Preparedness for Effective Response — Overview (IFRC)
03 September 2026
When disaster strikes, the difference between chaos and coordinated action is often decided long before the crisis begins. Response Preparedness is the work that happens in between: building the systems, plans and capacities that allow National Societies to act quickly, effectively and with confidence when it matters most.
Through this programme, the Netherlands Red Cross supports National Societies to assess and strengthen their preparedness and response mechanisms. The primary tool is the Preparedness for Effective Response (PER) approach: a cyclical, evidence-based process that puts National Societies in the driver’s seat to develop and implement plans that strengthen their own response capacity. Support is provided both financially and technically, and connects to globally developed tools, policies and platforms across the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.
What we aim to change
The goal is a fundamental shift: from responding to crises after they unfold, to anticipating them before they escalate. This means investing in readiness assessments and contingency planning, Early Action Protocols (EAPs), impact-based forecasting, cash preparedness and the prepositioning of essential supplies. So that when floods rise or epidemics spread, National Societies are already in motion.
105 National Societies actively engaged in cash and voucher assistance preparedness in 2025.
How we work
The programme operates through two complementary routes. Through long-term partner National Societies, the Netherlands Red Cross works directly with local teams, providing technical support tailored to each country’s context and hazard profile. At the same time, the Netherlands Red Cross contributes to the development of global tools, policies and platforms that strengthen preparedness across the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement worldwide.
