Disclaimer:
Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
Overview
Prepared by (Name of the experimenter)
Betty Chemier
On date (Day/Month/Year)
15/02/2024
Current status of experimental activity
Implementation Stage
What portfolio does this activity correspond to? If any
Collective Intelligence for the Climate Action
What is the frontier challenge does this activity responds to?
Disaster and Risk Management
What is the learning question(from your action learning plan) is this activity related to?
How can we develop skills to raise awareness among communities about the risks of floods, enabling them to take concrete actions, thus strengthening their resilience to emergencies?
Please categorize the type that best identifies this experimental activity:
Experimental (Randomised assignment and/or control group)
Which sector are you partnering with for this activity? Please select all that apply
Public Sector
Please list the names of partners mentioned in the previous question:
Junta Comunal de Juan Diaz
Junta Comunal de Don Bosco
Sistema nacional de proteccion civil (SINAPROC)
Design
What is the specific learning intent of the activity?
Develop skills that sensitize communities about flood risks, so that they can take concrete actions to be prepared and strengthen their resilience in the face of emergencies.
What is your hypothesis? IF... THEN....
If spaces are created to discuss flood risks, then the necessary information will be generated to establish the guidelines of a community plan, promoting the taking of concrete measures and strengthening community resilience.
Does the activity use a control group for comparison?
No, it does not use a control group
How is the intervention assigned to different groups in your experiment?
Other
Describe which actions will you take to test your hypothesis:
The execution was carried out through participatory workshops that provided the inputs to design the plan. It began with a detailed mapping of the risks that residents experienced and were aware of in the context of a possible flood.
Subsequently, we worked with markers on printed maps of the neighborhood to identify evacuation routes, safe points within the neighborhood, and the location of emergency signage.
During the workshops, the residents' proposals and perspectives were subjected to constant dialogue and validated by representatives of the emergency response teams present at the workshops. Continuous exchange between the community and experts led to a strong consensus on the essential components of the Community Emergency Plan, comprehensively integrating local knowledge with technical expertise.
Subsequently, the plan was laid out. The final product of this pilot is a two-page PDF document that includes: Map of the neighborhood with emergency routes, safe points and location of signage, steps to follow in cases of an emergency, contents of an emergency suitcase, emergency numbers of the area.
What is the unit of analysis of this experimental activity?
The unit of analysis for this experimental activity is the level of community engagement and knowledge about the plan, specifically the neighborhoods of Concepción and El Nance in the Juan Diaz district of Panama.
Please describe the data collection technique proposed
The proposed data collection technique involves active community participation in workshops, risk mapping through collaborative walks, and distribution of Community Emergency Plans. The evidence is collected through participation in workshops, assessment of the diversity of actors involved, distribution of plans in the community, and the number of participants in training sessions.
What is the timeline of the experimental activity? (Months/Days)
The entire timeline for this experiment was 3 months, this includes participatory activities as well as diagramming of the final plan.
What is the estimated sample size?
10-49
What is the total estimated monetary resources needed for this experiment?
Less than 1,000 USD
Quality Check
This activity is relevant to a CPD outcome, The hypothesis is clearly stated, This activity offers strong collaboration oportunities, This activity offers a high potential for scaling, This activity has a low risk
Please upload any supporting images or visuals for this experiment.
Please upload any supporting links
What are the estimated non- monetary resources required for this experiment? (time allocation from team, external resources, etc) If any.
The experiment required time and effort from the team, including facilitators and participants, as well as collaboration with external stakeholders such as local government representatives and experts in disaster management.
Results
Was the original hypothesis (If.. then) proven or disproven?
The original hypothesis appears to have been proven, as the experiment aimed to create spaces for discussing flood risks with the community in order to generate information for establishing community plans and strengthening resilience.
Do you have observations about the methodology chosen for the experiment? What would you change?
The chosen methodology was participatory and inclusive, involving active engagement of the community and collaboration with local authorities and experts. One potential improvement could be to involve more youth group in order to support in the implementation phase of the experiment.
From design to results, how long did this activity take? (Time in months)
3 months
What were the actual monetary resources invested in this activity? (Amount in USD)
900$ fee for the graphic designer who put together the information to elaborate the final Plan
Does this activity have a follow up or a next stage? Please explain
The next stage of this experiment is the delivery of the Community Emergency Plan to the communities and installation of signage by the Municipality of Panama in Q1 of 2024, these activities were delayed at the end of last year due to country wide protests in Panama.
Is this experiment planned to scale? How? With whom?
The experiment could be scaled by replicating the methodology in other communities facing similar challenges, potentially involving collaboration with other local and international organizations. There is a voiced interest from the Municipality of Panama to replicate this, but as we approach local elections it is hard to count on their participation.
Please add any supporting links that describe the planning, implementation, results of learning of this activity? For example a tweet, a blog, or a report.
Considering the outcomes of this experimental activity, which of the following best describe what happened after? (Please select all that apply)
This experiment led to partnerships
Learning
What do you know now about the action plan learning question that you did not know before? What were your main learnings during this experiment?
The experiment provided insights into the effectiveness of participatory approaches in disaster preparedness and response, highlighting the importance of community engagement and collaboration with local stakeholders. Specifically, the importance of involving the community in the mapping and design process since their are the experts in the knowledge of their territory.
What were the main obstacles and challenges you encountered during this activity?
Obstacles and challenges faced have included logistical issues, coordination with stakeholders, and ensuring sustained community engagement throughout the process.
Who at UNDP might benefit from the results of this experimental activity? Why?
UNDP staff involved in disaster risk reduction and community resilience initiatives would benefit from the results of this experimental activity, as it provides insights into effective approaches for community engagement and disaster preparedness. We have presented our work to several COs in the RBLAC region, and in forums about disaster and risk management.
Who outside UNDP might benefit from the results of this experiment? and why?
Local government agencies, community organizations, and other development partners working on disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation may benefit from the results of this experiment, as it offers lessons learned and best practices for similar interventions that involved the community into the design of solutions.
Did this experiment require iterations? If so, how many and what did you change/adjust along the way? and why?
We did a technical validation process of the plan that was decided by the community in order to ensure that the technicalities were validated or corrected by the personnel from the public institutions in charge of providing rescue and support to the communities.
What advice would you give someone wanting to replicate this experimental activity?
Those wanting to replicate this experimental activity should prioritize community participation, engage diverse stakeholders, customize the methodology to suit local contexts, and ensure ongoing evaluation and adaptation based on feedback.
Can this experiment be replicated in another thematic area or other SDGs? If yes, what would need to be considered, if no, why not?
Yes, this experiment could be replicated in other thematic areas or SDGs by adapting the methodology to address different challenges, such as health, education, or economic development, while still prioritizing community engagement and collective problem-solving.
How much the "sense" and "explore" phases of the learning cycle influenced/shaped this experiment? In hindsight, what would you have done differently with your fellow Solution Mapper and Explorer?
The "sense" and "explore" phases likely influenced the experiment by emphasizing the importance of understanding community needs and exploring innovative solutions collaboratively. In hindsight, more emphasis on iterative feedback loops could have been beneficial for refining the approach throughout the process.
What surprised you?
The level of community engagement and the effectiveness of the participatory approach and specific knowledge that the community had on the particularities of their neighborhood were surprising, along with the extent of collaboration and consensus-building achieved among diverse stakeholders.
11Sustainable cities and communities
13Climate action
17Partnerships for the goals
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