CEA in Emergencies

This page is a one-stop shop for CEA in emergencies. It outlines the minimum actions for community engagement at each stage of the response, and the tools to help you put these into practice. It has links to CEA training packs for emergencies, a guide to CEA in emergencies, and case studies specific to conflict, earthquakes, and extreme weather. For health related emergencies, visit our CEA and Health page.

Ten actions to engage communities during emergency response operations

To successfully engage communities during emergency response operations, CEA should be incorporated into all stages of the programme cycle. To help you to do this, you can follow the ten actions below which have been categorised by the different stages. Under each action, you’ll also find a list of related tools from the CEA Toolkit. View a full explanation of each step here.

Explore CEA in Emergencies Related Trainings

18 July 2023

CEA branch-level training (updated)

A highly interactive two-day training to support branch staff and volunteers to improve levels of community engagement in…

21 July 2022

CEA in Emergencies Module

A three-hour training module providing an introduction to the 10 minimum actions for good community engagement and accountability…

21 July 2022

CEA in Emergencies Training

A one-day training package exploring in detail the 10 minimum actions for good community engagement and accountability in…

Explore CEA in Emergency Case Studies

25 September 2023

Eswatini Drought FbF: Validating Early Actions with Community Members

This case study captures learnings from an Early Action Protocol (EAP) validation exercise which was carried out by…

22 February 2023

Engaging communities to build resilience and accountability mechanisms

A case study on engaging communities to build resilience and accountability mechanisms after the Nepal 2015 earthquake.

28 September 2020

Feedback mechanism, the guidelines: Hurricane Dorian operation

As part of the Hurricane Dorian emergency appeal, a community feedback mechanism was established by Bahamas Red Cross…

24 September 2020

Case study: Operating a feedback hotline in the Bahamas

This case study presents the process of establishing and operating a feedback hotline that was undertaken by the…

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24 September 2020

Case study: Operating a feedback hotline in the Bahamas

Type:

Case Study

Organization:

Bahamas Red Cross, IFRC

This case study presents the process of establishing and operating a feedback hotline that was undertaken by the BRCS and the IFRC to support operational community engagement and accountability (CEA)…

  • Case study
  • Disaster
  • Emergencies
  • Extreme weather

1 July 2020

Collective approaches to communication and community engagement in the Central Sulawesi response

Type:

Case Study

Organization:

Humanitarian Policy Group

This case study is part of a wider project commissioned by UNICEF on behalf of the CCEI to identify solutions to address current bottlenecks and challenges in the Sulawesi earthquake…

  • Asia Pacific
  • Case study
  • CCE
  • Disaster

8 April 2020

CEA in emergency operations

Type:

Case Study

Organization:

Philippine Red Cross

This case study sums up the experiences of Philippine Red Cross (PRC) in engaging the affected communities of the Batanes Earthquake. It features the key role of Community Engagement and…

  • Case study
  • Disaster
  • Earthquakes
  • Emergencies

1 April 2020

Communications preparedness and accountability for disaster response

Type:

Report

Organization:

CDAC Network

This report produced by CDAC Network, Ground Truth and Care investigates the effectiveness of the many systems and networks which are currently in place in Vanuatu to support communication with…

  • Community
  • Disaster
  • Emergencies

1 April 2020

CEA helps to tackle corruption in Malawi

Type:

Case Study

Organization:

IFRC

This case study produced by IFRC and Malawian Red Cross details how Malawi Red Cross Society used community engagement to tackle corruption by community leaders as part of the Cyclone…

  • Accountability
  • Africa
  • Case study
  • Corruption

30 March 2020

Community and organisational perceptions feedback: Cyclone Idai

Type:

Report

Organization:

CDAC Network

A perceptions survey produced by CDAC and Equip Mozambique, with support from the Mozambique Red Cross and UNICEF, to ascertain the perceived levels of community engagement from organisations that responded…

  • Africa
  • Complaints
  • Cyclone
  • Extreme weather

26 March 2020

Community Engagement and Accountability: A learning review from Nepal

Type:

Report

Organization:

British Red Cross

A learning review of the Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) activities implemented in Nepal by the NRCS, with support from BRC, between 2014 – 2018

  • Disaster
  • Earthquakes

3 July 2019

Community feedback bulletin on cyclone preparedness

Type:

Bulletin

Organization:

IFRC

The bulletin provides insights into key areas for improvement around cyclone preparedness in the camps and issues that Red Cross and Red Crescent partners may want to consider when planning…

  • CEA and Migration
  • Cyclone
  • Displacement
  • Extreme weather

3 July 2019

Typhoon Bopha – communicating to save lives

Type:

Case Study

Organization:

IFRC

An IFRC Case Study on Typhoon Bopha, which hit Mindanao Island in the Philippines in December 2012. It details the Red Cross response to the disaster, and the channels of…

  • Communication
  • Extreme weather
  • Response
  • Typhoon

3 July 2019

Regional resilience initiative – infographics

Type:

Infographic

Organization:

IFRC

An IFRC infographic which explains the Regional Resilience Initiative in Southeast Asia. The project is an opportunity for National Societies to promote community disaster risk reduction both regionally and nationally.

  • Disaster
  • Emergencies

3 July 2019

Our commitments to: accountability to beneficiaries and the communities where we work

Type:

Case Study

Organization:

IFRC

An IFRC case study on, ‘Integrating Community Engagement and Accountability into Disaster Risk Reduction Activities if the Maternal, Newborn and Child Healthcare Programme in Rural Myanmar’.

  • Case study
  • Disaster reduction

2 July 2019

Beneficiary Communications Review – Haiti 2013

Type:

Report

Organization:

IFRC

A review of the beneficiary communications tools – like SMS and radio – used by the IFRC in the Haiti earthquake response. The review looks at their deployment and effectiveness,…

  • Earthquakes
  • Response

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