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The Community Organisations Disaster Adaptation (CODA) Project builds disaster preparedness and resilience among community service organisations and people most vulnerable to disaster impacts.
CODA also strengthens connections and cooperation between the community, community service organisations and Emergency Management to take action to reduce local disaster risks.
Read the CODA Report: Autumn Update 2026 here
Community Resilience
Communities are disaster resilient and take steps to reduce risks.
How?
- Sessions focused on disaster preparedness with people who are vulnerable, using resources such as Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness
- Promoting preparedness at community events.
Organisational Capability
Local NGOs understand and reduce their own disaster risk and support disaster resilience in vulnerable groups.
How?
- Workshops, networking and resources, e.g.
- Introduction to Disaster Management
- Business Continuity Planning
- Organisational readiness on agendas at interagency meetings
- Professional networks e.g. P-CEP Connect
Collaboration
Disaster management staff:
- Increase their understanding of disaster vulnerability, and
- Recognise how community service organisations can support disaster preparedness and planning.
How?
- Local Emergency Services attend community preparedness sessions and engage in discussions
- Place-based community service organisations attend local disaster management meetings – Emergency Management Committees; Disaster Adaptation Planning – to provide ‘vulnerability lens’.
- Disaster management personnel provide updates at interagency meetings.
Community Organisations perform many roles supporting disaster management, Roles of NGO Disaster Management.
CODA Delivery Partners
Working with place-based community service organisations and specialist peaks ensures CODA best supports the communities in each region:
AbSec (NSW Child, Family and Community Peak Aboriginal Corporation)
Local Community Services Association
Resilient Lismore: Disaster Ready Together Project
Monaro Family Support Service
Eden Community Access Centre
Peppercorn Services
CODA builds on the successful pilot Community Sector Disaster Capability (CSDC) Project
The Community Sector Disaster Capability Project, commencing in February 2023, showcased the role of local community services organisations in supporting communities to reduce disaster risk.
The Project undertook engagement and capacity building activities to promote a collaborative, networked approach to local disaster management, providing an opportunity for local community organisations, and the communities they support, to bring their expert knowledge and connections to emergency preparedness. The Project gathered data, evidence and community sector perspectives to identify local disaster vulnerabilities, risks and strengths.
Final CSDC Project Evaluation
CSDC Evaluation Summary – Bega & Eurobodalla
CSDC Evaluation Summary – Hawkesbury
CSDC Evaluation Summary – Northern Rivers
CSDC Evaluation Summary – Snowy Monaro
CODA Community of Practice
Community service organisations can take on many roles to support communities impacted by disasters and to help communities prepare. But what do these organisations need to meet the challenges of disasters and remain operating effectively?
The CODA Community of Practice focus areas are:
- Investigating the main roles (current and potential) of the NSW community service sector across the disaster management cycle – relief, recovery, mitigation and preparedness.
- Identifying the sector’s resourcing and development needs to effectively undertake these roles.
Who should attend?
- Community service organisation managers and staff.
- These sessions benefit from input from attendees to shape understanding and action on the role of the community sector in providing disaster support.
- Your experience or knowledge as a community service worker who has provided disaster support or engaged in organisational or sector planning to enable disaster support will be an essential element of the Community of Practice sessions.
For more information, contact Eleanor Harris, eleanor@ncoss.org.au.
The CODA Project receives grant funding from the Australian and NSW Governments.
