IASC In-Country Team Self-Assessment Tool for Natural Disaster Response Preparedness, 2005

In recognition of the growing impact of natural disasters, both large-scale and those that do not make the headlines but nonetheless have a significant impact on the lives and livelihoods of developing countries, the IASC partners have compiled a tool for in-country partners to assess their level of preparedness, identify priority areas to address with regular or specific programmes and/or to establish a Disaster Management Team (or a similar IASC-partnership wide body). The purpose of this tool is to encourage IASC in-country teams to embark on a process that will gradually increase their capacities to respond to the challenge of providing host governments with prompt, effective and concerted country-level support in disaster preparedness and response.

Ten areas of preparedness were identified at the formulation stage as critical elements of a good response preparedness plan:
1) Inventory of national capacities, allowing the IASC in-country team to determine the legal and institutional framework, national strengths and weaknesses
2) IASC in-country team awareness 
3) Hazard identification, monitoring and warning
4) Vulnerability assessment
5) Contingency planning
6) IASC in-country capacity inventory: human, financial and material resources
7) Logistics/IT/Communication
8) Partnerships
9) Coordination arrangements
10) Human resources and training requirements