Risk information is critical for building disaster resilience in all phases of the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) cycle. It is equally as important for risk information to be communicated and understood for decision-making.

Disaster risk communication aims to raise public awareness on hazards and possible disasters in communities to encourage preparedness and resilience.

The primary challenge of risk communication is to improve communication at all levels to ensure that information flows freely and effectively across society (United Nations, 2019). Another recent challenge is that most countries experience a new wave of ‘fake news’ and misinformation during COVID-19.

This fee-based course is designed to offer practical guidance and hands-on experience to participants on developing a disaster risk communication plan. By developing such a plan, participants will be able to improve their risk communication and contribute to effective risk-informed decisions at all levels.

This course explores risk communication from a natural hazard-induced disasters perspective (both rapid and slow onset) which includes epidemics such as COVID-19. The course also gives attention to multi-hazard and gender perspectives.

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Increase awareness, knowledge and skills on effective disaster risk communication ;
• Develop or enhance their draft disaster risk communication plan in the New Normal ; and
• Identify initiatives and good practices on effective disaster risk communication in the New Normal for possible future replication.

The course consists of 8 lessons that will be delivered over 3-4 weeks. It should be noted that all lessons are based on the New Normal scenario (i.e. during and post COVID-19).

Lesson 1. Course Overview

• Need for disaster risk communication plan
• Course objectives, scope, content overview, methodology and schedule

Lesson 2. Situation Analysis

• Concept of risk, risk information, risk perception and risk management options, risk perception factors
• Participants conduct situation analysis based upon their specific needs or situations

Lesson 3. Disaster Risk Communication Approaches

• Disaster risk communication approaches for rapid and slow onset disasters (natural hazard induced)
• Participants define and select approaches for their disaster risk communication plan

Lesson 4. Understand your Audience

• Audience analysis and segmentation
• Identifying additional stakeholders involved in communication .
• Developing audience analysis and segmentation for disaster risk communication plan.

Lesson 5. Establishing Goals/ Objectives

• Desired results of a disaster risk communication plan
• Participants establish goals/objectives of their disaster risk communication plan

Lesson 6. Developing Right Message

• ‘What to say’ and ‘how to say’ for disaster risk communication.
• How to talk about the hazard’, ‘what to do’
• Message delivery – style, tone, demeanour and accuracy.
• Participants develop right messages for their prioritized audiences

Lesson 7. Delivering Right Message

• Tools for communicating risk to the public (i.e., traditional and modern)
• Participants identify and select tools for delivering their right messages

Lesson 8. Return Demonstration

• Participants review and finalize their disaster risk communication plan
• Participants present their final disaster risk communication plan for feedback.

This course contains of following components:

• Interactive Power Point presentation (online)
• Community visit (online)
• Evaluation Quizzes (offline)
• Discussion Forums (online)
• Peer Group Work for assignments (online and offline)
• Additional Materials (offline)
• Course evaluations (offline)
• Coaching and Mentoring (online and offline)

The course will be delivered by internationally recognized resource persons on disaster risk communication with a balance of technical and field experience; theory and practice; international, national and local knowledge; and disaster experience and training skills.

The target audience for this course are those who deal with disaster risk communication; namely,

• Governments,
• Specialists/Researchers dealing with risk assessment, and
• Public, including local community, CBOs, and NGOs. Staff and personnel from disaster, public health, or any relevant sectors are encouraged to apply.

Motivated individuals who are interested in enhancing their knowledge and skills on disaster risk communication plan are also encouraged to take this course.

If you are selected to attend the course, the payment should be transferred to ADPC's account through a bank transfer at least one month before course commence. Otherwise, your participation will be cancelled. Please note that personal checks are not accepted as a form of payment.

Interested individuals and organizations can register online at www.adpc.net/apply

For more information about the course, you may also contact Ms. Thanyaphat Sirasakpureekul at academy@adpc.net and telephone numbers +66 22980681 to 92 loc.134.

If you are unable to attend, a substitute applicant is welcome to attend in your place, provided the participation criteria described above have been met.

Cancellation of attendance should be notified at least three weeks prior to course commencement; in which case, 15 percent of the course fee will be deducted for banking charges and administrative costs. No refunds are available for cancellation within three weeks prior to course commencement.

It is also important to note that the course has a requirement for a minimum number of participants. If an insufficient number of applications have been received by February 12, 2021, ADPC reserves the right to cancel the course for the current year. Candidates who have already been accepted will be informed as soon as the decision is taken, and offered a place in the following year if desired.