By the Executing Agency for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (BRR) of Aceh–Nias 2005–2009
This document is intended primarily for host governments that are facing or preparing for the event of a large-scale disaster. It contains the ten most important management lessons learned over a period of four years by BRR, the coordinating agency responsible for the reconstruction of Aceh and Nias following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Indonesia’s greatest natural disaster. The USD 6.7 billion effort received significant contributions from donor agencies and private citizens worldwide and involved the efforts of some 900 organizations.
Many aspects of the Aceh–Nias experience were unique: reconstruction activities were often conducted in conflict areas; recovery efforts played out against the tense political dynamics between the central government and the areas affected by disaster; and reconstruction aid from the international community was unprecedented – both financially and physically – and the majority of all reconstruction funds came as aid from the international community. This unique set of circumstances defined post-disaster Aceh–Nias and also shaped the policies and strategies adopted by BRR.
Nonetheless, we believe that host governments face a common set of choices when tackling post-disaster reconstruction, and hence that what we have learned over the past four years may be valuable to future governments afflicted by large disasters. These lessons represent BRR’s best efforts to abstract the management choices that we believe all host governments face about how they should approach the role of the coordinating agency. The document discusses the ten most valuable lessons learned across three different elements of reconstruction work: organize, execute, and fund, and is based on BRR’s experience as a coordinating agency.
