Implementing a long-term recovery program is complex, particularly in places where basic infra-structure and government capacity have been damaged or compromised. The goal is to help affected individuals and communities rebuild their lives in ways that will be sustainable for years to come. Because of the long-lasting impact of recovery phase interventions, it is essential that these programs be carefully planned.

The American Red Cross engages the local community at each stage of a project, from initial assessment and project design to implementation and project monitoring and evaluation. The Red Cross organizes community meetings and focus groups; holds discussions with village leaders; and helps establish and train local committees to oversee projects. In the tsunami-affected region, the American Red Cross works-where possible-with local branches of the Red Cross or Red Crescent National Society of each country. The members of these branches can help establish a relation-ship with and provide training to communities.

The first step in American Red Cross planning is to thoroughly assess the current situation to clearly understand the needs in the area where the project will be implemented. Next, in-country technical workers draft a proposal outlining how the project will be implemented, whom it will benefit and how progress and impact will be measured.

The proposal is reviewed by both American Red Cross and Movement experts in the affected country to ensure that the project:

• meets internationally accepted standards and is appropriate to the community.
• efficiently uses Red Cross funds and does not duplicate the efforts of Movement partners or other humanitarian organizations.
• is environmentally sound and provides benefits to communities for decades to come.

Cash-for-work, community clean-up program
participants remove debris.

The American Red Cross also creates successful, sustainable programs through an integrated approach. This means working with partners to design complementary programs that meet a wide range of needs in each community, rather than doing isolated projects with limited objectives. For example, a tsunami-affected family doesn't just need shelter, they also need clean water and sanitation facilities for the shelter. Children who witnessed the tsunami don't just need a lunch at school, they also need psychosocial support and reinforcement of hygiene messages to keep them healthy. So, where the American Red Cross is funding the construction of transitional shelters, we also provide the water and sanitation infrastructure. In schools where we fund nutrition programs, we also train teachers in a psychosocial curriculum and take hygiene promotion messages to the classroom. The American Red Cross recognizes the varied individual needs of tsunami survivors and seeks to meet them through a range of integrated programs.