Enhancing Volunteer Awareness and education against Natural Disasters

through E-learning (EVANDE)

Dr C. Fassoulas, Project CoordinatorNatural History Museum, Univ. of Crete

Project co funded by the DG ECHO of the EC, Grant Agreement No. ECHO/SUB/2014/693261Kick off meeting – Brussels 20/1/2015

Project Overview

• Beneficiary: Natural History Museum – University of Crete, Greece

• Total Eligible Cost: € 556.533,00

• EC co financing: € 417.400,00

• Duration: 24 months starting on 1/1/2015

• Partners: Seven (7)

• Coordinator: Dr Charalampos Fassoulas

Partnership

• Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation – GR (EPPO)

• Center for Educational Initiatives - BU (CEI)

• Natural History Museum / University of Crete - GR (UoC/NHMC)

• Technical University of Crete - GR (TuC)

• Parco Del Beigua – IT (BEIGUA)

• Consorci De La Ribera – SP (RIBERA)

• Centro Studi e Formazione Villa Montesca – IT (CSFVM)

Why EVANDE?• Due to Climate Change Mediterranean is going to face severe environmental

problems, amplifying droughts (and wild fires), floods as well extreme weather phenomena in addition to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

• Not always local civil protection mechanism or volunteers have the necessary knowledge, skills and capacity to sufficiently act in case of an emergency

Whom?• It is mainly addressed to local authorities’ civil protection staff and

volunteer groups

How?• by increasing the level of Knowledge for ND• by assisting beneficiaries to better planning and implementing strategies• by strengthening collaboration and improving communication among the

various civil protection actors• by developing a lifelong learning, web based training activity• by improving cross border civil protection interoperability and preparedness

Objectives:• to exchange and exploit information and good practices through the

identification, validation and popularization of knowledge on the most serious Natural disasters

• to develop educative tools and actions to increase the performance and raise of awareness of CP operators and of volunteers in local level

• to improve communication and collaboration of professional and non-professional CP actors,

• to create better prerequisites for, and improve preparedness of CP professionals and volunteers in local level,

and• to constantly evaluate actions and outcomes of the project • to disseminate and share project’s results and outcomes to potential

beneficiaries and broader audience on a constant base

Main Deliverables and deadlines (1):• Management meetings (four),• Desktop Analyses to identify, analyse and validate knowledge and best

practices on Natural Disasters and on the intra-governmental and operational approaches and strategies, (30/11/2015)

• Development of e-learning tools and of special e-seminars on the MOLE environment dedicated to earthquakes, floods and wild fires, (30/6/2015)

• Pilot implementation, evaluation and finalization of e-learning tools in collaboration with local volunteer groups in all project languages, (30/6/2015)

Main Deliverables and deadlines (2):• Training activities in participating museum, info- and educational

centers for volunteers and local authorities staff on e-games, e-seminars, and e-tools, (30/11/2016)

• Organisation of national and international volunteer meetings to strengthen communication and collaboration and share developed outcomes and tools, (30/11/2016) and

• Dissemination & Sustainability plan to develop project’s web-site, organise open meetings, design leaflets and periodical newsletter, deliver a Layman Report and participate in international meetings (30/11/2016)

Deadlines:

Project meetings:• 1st: Genoa IT, March 2015• 2nd: Alzira/Valencia SP, September 2015• 3d: Sofia BU, April 2016• 4th: Heraklion GR, October 2016

Progress Reports:

• 1st: 9/2015• 2nd: 5/2016• Final: 12/2016

Training Seminars:

• Two in each partner 3-6/2016

National training Workshops:

• One in each country, 5-6/2016

International volunteer meeting:

• Cita di Castello IT, 5/2016

Expected results:

• To increase the level of knowledge on natural phenomena and their impacts for civil protection actors in local level, assisting them to better planning and implementing preparedness and response strategies,

• To strengthen collaboration and improve communication among the various civil protection actors, such as local authorities and volunteers,

• To offer tools and means to raise awareness and to create better prerequisites for civil protection in local and national levels,

• To contribute to the development of a lifelong learning based activity addressed to civil protection operators maximizing thus the benefits of broader society from already developed European projects, studies and strategies, and

• To improve cross border civil protection through regional cooperation on interoperability and preparedness for direct response, better planning and reduction of impacts of natural disasters.

Follow up

• Dissemination of project’s results will be continuous through partners’ institutional activities (museum, training centers, National Organizations),

• Web servers of TUC and NHMC will be used to host the web-platform and the project’s web pages for long, offering maintenance and durability,

• Project’s website and web platform will host all printed and other products, in all project language and will serve as a reserve for information and reference,

• Skilled staff of NHMC exhibition, as well as the educational centers of CSVM, CEI and BEIGUA will continue dissemination and training activities,

• Collaboration of local volunteer groups from the various countries will set the base for better communication and response in the case of emergency, and

• Technical reports will be forwarded to National Civil Protection Secretariats hopping to be used and probably incorporated in National Policies and Operational plans

Thank you