This document gives guidance on how to develop meaningful recovery activities and renewal initiatives from any type of major emergency, disaster or crisis, no matter what type of impact or damage it has. It provides guidelines on how to identify the short-term, transactional activities needed to reflect and learn, review preparedness of parts of the system impacted by the crisis, and reinstate operations to build preparedness to future emergencies. It distinguishes a longer-term perspective, called “renewal”, and provides guidelines on how to identify visionary initiatives to be addressed through transformation to change lives and futures.

The guidelines cover how, in both recovery and renewal, there is a need to identify scalable activity on people, places, processes, power and partners.

This document is applicable to all organizations, particularly those involved in recovery and renewal and that are responsible for human welfare and community development (e.g. public, voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors).