ICS Training:

The Incident Command System (ICS) is a management framework designed to integrate personnel, equipment, procedures, facilities, and communications during disasters, enabling more effective response operations within a common organizational structure. Since the mid-1980s, USAID/OFDA has utilized technical expertise from USFS to institutionalize systems for disaster response and implement disaster management capacity-building programs internationally. With $140,000 of FY 2015 funding, USFS continued ICS training in Bhutan, coordinating with the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) Department of Disaster Management to conduct basic and intermediate ICS courses for district-level staff in two pilot regions as part of a program to develop incident management teams for disaster response.

Capacity Building in Disaster-Resilient Construction:

USAID/OFDA provided approximately $48,000 to the UN Development Program (UNDP) in FY 2015 to support RGoB efforts to continue promoting disaster-resilient construction practices in Bhutan. With USAID/OFDA support, UNDP facilitated the training of engineers and builders, such as carpenters and masons, as well as community leaders, in each of Bhutan’s 20 districts to incorporate disaster-resistant techniques when building and repairing structures. UNDP also supported RGoB efforts to develop and refine training materials and establish a group of local trainers to ensure program sustainability.