A joint learning and action
initiative to strengthen resilience
of communities, organizations, and countries
Preparedness Working Group
About the preparedness working group
The Preparedness Working Group (PWG) is an initiative born in 2025 from the common interest of its members, recognizing that preparedness is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce disaster losses, especially if paired with other risk-informed initiatives. It is a platform open to HDPI affiliates and others who share the same interest, designed to explore the different aspects of preparedness in the current global context, to exchange with experts and practitioners from multiple backgrounds, to identify ways in which we can support institutions, organizations and communities in better preparing for present and future crises, and to advocate for the importance of preparedness in mitigating the impact of disasters and human-made crises on local communities.
Supporting preparedness efforts
We are experienced practitioners, working individually or as a team, on:
- Diagnostic and design of early warning and preparedness systems
- Identification of organizational risks and gaps
- Risk analysis
- Risk-informed planning and project/programme development
- Implementation of preparedness plans
- Business continuity planning
- Contingency planning
- Capacity building and mentoring
- Design and delivery of simulations, table-tops and drills
- After-action reviews and evaluations
Group Members
The HDPI Preparedness Working Group is an independent group of individuals with global experience in emergency preparedness and response. Click on the name and photo to access their bio and LinkedIn page.
Examples of Past Work
- Evaluation of UNICEF’s global preparedness efforts (2013-2024), completed in 2025.
- Evaluation of WHO's preparedness and response to the Ukraine emergency in seven countries (2022-2024), completed in 2025.
- After Action Review of UNICEF preparedness and response to Typhoon Yagi in East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, and in Vit Nam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar Country Offices (2025)
- Development of UNICEF strategy for Climate Change, Energy, Environment and DRR (CEED) in the Pacific Island Region (2024-2025).
- Elaboration of UN Women Myanmar Humanitarian Strategy, including preparedness and risk management (2023)
- Facilitation of WHO’s major public health simulation (JADE) for a pandemic emergency in the European region (2022).
- Integration of preparedness in BRAC International emergency SOPs (2021)
- Implementation of multi-country emergency preparedness and response programme in Uganda, Sierra Leone and Myanmar, reaching 6000 community members and 1200 school, community and local government members (2021)
- Training of UNICEF National Committees in high-income Caribbean island states to scale up hurricane preparedness (2020-2021).
- Design and implementation of emergency preparedness and response plans in multiple UNICEF Country Offices including Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, South Sudan, (2012-2019)
- Regional Emergency and Crisis Management Training (REACT), WFP Cairo Regional Bureau and interagency partners (2014)
- Facilitation of emergency simulation exercises for UN agencies, NGOs and National Disaster Management Offices in Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Colombia, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ghana, Haiti, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Papua New Guinea, Syria, Zimbabwe and others (2005-2014).
- Development and teaching of mini-course for Swedish MSB on emergency simulations for UN, NGO and Red Cross staff (2009-2012).
- Establishment of the WFP and Interagency Humanitarian Preparedness and Response Depot, El Salvador (2008-2009)
- WFP Launching and management of the multihazard Sistema de Alerta Temprana para Centro America (SATCA.org) (2007-2009)
- Launching and management of the Interagency multihazard Humanitarian Early Warning Service (HEWSweb.org) 2004-2006
- Coordination of the IASC Emergency Preparedness and Response Working Group (2003-2006)
- Middle East WFP and partners Interagency Contingency Planning exercise (2002)