Evaluating the impact of DRR Interventions after disasters

Project Description

The Oxfam Global Humanitarian Team (GHT) has a Performance and Innovation Team that sets the standards and gathers evidence to document learning in the different thematic areas of Oxfam work, including Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

Oxfam’s GHT sought IRMA’s support to develop a methodology to evaluate the impact of its DRR work in communities that were subsequently affected by a disaster. Oxfam wanted to know how it could assess the extent to which investments in DRR had helped beneficiaries withstand the effects of a hazard event and whether they were less affected than others who had not participated in a DRR project. In addition, because it would be used in a post-disaster context, Oxfam wanted the methodology to avoid creating a burden for teams on the ground engaged in response work.

IRMA developed an innovative methodology – a Rapid Impact Assessment – for this purpose and supported its successful pilot application in India. Learning from the pilot was incorporated, and in Spring 2022, IRMA delivered training on Rapid Impact Assessment to Oxfam’s M&E and DRR teams to support a global roll-out.