Call for Proposal: Participatory Social Research on Risk and Early Warning Perception in Border Communities in Southeast Asia

UNDRR is the United Nations' focal point for the coordination of disaster risk reduction, working with countries and a broad range of partners and stakeholders to support the implementation, monitoring and review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in coherence with the 2030 Agenda and other instruments, for the multihazard management of disaster risk in development and the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses.

In accordance with UN Financial Regulations and Rules, UNDRR provides grants to apolitical and non-profit-making organizations to facilitate, implement, or carry out activities that align with UNDRR's and its partners' mandates and work programs.

To this end, UNDRR invites not profit-making organisations to submit grant proposals that focus on the project described below.

Rationale

Despite notable progress in early warning systems across Southeast Asia, critical gaps persist in ensuring that warnings are effectively received, understood, trusted, and acted upon by all members of society, particularly women, girls and persons with disabilities in border regions. As highlighted in the Global Status Report on Early Warning Systems (2024), the final mile of warning dissemination remains the weakest, with risk communication often failing to reflect the lived experiences, capacities, and information preferences of at-risk groups. Findings from the project's needs assessment underscore that warnings are frequently delivered through inaccessible formats, in unfamiliar languages, or via channels not commonly used by parts of the population. This disconnect results in confusion, mistrust, and delayed or absent protective actions, increasing vulnerability. The UNDRR Global Survey on Disability and Disasters (2023) further reveals that 84% of persons with disabilities do not have access to early warning messages, and over half report receiving risk information in formats they cannot use. These communication failures are deeply rooted in social norms, power asymmetries, and the exclusion of vulnerable groups from preparedness and decision-making processes.

Recognizing these challenges, regional and global frameworks have called for urgent action. The Sendai Framework Midterm Review and the 2024 APMCDRR Co-Chairs' Statement both emphasize the need for inclusive, people-centered early warning systems that prioritize the voices of those most at risk. Similarly, the AADMER Work Programme 2021-2025 stresses regional commitments to ensure gender-responsive and disability-inclusive disaster preparedness and risk communication. Addressing these persistent gaps requires qualitative social research that explores how different groups perceive hazards, process warning messages, and make decisions in high-risk contexts. Such research is essential for designing last-mile risk communication strategies that are trusted, locally relevant, and capable of enabling timely early action-ensuring that no one is left behind when disaster strikes.

Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to generate evidence-based insights into how disaster risks and early warning messages are perceived, trusted, and acted upon by women, girls, persons with disabilities facing intersecting vulnerabilities due to age, migration status, ethnicity, remoteness or socioeconomic status in five border communities in Thailand, Lao PDR, and Cambodia. The findings will directly inform the design of more inclusive, accessible, and actionable early warning communication strategies, plans and standard operating procedures in view of the principle of No One Left Behind.

Outcome

Improved understanding of the social, cultural, linguistic, technological, and psychological factors that influence how communities, particularly women, girls, persons with disabilities with intersecting vulnerabilities due to age, migration status, ethnicity, remoteness or socioeconomic status perceive, trust, and act on early warning messages in five disaster-prone border areas in Thailand, Lao PDR, and Cambodia.

Output

• A comprehensive analysis report, informed by local community stakeholders (women, girls and persons with disabilities and their organizations), will be produced based on research conducted in five targeted border provinces across Thailand, Cambodia, and Lao PDR. The report will be submitted as a single document comprising five distinct parts - each corresponding to one of the communities studied (all in English and in Thai, Laotian or Khmer, depending on the community). It will synthesize key findings, emerging patterns, and actionable insights to inform the design of inclusive and accessible risk communication strategies, plans and/or standard operating procedures for early warning systems. The research will explore disaster risk experiences, knowledge, behaviors, and beliefs of women, girls and persons with disabilities with intersecting vulnerabilities due to age, migration status, ethnicity, remoteness or socioeconomic status. This includes their perspectives and interactions with past early warning messages - what communication channels they received message, whether they received, understood, and how to respond to these warnings, and the reasons behind their actions or inactions - as well as their preferred and trusted communication channels for receiving early warnings. The report will be grounded in disaggregated data (by sex, age, and disability status) to ensure the diverse needs and experiences of at-risk populations are adequately reflected.

In addition, the report will incorporate an analysis of the link between environmental degradation and disaster risk, particularly for vulnerable groups. This includes examining how deforestation, land degradation, and other environmental stressors influence exposure, preparedness levels, and response capacities. By integrating these environmental dimensions, the research aims to provide a more holistic understanding of disaster risk dynamics and their intersection with social vulnerabilities.

• Validation of the research findings carried out with the local communities and local authorities in the five selected border communities, with actionable recommendations shared with national stakeholders.
• As part of crisis communication platforms, support the conduct of interactive workshops in the five selected border communities that empower the platform members to collaboratively understand the root causes of delayed or non-existent responses to early warnings in at-risk communities. This activity is co-facilitated by a civil society organization / civil society organizations.

Suggested activities

• Establish a research team with experience and knowledge of the suggested geographic regions in Thailand, Lao PDR and Cambodia.
• Desk review and development of research protocols aligned with UNDRR's Risk Communication for Early Action: Guide for Essential Research (2024).
• Co-design and delivery of participatory research in five selected border communities in:
  • Thailand (Mae Hong Son, Nan, Ubon Ratchathani, or Chang Rai - provinces to be confirmed)
  • Lao PDR (Champasak - province to be confirmed)
  • Cambodia (Stung Treng - provinces to be confirmed)
• Focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and community-based consultations with women, girls, and persons with disabilities and their organizations.
• Field data collection and transcription, ensuring ethical standards and accessibility.
• Analysis and validation workshops with communities and local government counterparts.
• Preparation of final research reports and presentations to inform subsequent risk communication and capacity-building components of the project.
• Validation sessions
• Crisis communication platform workshops

Resources

• National Weather Forecasts and Early Warning System Perception Survey Report for Lao PDR (2025)
• Gender and Social Inclusion Analysis across Early Warning-Early Action in Cambodia (2024).
• Global Status Report on Early Warning Systems (2024)
• UNDRR Global Survey on Disability and Disasters (2023)
• AADMER Work Programme 2021-2025
• Draft Policy Brief on Assistive Technology, Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction, and Climate Action
• PreventionWeb: Disaster Risk Communication Hub (tools and knowledge)

Pocket Guide for planning disaster risk communication to support early warning and early action

Guide for Essential Research

Elements specific to the project that the grantee should know

All International and national non-governmental organizations that wish to be considered for partnership opportunities with UNDRR will need to register and create a profile on the United Nations Partner Portal (UNPP). Following verification of the profile information, partners will be eligible to apply to partnership opportunities with UNDRR as well as the UN Secretariat and all other participating UN Organizations.

We encourage you to start the registration as soon as possible to avoid delays. Only registered organizations whose profile has been successfully verified will be considered eligible partners to apply for grant opportunities with UNDRR.

For more details on registration procedures please visit the UN Section of UNPP (https://www.unpartnerportal.org/registration)

Furthermore, the United Nations system requires all partners to be assessed regarding their capacity to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse. UNDRR encourages implementing partners to use the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) module in the UNPP. PSEA Module User Guide CSO Partner Members

This research will be conducted in communities across Thailand, Cambodia, and Lao PDR. A key assessment criterion will be the applicant's ability to ensure the involvement of subject-matter experts who can conduct the study in the local language and within the cultural context of each country.

The applicant is expected to provide relevant information of technical expertise solidly justified with experience of past years of projects implemented. Proven technical competence, qualification and expertise in social science/behavioral science. Minimum 10 years of experience in the domain of disaster risk reduction, climate change, environment and natural resources. Suggested documentation includes:

• Previous/past experience demonstrated with copies of reports and evaluations from past projects
• CVs of technical and senior staff

Applicant is expected to demonstrate that it has an operational presence and understanding of Thailand, Cambodia, and Lao PDR context. Suggested documentation includes:

• Previous/past experience demonstrated with copies of reports and evaluations from past projects implemented in Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR.

Applicant is expected to provide relevant information to demonstrate that gender is mainstreamed and application of transformative approaches throughout the program, recognising and addressing the unique needs, roles, and constraints of women, men, girls, and boys. Suggested documentation includes:

• Relevant documentation to affirm the partners' commitment towards gender mainstreaming.

Budget and administrative-related aspects

The duration of the proposed project cannot exceed nine months (six months for research activities and three months for crisis communication platform-related activities) The maximum amount requested from UNDRR for the implementation of this project cannot exceed USD 53,000. The project proposal must not exceed 10 pages (attachments such as scanned copies of entity's registration, CVs of staff etc. do not count). 

For this purpose, please fill in duly all the sections of the application form, include the required documents (scanned copy of NGO/IGO's registration certificate, CVs of staff etc.) and budget excel sheets, and send the complete application package (application form, budget excel sheets, entity registration certificate, CVs of staff, etc.) to the following email address: [email protected].

cc: [email protected], [email protected]

Reference: UNDRR CfP 2025/006 Call for Proposals - Participatory Social Research on Risk and Early Warning Perception in Border Communities in Southeast Asia

Deadline for applications: 22 August 2025 midnight New York, USA EST (Eastern Standard Time). Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered.

Projects' activities can include, amongst others, the following:

• seminars, workshops, trainings;
• capacity building activities;
• institutional strengthening activities and
• advocacy

The following types of activity will not be covered:

• capital expenditure, e.g. land, buildings, equipment and vehicles;
• individual scholarships for studies or training courses;
• supporting political parties; and
• sub-contracting

Due to the number of applications, only short-listed applicants will be notified.

Please note that the grant payment schedule will be determined with the selected grantee when finalizing the agreement. UNDRR standard practice is: not to exceed 40% of the requested amount upon signature of the grant agreement; remaining payments made based on a schedule of payments linked to production of project milestones and the final payment, 20%, will be paid after the end of the project, once final documents have been received, verified and approved by UNDRR.

Refund of grants: UNDRR may request organizations to refund, either in part or in whole any amounts paid in respect of a grant when:

• the project was not implemented in full or in part;
• the grant was spent for ineligible expenditures other than those mentioned in the budget proposal submitted to, and approved by UNDRR;
• no narrative, financial or audit report was submitted within the deadline established by the grant agreement;
• a narrative report and/or a financial report submitted was determined to be unsatisfactory;
• a negative evaluation of the project by UNDRR;
• any other valid reason provided by the UNDRR.