Red Cross representatives from eight countries in the Americas participate in a ‘Training of trainers’ workshop for the forecast-based financing course

• The first edition of the ‘Training of trainers’ workshop was held from 22-26 September 2022 in Quito, Ecuador.
• 17 people are now trained to lead the development of this course in their own countries.

Capacity building is fundamental to the activation of Early Action Plans in the Americas. To advocate for the importance of anticipatory action in the region, and to promote the development of anticipatory mechanisms, the first ‘Training of trainers’ workshop was held. The German Red Cross regional team and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre provided technical support for this training.

The workshop was held from 22-26 September 2022 in Quito, Ecuador, with 17 representatives from eight National Societies in the region participating: Argentine Red Cross, Colombian Red Cross, Costa Rican Red Cross, Ecuadorian Red Cross, Guatemalan Red Cross, Honduran Red Cross, Nicaraguan Red Cross and Salvadoran Red Cross. The participants had diverse profiles, from forecast-based financing focal points, managers and directors for disaster risk management, and presidents of branches from the National Societies that are implementing anticipatory action.

The forecast-based financing course has four core modules: (1) introduction to forecast-based financing; (2) exploring Early Action Plans; (3) anticipation by themes; and (4) preparedness and activations. The workshop was an ideal opportunity to validate the contents of the forecast-based financing course with participants. Sabina Ortiz, national risk reduction technician at the Ecuadorian Red Cross, commented that “the training was a space not only for learning, but also an enriching exchange between the National Societies that have already activated an Early Action Plan, as is our case, and other National Societies that are starting with the implementation of forecast-based financing in their country”.

The plan is that the workshop participants will, in the final quarter of 2022, lead the development of the course, either in their own countries or by supporting other countries, and that they will be officially accredited by the Anticipation Hub as trainers in forecast-based financing.