Recovery

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 Recovery
Recovering from an emergency
1. Includes actions taken to return to a normal or an even safer
situation following an emergency.
2. Recovery includes getting financial assistance to help pay for the
repairs.
3. Recovery activities take place after an emergency.

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 Disaster recovery is a complex and challenging process that
involves all sectors of a community as well as outside interests.
In many cases, it is not even clear if and when recovery has
been achieved because of varying stakeholder goals for the
community, for example with some wanting it returned to what
is considered its pre-disaster status and others wanting it to
undergo change to realize a vision in which advances are made
in risk reduction and other areas. (Anderson 2008)

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Recovery

• Community recovery from disasters can be a complex and often lengthy process, with
different communities recovering at different rates.
• The recovery element of the comprehensive approach to disaster management –
prevention, preparedness, response and recovery (PPRR) – can be the most complicated
and protracted.
• The best outcomes are achieved by ensuring recovery strategies align with community
need and are led by the affected community.
• This requires a collaborative, coordinated, adaptable and scalable approach where the
responsibility for disaster recovery is shared among all sectors of the community
including individuals, families, community groups, businesses and all levels of
government.
• A community-led approach supports the rapid restoration of services essential to human
wellbeing and presents an opportunity to build resilience and improve community
circumstances and preparedness beyond their pre-disaster status.
• Queensland takes an all hazards approach to recovery, as identified in the Act.

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Understanding the context
•:
• Acknowledge existing strengths and capacity, including past experiences;
• Appreciate the risks and stressors faced by the community;
• Be respectful of and sensitive to the culture and diversity of the community;
• Support those who may be facing vulnerability;
• Recognise the importance of the environment to people and to their
recovery;
• Be acknowledged as requiring a long term, sustained effort as needed by the
community; and
• Acknowledge the impact upon the community may extend beyond the
geographical boundaries where the disaster occurred.

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Recognising complexity
•:
• Disasters lead to a range of effects and impacts that require a variety of approaches;
they can also leave long-term legacies;
• Information on impacts is limited at first and changes over time;
• Affected individuals and the community have diverse needs, wants and expectations,
which can evolve rapidly;
• Responsive and flexible action is crucial to address immediate needs;
• Existing community knowledge and values may challenge the assumptions of those
outside of the community;
• Conflicting knowledge, values and priorities among individuals, the community and
organisations may create tensions;
• Emergencies create stressful environments where grief or blame may also affect
those involved; and
• Over time, appropriate support for individuals and communities, from within and
outside, can cultivate hope and individual and collective growth.

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Using local, community-led approaches
• Assist and enable individuals, families and the community to actively
participate in their own recovery;
• Recognise that individuals and the community may need different levels of
support at various times;
• Be guided by the communities priorities;
• Channel effort through pre-identified and existing community assets,
including local knowledge, existing community strengths and resilience;
• Build collaborative partnerships between the community and those involved
in the recovery process;
• Recognise that new community leaders often emerge during and after a
disaster, who may not hold formal positions of authority; and Recognise that
different communities may choose different paths to recovery.

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Ensuring coordination of all activities
• Have clearly articulated and shared goals based on desired outcomes;
• Be flexible, taking into account changes in community needs or stakeholder expectations.
• Be guided by those with experience and expertise, using skilled, authentic and capable
community leadership;
• Be at the pace desired by the community, and seek to collaborate and reconcile different
interests and time frames;
• Reflect well-developed community planning and information gathering before, during and
after a disaster;
• Have clear decision-making and reporting structures and sound governance, which are
transparent and accessible to the community;
• Demonstrate an understanding of the roles, responsibilities and authority of organisations
involved and coordinate across agencies to ensure minimal service provision disruption;
• Be part of an emergency management approach that integrates with response operations
and contributes to future prevention and preparedness; and
• Be inclusive, availing of and building upon relationships created before, during and after the
emergency.

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Employing effective communication
• Recognise that communication should be two way, and that input and
feedback should be encouraged;
• Ensure that information is accessible to audiences in diverse situations,
addresses a variety of communication needs, and is provided through a range
of communication channels and networks;
• Establish mechanisms for coordinated and consistent communications
between all service providers, organisations and individuals and the
community;
• Ensure that all communication is relevant, timely, clear, accurate, targeted,
credible and consistent; and
• Identify trusted sources of information and repeat key recovery messages to
enable greater community confidence and receptivity.
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Acknowledging and building capacity
• Assess capability and capacity requirements before, during and after a disaster;
• Support the development of self-reliance, preparation and disaster mitigation;
• Quickly identify and mobilise community skills, strengths and resources;
• Develop networks and partnerships to strengthen capacity, capability and resilience;
• Provide opportunities to share, transfer and develop knowledge, skills and training;
• Recognise that resources can be provided by a range of partners and from community
networks;
• Acknowledge that existing resources may be stretched, and that additional resources may be
sought;
• Understand that additional resources may only be available for a limited period, and that
sustainability may need to be addressed;
• Understand when and how to step back, while continuing to support individuals and the
community as a whole to be more self-sufficient when they are ready; and
• Be evaluated to provide learning for future disaster and improved resilience.
•

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