Danish Red Cross Breakthrough Study

Client
Danish Red Cross (DRC)

Duration
August 2024 - ongoing

Our project team
Victoria Bannon
Tom Bamforth

Tegan Saunders
Ian Wilderspin
Rosanna Drew

Type of work
Research and analysis
Reports and editing
Stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder consultations

Key themes
Anticipatory action
Community development
Disaster risk reduction (DRR)
Emergency preparedness and response
Organisational development

About this project

This study aimed to learn how effective change is generated through the breakthrough “Disaster Damage Fewer Lives”, so that the Danish Red Cross can in turn, assess whether it is implementing the most effective actions for change.

Though desk research, consultations and in-country visits to Nepal, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia, this Breakthrough Study explored the use of anticipatory and rapid emergency response approaches as strategic mechanisms. It identified successful strategies, challenges, and best practices for leveraging these emergency response efforts to foster broader collaboration and long-term impact.

Key objectives of the project included:

• Assessing the effectiveness of anticipatory and rapid emergency response initiatives in catalyzing scale-up opportunities and deepening engagement with partners and authorities in selected countries.

• Identifying key factors that contribute to successful utilisation of anticipatory actions and emergency response as a stepping-stone for broader and longer-term engagement.

• Analysing the challenges and barriers encountered in leveraging anticipatory and emergency response efforts for scale-up and increased engagement, and to propose mitigation strategies.

• Provide actionable recommendations for the Danish Red Cross and its partners to optimise emergency response as a strategic tool for scaling up initiatives and enhancing collaboration.