European Commission, DG ECHO 2014 Call for prevention and preparedness projects in civil protection and marine pollution "Increasing preparedness capacities across the Mediterranean" (IPCAM) Three national civil protection authorities investing in the improvement of preparedness capacities, the development of more effective coordination mechanisms and the increased involvement of civil society in disaster response operations. Total project budget : 634,635 €EC cofinancing : € Project duration: 2 years

Beneficiary : Italian Civil Protection Department (DPC) DPC is a structure of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. It steers the National Service of Civil Protection, which includes local authorities, research institutes, private companies, volunteers associations and all Italian operational forces. During major emergencies, it ensures horizontal (line Ministries) and vertical (central-local) coordination. It has a guiding role, in cooperation with regional and local governments, for risk prevention, forecasting and monitoring activities as well as for emergency preparedness and for intervention procedures in cases of on-going or upcoming crisis events. Partners: Tunisian National Office of Civil Protection (ONPC). It is the Tunisian rescue service aimed at assisting the population. The Missions of ONPC include "all tasks and actions required to manage the various disasters, catastrophes and calamities that harm or threaten people and property, or which impair or threaten the national property and the natural environment, in cooperation and coordination with the various authorities and public institutions. " German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW). It is a civil protection organisation controlled by the German federal government. 99% of its 83,807 members (January 2010) are volunteers. Its tasks include technical and logistical support for other (German) GOs, NGOs or other authorities like fire brigades, police or the custom authorities; technical or humanitarian relief in foreign countries; technical relief in Germany. Studiare Sviluppo (SS). Its mission is to provide support to the Italian central government in the planning and implementation of projects requiring qualified expert contribution in the management sectors. Studiare Sviluppo will provide logistic, financial and administrative management support the implementation of the IPCAM project.

Project rationale Tunisia is exposed to increasing climate related risks – mostly droughts, floods and wildfires – to the risk of technological disasters and earthquakes. IPCC indicated that “the Mediterranean region - and in particular the North African countries - are among the most vulnerable areas in the world to climate change. The number of adverse meteorological events is projected to increase as well as their strength and duration”. The three authorities/agencies share the importance of investing more in preparedness arrangements, including more effective coordination mechanisms among different line Ministries and public institutions, civil society and international organisations and of increasing the involvement of civil society in disaster response, with the objective of delivering timely and effective assistance and support to affected population (including tourists) in a cross-border and regional dimension. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to improve capacities for emergency response and thus ensure more effective protection of risk prone population in Tunisia. The Project will provide a platform to intensify and strengthen working relations, co-operation, transfer of know-how and best practices in the field of preparedness measures at cross-border (Italy-Tunisia) and regional levels (Tunisia - Germany and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism) taking stock from previous and ongoing initiatives, also at bilateral level.

Project purposes: 1. to increase the cooperation among all Tunisian entities involved in disaster response 2. to strengthen the capability of the Tunisian system for emergency response including local communities and civil society, mainly in the field of rapid needs assessment and assistance to affected population during response to emergencies (evacuation planning, emergency/risk communication and delivery of assistance to displaced people); 2. to develop integrated plans to assist the population in pilot disaster risk prone areas; 3. to increase linkages among the Tunisian Civil Protection authorities, EU Member States Civil Protection authorities and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (cross- border and regional co-operation). Target groups Operational staff and high level managers of the Tunisian National Office of Civil Protection (ONPC), municipalities and emergency management experts at local and national level, volunteers associations in Tunisia and the Tunisian population in general.

Project tasks and related activities A.Capacity-development programme for technical experts (operational level). Training courses tailored to the beneficiaries needs; Exchange of Experts; Simulation exercise of local “first responders mixed teams” B.Capacity-development programme for reinforcing preparedness measures (management level). Training course/scenario-based discussion tailored to the beneficiaries needs; Exchange of Experts and simulation exercises C.Risk and Capacity Assessment – two pilot projects. Desk studies and selection of risk prone areas; Risk and Capacities Assessment; Involvement of Civil Protection Volunteers Organisation in response operations; Implementation of Pilot Projects and related Awareness and Demonstration Events D.Cross-border and regional cooperation. Desk study on response mechanisms at cross- border and regional levels and related legal preparedness measures for receipt of international assistance; Organisation of preparatory meetings with the involvement of line-Ministries and International Organisations and Civil Society; Organisation of one Table Top Exercise at high level E.Project management: Coordination, Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation F.Visibility: web, press, final conference

Deliverables and deadlines A.Capacity-development programme for technical experts (operational level). Training curricula on rapid needs assessment, evacuation logistics, temporary shelter and camp management adapted to local needs: March 2015 Training courses on rapid needs assessment, evacuation logistics, temporary shelter and camp management; including simulation exercise of local “first responders mixed teams”: First course May 2015, second course October 2015 Exchange of Experts mission: March 2016 B.Capacity-development programme for reinforcing preparedness measures (management level). Training curricula on emergency/risk communication, evacuation planning and delivery of assistance to displaced people at management level adapted to local needs: April 2015 Training courses on emergency/risk communication, evacuation planning and delivery of assistance to displaced people; including table-top simulation exercise: First course June 2015, second course November 2015 Exchange of Experts mission: March 2016 C.Risk and Capacity Assessment – two pilot projects. Desk studies and selection of risk prone areas: December 2015 Risk and Capacities Assessment: December 2015; Involvement of Civil Protection Volunteers Organisation in response operations: December 2016; Implementation of Pilot Projects and related Awareness and Demonstration Events: July 2016 D.Cross-border and regional cooperation. Desk study on response mechanisms at cross-border and regional levels and related legal preparedness measures for receipt of international assistance: November 2016; Organisation of preparatory meetings with the involvement of line-Ministries and International Organisations and Civil Society: November 2016; Organisation of one Table Top Exercise at high level: November 2016; E.Project Management. First Progress report: October 2015 Second Progress report: April 2016

Tentative dates and places for major events Initial planning meeting: Tunis, February 2015 Middle planning meeting: Rome, January 2016 Final project meeting: Tunis, November 2016 Training courses on rapid needs assessment, evacuation logistics, temporary shelter and camp management including simulation exercise of local “first responders mixed teams”: First course Bizerte May 2015, second course Sfax October 2015 Exchange of Experts mission: Bonn, March 2016 Training courses on emergency/risk communication, evacuation planning and delivery of assistance to displaced people; including table-top simulation exercise: First course Tunis June 2015, second course Tunis November 2015 Exchange of Experts mission: Rome, March 2016 Pilot Projects Awareness and Demonstration Events: Jendouba and Bizerte, July 2016

Proposed follow-up The developed course plans - including the material related to the simulation exercises - could be replicated in the framework of other training courses, also of national training courses for civil protection professionals and volunteers. This would allow set up more first responder teams. The Exchange of Experts, designed to address specific needs and priorities, could continue so as to involved other German, Italian and Tunisian experts in order to keep active the experts’ network of the three countries and foster the sharing of know-how and techniques in a cooperative approach. The risk and capacity assessment and guidelines developed in pilot projects and the related methodologies developed during the Projectcould be extended nationally The website visibility could be maintained through those tools that don’t need financial resources (facebook/twitter)

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