Early Warning and Early Response Case Study

Search for Common Ground recently concluded the implementation of a pilot Early Warning and Early Response system in Aden, Yemen. This report compiles some lessons learned and best practices that were identified during this project, which we hope may be useful to others managing similar initiatives.

Within the framework of a USAID-funded Human Rights Support Mechanism (HRSM) program on Advancing Tolerance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Search for Common Ground (Search) piloted a community-led Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) system in Aden, Yemen from July 2022 to February 2023. This document outlines the successes, challenges and lessons learned during the design and implementation phases of this pilot EWER system, and provides recommendations for those interested in implementing similar initiatives.

Key Findings and Recommendations

• A longer implementation time frame allows for more opportunities to form partnerships, increase local capacities, and build trust in the initiative
• The local community should be involved in setting the objectives of the EWER system to ensure that the system is relevant and conflict sensitive
• It is important to conduct a thorough mapping of potential local partners at the outset of the initiative, to identify institutions that could host the EWER system or NGOs that could provide their expertise in implementing certain early responses
• Attempts should be made to secure the direct participation in the EWER system of
  members of local institutions who are as senior in standing as possible, in order to obtain the full backing and support of those structures as a whole
• It is critical to maintain constant and open communication channels with local authorities so that trust in the EWER system is built over time and their assistance can be counted on to implement early responses
• Data collection and analysis methodologies should be designed based on the local
  community’s capacities and resources so that they can be locally-owned
• The type of data collection tools that are chosen should provide the requisite level of
  detail to enable the design of concrete early responses
• Early warning dissemination should be followed up with in-person engagement to better communicate on the issues at hand and how to resolve them