enabling MWEA to influence gender-related economic policies and advocate for sector reforms. Through conferences, TV and radio shows, MWEA reaches 10 million individuals each week, encouraging increased participation of women in economic activities and creating public awareness of women’s rights. Finally, MWEA implements an innovative multi-stakeholder process involving the private and public sector to ensure women’s protection in the workplace by establishing a voluntary code of conduct for SMEs and its implementation through a joint complaint mechanism.

Project Snapshot Sri Lanka: Converting Entrepreneurial Potential into Innovative and Successful Business Activities

The project Community Driven Development and Pro-Poor Economic Growth for Conflict-Affected Populations in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka aims to unlock the business potential of existing entrepreneurs from conflict-affected communities in Eastern Sri Lanka to create sustainable income generating opportunities within their communities. The project emphasis a bottom up approach using entrepreneurs as catalysts for change within their communities and who have the potential to generate wealth. With ACTED support, small entrepreneurs develop a clear understanding and analysis of value chains in order to identify key factors related to increasing the profitability of existing their businesses and allow them to capture the market beyond their immediate localities. In a next step, ACTED provides advisory services, including the development of comprehensive business plans support by technical, management and marketing trainings to encourage small business owners to upgrade their business techniques and create additional employment opportunities. Finally, entrepreneurs are linked to financial service providers to increase access to credit and foster business expansion.


Program Pillar 4: Emergency Response and Recovery

Situation Analysis Although progress has been made in disaster

preparedness and mitigation, countries in

South and South-East Asia remain vulnerable

to natural, technological and conflict-related

disasters. Once a disaster strikes, it is

imperative to intervene quickly to save lives,

reduce suffering and protect the integrity and

dignity of people in distress, irrespective of

their nationality, religion, gender or ethnic

origin.


Principles:

Focus on remote, hard to access and

underserved areas.

Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and

Development (LRRD): rehabilitation and

return to development measures are

integrated into and/or implemented

immediately after the start of and

alongside relief activities (LRRD

contiguum model).

Mainstreaming disaster preparedness and

mitigation in relief activities and “Building

Back Better.”

Adapted, multi-sectoral response

according to the situation on the ground

and in order to meet basic needs of

affected populations.

Adhering to SPHERE minimum standards

and HAP principles.

Support the effectiveness of planning and

coordination with other aid actors and

humanitarian coordination platforms

(notably clusters).

Practical Actions:

Rapid deployment of experienced

response teams to areas in crisis.

Cash and voucher transfers to meet basic

food and non-food needs or to purchase

assets, enabling people to resume

economic activity.

Provision of shelter.

Ensuring suitable water supply, adequate

sanitation and promoting hygiene.

Provision of Non-Food Relief Items (NFRI)

and distribution of in-kind food aid on

short-term basis to save people’s lives.

Infrastructure rehabilitation that aids the

re-establishment of basic or lifeline

services.

REACH – Informing Humanitarian Action

In an emergency context, ACTED works closely with REACH (www.reach-initiative.org). Indeed, REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of ACTED, Impact and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s overall objective is to enhance the effectiveness of planning and coordination by aid actors in countries that are in crisis or at-risk of crisis. REACH’s specific objective is to contribute to filling information gaps before, during and in the aftermath of a crisis. REACH partners with the Global Shelter Cluster (GSC) co-lead IFRC to strengthen the targeting, coordination and planning capacity of the GSC. REACH also formalized a partnership with the Global Food Security Cluster (GFSC), co-led by FAO and WFP. In addition, REACH supports the interagency Needs Assessment Task Force in the deployment of the MIRA.

http://www.unitar.org/unosat/

http://www.ifrc.org/fr/

http://www.foodsecuritycluster.org/

http://www.foodsecuritycluster.org/


Project Snapshot Cambodia: Promoting Flood Recovery and Disaster Resilience

Extreme seasonal rains in late 2011 caused severe flooding in Cambodia affecting over 1.2 Mill. people. ACTED is currently implementing a project aimed at stimulating livelihood resumption and improving water, sanitation and hygiene behaviour and facilities while integrating disaster preparedness. The project is implemented in Kandal which was the worst hit province with over 72,000 households suffering damage and/or displacement. Over 3,300 vulnerable households affected by the floods currently benefit from Cash for Work (CfW) activities or unconditional cash grants for those unable to take part to the CfW (due to their extreme vulnerability, health or physical condition). Cash transfers provide beneficiaries with much-needed capital to maximise their recovery opportunities. CfW will also accelerate general economic recovery.

Outreach education focusing on the importance of handwashing with soap and correct water usage coupled with the distribution of 3,300 ceramic water purifiers is being conducted to improve hygiene behaviours and health among beneficiaries. The project is also rehabilitating and building flood-resistant latrines and water points in each of the 36 targeted villages.


Cross-Cutting Aspects

Gender: Gender inequality is a constraint on

both economic and social development, and

women are often disproportionately affected

by disaster and poverty. At the same time,

women have unique potential to positively

influence the development process. ACTED

ensures gender mainstreaming and the full

involvement of women as a key approach to

all activities implemented in the region.

Inclusiveness: A complex range of socially

excluded and vulnerable groups exists across

South and Southeast Asia including ethnic and

religious minorities, castes, elderly, People

with Disabilities (PwD), children, Internally

Displaced Peoples (IDP), refugees and Lesbian,

Gays, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT). Given

the inadequacy of safety nets and limited

inclusiveness of governance in the region,

ACTED considers the special needs of these

groups by engaging them in all steps of the

project cycle across programmatic pillars.

Additionally, ACTED targets these groups

through specific interventions that address

income generation, participation in

governance and social protection.

Environment: Recognizing that human and

economic development depends on natural

resources and that emergencies and disasters

can be both exacerbated by and create an

additional driver of resource degradation,

ACTED considers environmental impact during

project design, as well as promoting

sustainable use, conservation, and protection

of natural resources during implementation.

acted south and south-east asia regional strategy 2013 – 2015

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