CAPS contributes to better co-ordination in post-tsunami livelihood recovery activities
Fri, 2006-10-13 03:49Sunil C. Perera, Reporting from Colombo
Colombo, 13 October, (Asiantribune.com):The Livelihoods Unit of the Reconstruction and Development agency [RADA], technically supported by the international Labour Organization [ILO] recently launched its District based Coordination and Planning System (CAPS) to collect and update information on planned and ongoing post-tsunami livelihoods recovery activities from a wide range of service providers. The objective is to provide district and divisional level decision-makers with the information required for coordination and planning of livelihood recovery activities and to minimize duplications in post-tsunami assistance. 
ILO’s Chief Technical Advisor, Doekle Wielinga, says the CAPS collects details on post-tsunami livelihood aid distribution and service providers in a comprehensive manner.
According to Divisional Secretaries from the tsunami affected divisions, the lack of detailed information of the support provided by a number of NGOs and INGOs earlier has been a key reason for duplications during the aid distribution.
ILO’s Chief Technical Advisor, Doekle Wielinga, says the CAPS collects details on post-tsunami livelihood aid distribution and service providers in a comprehensive manner. NGOs, INGOs and state institutions are now engaged with the CAPS in 8 districts and provide details of their post-tsunami livelihoods recovery activities. The compiled information is distributed back to the participating (I)NGOs and is made available to district and divisional authorities. This information dissemination assists aid distribution agencies to avoid duplications and to target activities when planning future work in tsunami-affected areas, Mr.Wielinga said.
Coordination between aid agencies and District and Divisional Authorities is crucial. According to the District Secretary of Hambantota, Mr.M.A.Piyasena, a number of tsunami affected fishermen had received fibre glass boats from aid agencies, without Divisional Secretaries of the area aware of these activities.
Therefore, it is important that aid agencies coordinate their activities with the District and Divisional authorities, and vice versa, said Mr.W.M.B.S.Nissanka, Acting director of RADA-livelihood.
The District Secretary of the Ampara District, Mr. Herath Abeyaweera, said he still needs more details of the aid distribution, especially for affected fishermen in Ampara district. “I do not know how many boats were distributed among the affected fishermen in the Ampara District due to the information-sharing gap”, he said.
According to the Divisional Secretaries of the tsunami affected areas in Sri Lanka, there are still a number of affected people in their areas that have not received full assistance from NGOs or INGOs.
Therefore, it is important that aid agencies coordinate their activities with the District and Divisional authorities, and vice versa, said Mr.W.M.B.S.Nissanka, Acting director of RADA-livelihood. He continued that the Monthly Livelihood Coordination meetings, organized through the District Secretaries, are and important platform for such coordination and that RADA District and Divisional staff is facilitating this process
Mr.Wielinga concluded that the CAPS is a useful tool for all stakeholders involved in livelihood recovery to share information and better coordinate their activities.
- Asian Tribune -
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