Reality check: civil society implementation plan

This document presents an implementation plan for civil society, aimed to ensure the post-2015 DRR framework has an impact at the local level. The plan seeks to build the capacity of locals officials and small Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to conduct participatory risk assessments and train others to do so, even in remote locations. It builds upon lessons learned that highlight the tremendous potential for impact at the local level when people work together.

The document outlines CSOs' critical role in ensuring the post-2015 DRR framework has an impact at the local level and discuss specific activities that CSOs and other actors can collaborate on, listing some specific activities that can be done under each of the four priorities of the new framework. It outlines 10 essentials:

1. Understand local perspectives of risk: Listen and understand the experiences of people most at-risk
2. Consider the local context: Recognise the real life challenges of fragility, insecurity, and informality
3. Leave no one behind: Ensure the inclusion of all groups, particularly those most at-risk
4. Collaborate work with and across all groups and levels
5. Mobilise local resources: Build on existing capacities, knowledge and other sources of resilience
6. Align across policies: Ensure coherence across development and climate change activities
7. Hold people to account: Ensure accountability to local communities
8. Learn from the past and look to the future: Learn lessons and recognise future trends to inform recovery and development planning
9. Be environmentally aware: Recognise, protect and strengthen the functions of ecosystems
10. Recognise the potential of civil society: Actively work with civil society to achieve these essentials

However, civil society cannot do these things alone. These actions require partnerships and collaboration between different groups and across levels, whether that be sectoral, global, national and local.