Friday, January 12, 2018– The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has agreed to financially support the implementation of an audit on the relief distribution plan and processes following the impacts of hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Superintendent Sylvan McIntyre who currently heads the community relations department and is also the disaster coordinator for the Royal Grenada Police Force will be in the BVI for the next two weeks to audit the processes used to distribute aid to the affected communities throughout the Territory.
McIntyre who is also a former National Disaster Coordinator in Grenada is also a key member of the Regional Response Team and serves as a critical member of the Regional Needs Assessment Team that supports country level response operations. He has been with the CDEMA mechanism for over 15 years.
McIntyre said, “It is important that the BVI fully document the steps taken in its relief distribution programmes launched following the impacts from three unprecedented events. A significant amount of aid was provided and must be accounted for. The audit being applied is intended to fully document the steps taken and to provide recommendations on how the process can be improved to ensure effective delivery to the intended beneficiaries for future. “
Following the passages of both hurricanes, tons of aid was provided to the people of the BVI through various mechanisms and organizations. The audit process will examine the source of the aid, the process for delivery, the distribution centers and how the aid ultimately reached the vulnerable communities and how effective it was in addressing the needs of these individuals.
McIntyre went on to say, “In this regard, we will examine how the needs were identified, the pledges made, the relationship with local, regional and international organizations in addressing the needs of the impacted communities, systems in place for tracking the receipt, storage, delivery and distribution of aid and how the Government prioritized the aid distribution.”
The methodology to be used will involve the application of a survey tool, focus group discussions, interviews and documentation review.
It is expected that a full report will be presented to Cabinet that will include the findings, recommendations and lessons learned.
