National Disaster Management Authorities (NDMAs) are often, though not always, a country’s principal institution mandated to co-ordinate and manage all aspects related to disaster mitigation, preparedness, and response through their respective national and provincial offices. Many such authorities have now adopted disaster management policies and guidelines, some of which make explicit reference to
humanitarian standards.

Such standards bring clarity about the expected quality of humanitarian response, which strengthen preparedness before an emergency as well as improve coordination and save time during a response. However, the process of contextualising and adopting standards can be challenging and time consuming, and governments may have some real and justified reservations about embarking on such a process.

This Discussion Paper considers various ways to approach and work with NDMAs and includes a range of recommendations in support of adopting standards at national level. It is supported by a number of case studies which illustrate some ways to take up the mentioned challenges and take advantage of potential opportunities