Fiji Post-Cyclone Winston Emergency Development Policy Operation

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The development objective of the Post-cyclone Winston Emergency Development Policy Operation Project for Fiji is to support Fiji’s recovery from the immediate impact of Cyclone Winston through a prioritized and sequenced recovery plan; and (ii) cushion the immediate impact of Cyclone Winston on the most vulnerable through the provision of disaster-responsive social protection. These correspond to the two pillars of the operation. Under the first pillar of the operation, the Government of Fiji (GoF) has completed a comprehensive Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) , as the basis for preparing a prioritized and sequenced recovery plan. Under the second pillar of the operation, the GoF has provided disaster-responsive social protection to cushion the immediate impact of the cyclone on the most vulnerable, and begun an evaluation of this initiative with a view to informing the design of a disaster responsive social protection framework for future natural disasters. A development policy operation (DPO) was selected to assist Fiji, because of the need for quick-disbursing funds to help Fiji implement its recovery program in the coming fiscal year without crowding out other essential expenditure, because Fiji has the capacity to manage key aspects of its recovery program itself, and because it facilitates the close coordination of financing with the Asian Development Bank that Fiji specifically requested. The GoF has used the PDNA as a basis for formulating a Disaster Recovery Framework (DRF) which sets out a prioritized and sequenced recovery plan for the medium term. The DRF will serve as a strategic management tool for the GoF to plan and implement its recovery effort over the next two years. The GoF has reprioritized budgeted funds in the current fiscal year, to enable it to finance its immediate recovery expenditures in a timely manner, without crowding out other essential expenditure. This pillar of the operation is expected to support the effective planning and management of the recovery effort, including enhancing Fiji’s disaster resilience for the future. The results indicators chosen for this pillar are the use of the DRF as a strategic planning and resource allocation tool, as indicated by the proportion of funds allocated in the FY2017 budget to recovery activities included in the DRF that are expended in FY2017, and the implementation of the DRF to enhance disaster resilience, as indicated by the strengthening of the building code in accordance with the DRF.