ReGroup: Disaster recovery groups

We are looking at how we can help make the job of community recovery committees (and other community groups) after disasters easier.

Background

Community Recovery Committees (CRCs) are usually thought of as community-led groups that do a range of things after disasters. This can include collecting information, identifying community priorities, advocating for community needs and organising or supporting activities. 

CRCs all look different (and should!). There is no ‘one size fits all’. Some CRCs are formal, others less so. Some are adaptations of pre-existing groups, others are new. 

While there is existing research that establishes why CRCs are important, there is only limited information that exists to guide CRCs in their formation, planning and how they engage with other organisations, such as government bodies. There is also only limited research about how representative CRCs are. Who joins them? Who doesn’t? Are the groups representative of their communities? How do they connect to the broader community?

About the Project

This study is being undertake in multiple components:

In part 1 of the study, we looked at what the existing research said about how community recovery committees can be best supported. You can read more about this here.

In part 2 of the study, we tested new tools to support community recovery committees, and we collected views about what recovery workers and community recovery committee members thought were important aspects to community recovery committees.. This included a self-assessment tool for community recovery committees, and a network mapping tool. You can read more about this here.

In part 2.5 (offshoot study), we are collecting views of government recovery and emergency management workers about what they understand the term 'community-led recovery' to mean. You can read more about this here.

Partners

Natural Hazards Research Australia, Emergency Management Victoria and Bushfire Recovery Victoria

Funders

Natural Hazards Research Australia and Emergency Management Victoria

More information

For more information about this project, you can check out this video or contact a member of our research team:

Hannah Morrice: hannah.morrice@unimelb.edu.au
Dr. Kate Brady: kate.brady@unimelb.edu.au
Dr. Colin Gallagher: colin.gallagher@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Lisa Gibbs: lgibbs@unimelb.edu.au