Why a regional focus model?
A key challenge faced by humanitarian agencies is how to ensure that limited available resources are allocated where they are most needed and are efficiently delivered in a principled manner. Decisions to allocate resources must strike a balance between meeting the immediate needs of crisis affected communities and supporting efforts to strengthen resilience and response preparedness to future emergencies.
To support humanitarian partners address some of these challenges, the OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) developed a risk model, in 2007, to analyze hazards, vulnerabilities and response capacity at the country level using a range of quantitative indicators.
The model identifies hazard-prone countries that combine high vulnerability to hazards and low capacity to respond and are therefore more likely to request or accept support from the international community. The model also includes a "Humanitarian" component reflecting issues more directly related to OCHA's coordinating work. It is designed to be a practical tool to inform and guide disaster managers. The tool is also used by OCHA to guide its regional strategic framework and annual work plan.
In 2016, the Regional Focus Model (RFM) covers analysis of 36 countries in the Asia-Pacific region under ROAP in Bangkok, Thailand and the Regional Office for the Pacific in Suva, Fiji. Similar to previous RFM analyses in 2014 and 2015, the model is based on INFORM (http://www.inform-index.org/) a global risk index that identifies and analyze where crises requiring international assistance may occur. It can be used to support decisions about prevention, preparedness and response.