Disaster relief and institutional development

The aim of this qualitative study is to examine factors which affect institutional development (ID) of developing National Red Cross Societies in disaster relief. A particular attention is given to the Tanzania Red Cross partnership with the International Federation of the Red Cross, a Case Study of the Rwanda/Burundi Refugees Relief Operation in Ngara - Tanzania. The study proposes that the policy governing Red Cross Relief Operations is inadequate. Largely as the result of this inadequacy, relief operations are inappropriately organized and managed to the effect that ID of operating NSs is negatively affected. Based on theoretical issues raised in the study, Policy, Organizational and Management factors, were critically examined. Data obtained in the study have proved the study propositions to be true. It has been concluded that influence of the policy inadequacy is the major factor. This is because policy was found to be emergency-oriented and thence devoid of any developmental strategies to guide implementors to achieve objectives other than relief. Consequent to this, the partners were driven by the urgency for emergency relief into inappropriate organizational relationship, with the IFRC dominating the instruments of participation and function. This resulted into marginalization of the TRCS and the failure of the Society to achieve the needed strategic organizational and management capacities specific to the demands of disaster. The influence of policy deficiency was reinforced by the Red Cross tradition of lack of/or mis-directed evaluations, prejudicial attitudes of the IFRC delegates towards professionalism of the local NS, power imbalance between the partners and lack of adequate strategic competencies in the TRCS. Recommendations have been made to the IFRC to review the policy in question so that it responds to the new (development) needs and realities in developing NSs. To the IFRC and the TRCS, to re-dress the organizational and management imbalances in the on-going Refugee Relief Operation. To the TRCS, to enhance its strategic competencies.