FCOSS seeks to further action the outcomes of the Disaster Management and Humanitarian Coordination CSO Review Meeting (https://mailchi.mp/a5ea1b0f079d/cso-drr-and-humanitarian-review-outcome-statement?e=6cde38a4c6) that took place in Suva, Fiji in late 2018. 

FCOSS has managed to partner with Child Fund Australia and Plan International Australia to work with its affiliates; 9 DCOSS and communities to strengthen their capacity as first responders during disasters from 2019 till 2021. This is critical not just in Fiji but in the Pacific region where the frequency of natural disasters pose many vulnerabilities for small islands nations, particularly coastal communities. 

However, while communities and national members are beginning to receive capacity enhancement support, FCOSS seeks concerted and medium-term support for capacity building for its staff and executive committee and institutional strengthening to integrate and embed humanitarian approaches and standards within the secretariat and throughout its programs. In doing so, FCOSS hopes to reposition itself as an organization that is effective in its support for constituency and community led DRR and climate resilience efforts from the ground, up to national and regional levels. 

The project will look to sharing lessons learnt from the two-tier approach (constituency activities learning feeds into staff and executive committee capacity enhancement activities) and the results of the proposed institutional strengthening with Cook Islands Civil Society Organization (CICSO) through a community of practice meeting on localization. FCOSS hopes that as an outcome, the meeting will produce a toolkit for a whole-of-platform approach on localizing DRR in the Pacific.