Resilience programming among nongovernmental organizations: lessons for policymakers

This food policy report reviews resilience processes, activities, and outcomes by examining a number of case studies of initiatives by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to enhance resilience capacity, and draws implications for policymakers and other stakeholders looking to strengthen resilience. It argues that resilience building relies on integrated programming, which is defined as a cross-sectoral approach with a long-term commitment to improving the three critical capacities: absorptive capacity (disaster risk management), adaptive capacity (longer-term livelihood investments), and transformative capacity (improved governance and enabling conditions).

The report seeks to enhance our understanding of resilience processes, activities, and outcomes by examining initiatives to enhance resilience capacity that are designed and implemented by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). It examines the theories of change developed by various NGOs that support resilience programming, the means by which NGOs are measuring program outcomes and impact, the challenges encountered, and the lessons learned. To demarcate resilience as a distinctive approach to development, the report then offers a set of basic principles, which in turn are used to illustrate how a selection of NGOs have implemented programs that demonstrate practical enactment of one or more of the resilience principles. Based on these analyses, the report identifies potential opportunities for effective resilience programming and highlights implications for policy as well as tackling remaining knowledge gaps.