Disaster Preparedness and Response:

Following successful attendance at previous shows, Mauve is exhibiting this week at GRV Global’s Action on Disaster Relief conference in San Jose, Costa Rica. This event was designed to create a partnership between public and private sector leaders to improve preparations and operations in the wake of disasters, with the ultimate goal to reduce the devastating impact of such incidents.

Mauve is attending to showcase our market-leading services and the valuable assistance we can provide to charities, NGOs and NPO organisations looking to streamline processes and maximise operational productivity.

The four phases of disaster are globally defined as 1) mitigation; 2) preparedness; 3) response; and 4) recovery. In this article, we will explore the role played by globally-mobile personnel in the wake of disasters within this framework, and look at how choosing the right global suppliers can aid NGOs in their disaster planning and response.

Pre-disaster Mitigation and Preparedness:

– Improving Infrastructure, Communications and Logistics

Without appropriate communications and infrastructure before the fact, disaster-hit areas can face far greater damage and loss of life. Advance communications and logistics planning are important for the safe passage of recovery teams, emergency services, medicines and important materials or evacuation of population; often, remote or poorer areas may not be accessible or developed enough to facilitate this, requiring proper planning and partnerships with international agencies to ensure readiness.

Mauve Group has been involved in the deployment of personnel for infrastructure and communications improvement since our conception in 1996; our first projects involved assisting international telecommunications engineers to work in countries like Thailand, Bangladesh and Hungary, with the aim of rolling-out and upgrading mobile data networks. Our commitment to supplying projects like these has remained a core tenet of our business throughout the years, moving into the implementation and maintenance of satellite communications – read more about our work with an international satellite organisation here.

– Environment, Climate and Energy

It is widely accepted that climate change is the biggest threat to human life in the 21st century; when man-made environmental changes meet large populations, the threat of disaster is hugely intensified and has already caused the displacement of millions of people.

As the Earth’s climate accelerates beyond scientific forecasts, governments are in a race against time to map, monitor and protect against the threats faced by their countries. Rapid deployment of expert and qualified personnel on-the-ground for testing and evaluation of the local environmental situation is vital; however, getting these individuals in-country within the constraints of a budgeted, time-sensitive project can be a challenge. Mauve has provided Employer of Record, payroll and visa and immigration assistance to research personnel from some of the best global universities, enabling them to advise governments and share their expertise on current and future situations.

Emergency Response and Recovery:

– Health, Protection and Shelter

For obvious reasons, healthcare and shelter provisions must be deployed in the crucial hours following a major disaster incident, whether natural or caused by man. With local authorities often overstretched or incapacitated, NGOs and charities are frequently called upon to relocate staff and volunteers to provide medical treatment and build temporary shelter and infrastructure such as field hospitals and other makeshift municipal facilities.

In some countries, volunteers still need working visas or certain permissions regardless of the fact they are unpaid; many charities do not realise that factors such as nationality or the length-of-term of the work can have an impact on whether a volunteer is working compliantly in-country. One situation saw Mauve provide a risk assessment for a prominent global health charity; the report explored whether the appointment of a volunteer in Zambia assisting with the fallout from the 2017 cholera outbreak could lead to compliance issues and the need to register as a local employer. Mauve’s analysis studied local labour and corporate law in relation to the charity’s position in Zambia and gave recommendations to ensure compliance and security for the volunteer moving forward.

– Investment, Partnerships and Development

Once the dust has settled, disaster response models move to the recovery phase. Here, governments and NGOs look to secure funding to rebuild infrastructure and regenerate communities; they create partnerships with agencies that can establish the causes of a disaster and advise on how to avoid or minimise future situations.

In the years following a disaster, knee-jerk emergency responses can mutate into longer-term regeneration projects, and with this comes the risk that the processes and strategies put in place as a quick fix can fall short of long-term needs. This inefficient management can cause budgets to spiral and raise compliance issues such as risk of permanent establishment. Mauve’s compliance assessments can raise awareness of risks and solutions for prevention, while our global project management services put in place efficient workflows, correct personnel and appropriate written procedures to improve the recovery project’s output.

Disaster Relief: A Cross-Border Responsibility

The overarching point is that disaster relief is a shared responsibility across every country and authority – our preparedness and reactivity is more effective when we collaborate. To minimise the impact of disaster, we must deploy expert personnel across borders and take collective action, and GRV Global’s Action on Disaster Relief is the ideal place for global partnerships to start.

Mauve Group will be attending GRV Global’s Action on Disaster Relief forum and exhibition until 7th February; please get in touch via the Contact Form to meet our team there and find out how we can support your organisation.