The diploma in disaster management program at Kenyatta University explores the theoretical foundations of disaster and emergency management as a growing field of practice and study. The program emphasizes an integrated and holistic approach to disaster management built on the understanding that disasters are more than hazards, and are products of the inter-relationship and mutual construction of the environmental, social, economic, and political spheres. This approach supports the notion that disaster management processes and practices can and should contribute to risk reduction, community resilience and sustainable communities.
SOC/DDM/010:INTRODUCTION TO DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Definition, Scope and types of disasters, objectives of disaster management, vulnerability. Elements of disaster management: preparedness, assessment, recovery, rehabilitation and management. Resource mobilization in disaster management. Information collection and management. Strategies and approaches for disaster management. Logistics and implementation, remedial measures. Community mobilization for disaster management.
SOC/DDM 011:ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS
Definitions. Types of environments, causes of environmental disasters, environmental protection in disasters: Environmental impact assessment, law, conventions, audits and policies. Environment and sustainable development. Emerging global issues in environmental protection. Environmental Management strategies for disasters.
SOC/DDM/ 012:SOCIAL SERVICES IN DISASTER SITUATIONS
Definitions. Types and nature of social services, Needs assessment and identification, planning and resource mobilization. Response strategies: Health, water and sanitation, shelter and security. Psycho-social and spiritual care. Short-term and long-term mediation. Humanitarian Charter and SPHERE standards. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
SOC/DDM 013:DROUGHT, FAMINE AND FOOD SECURITY
Definitions. Scope and characteristics of drought and famine. Contributory factors. Incidences of drought with respect to Africa. Effects of the 1985 drought in Kenya. Nexus between disasters and food security. Cycle of food insecurity: drought and floods. Causes of food insecurity. Measures for food security. Food need assessment, storage and distribution. Food loss and wastage. Mitigation strategies. Food security policies with emphasis on Africa.
SOC/DDM 014:LOGISTICS IN DISASTERS
Definitions. Understanding logistics in disasters, scope and types of logistics, mobilization of resources and key stake-holders: International Aid agencies, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Volunteers, Community Based Organizations (CBOs). Notification, response strategy and mobilization. Logistic planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Movement of personnel, resources, and equipment. Back-up strategies and resources. Challenges in disaster logistics.
SOC/DDM 015:FOOD AID
The concept of food Aid. Food security and self-sufficiency. Sources of food aid: domestic and international. Strategic food reserves, food Storage, warehousing and packaging. Food distribution, logistics role of relief Agencies: Government, NGO’s, CBO’s. Financing of food aid, food aid policy: national, regional and international, the political economy of food aid. Social cultural issues in food aid.
SOC/DDM/016:SHELTER AND SITE PLANNING
Concepts of shelter and site. Identification, design and management of site and shelters. Shelter construction and Removal, shelter planning processes and programmes, resource mobilization and management in sites, site security, evacuation and camp management, challenges in site planning and management, resettlement and reintegration.
SOC/DDM/ 017: THEORETICAL APPROACHES IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Definition and classification of theories. Importance of theory in disaster management. An overview of theories of disaster management: determinism, human ecology, systems, conflict, functionalism, organizational, human relations, interactionism, and economic agency. Emerging theoretical approaches to disaster management. Nexus between theory and practice in disaster management.
SOC/DDM/018:DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND PREVENTION
Definition and objectives of disaster preparedness. Basic principles of preparedness: getting informed, emergency planning and checklists, simulation and maintaining disaster preparedness plans. Natural hazards-specific preparedness: floods, thunderstorm and lightning, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, volcano eruptions and landslides. Preparedness and prevention strategies for technological emergencies: household, industrial and workplace hazards, hazardous material accidents and nuclear power plants. Preparedness measures for terrorism incidents: explosions, biological and chemical threats. Preparedness and public awareness. Insurance and disaster preparedness. Disaster preparedness in selected African states. Challenges in disaster preparedness and prevention.
SOC/DDM 019:PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR DISASTER SITUATIONS
Definitions. Overview of disaster project services. The project cycle: planning in disaster Situations, assessment, appraisal, designing of interventions. Defining project scope. Project implementation in emergency situations, community involvement in disaster projects. Role of project leader, costs and budgeting, project charter: inputs and outputs. Resource and human resource mobilization. Fundraising and relief campaigns. Monitoring and evaluation: methods and tools of monitoring and evaluation. Report writing. Challenges in emergency project management, case studies.
SOC/DDM/020:DISASTER AND DEVELOPMENT
Definitions: development and underdevelopment. Disaster and economic growth. socio-economic consequences of disasters. The nexus between disaster, environment and development. Resource mobilization. Resource distribution and redistribution in disaster management and development. Policies and development options in disaster management. Disaster and sustainable development.
SOC/DDM/021:GENDER ISSUES IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Defining gender and related concepts. Disaster, gender and vulnerability. Gender approaches to development and intervention. Gender sensitivity in responses to emergencies. The impact of disasters on different gender. Major gender concerns in disasters: transportation, settlement, education, water, food, health, policy, privacy and security. Gender based violence. Gender-specific disaster management strategies. The policy environment in integrating gender concerns. Gender equality, equity and disaster risk reduction.
SOC/DDM 022:WORKPLACE EMERGENCIES
Definitions. Various types of work environment and workplace disasters, factors of workplace emergencies, effects of workplace disasters, prevention and control of workplace disasters, gender issues in workplace emergencies, emerging issues in workplace emergencies, workplace emergency policy: preparedness, prevention, mitigation, recovery and rehabilitation. Information management for workplace disasters.
SOC/DDM/023:DISASTER INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
Definitions. Objectives and importance of emergency information management. Disaster survival skills and life guarding information and communication. Dissemination procedures. Documentation process and documentation centers. Disaster rules and regulations. Disaster victim recognition, rescue and first aid skills. Disaster information systems and the use ICT in disaster information management. Geographic Information System and disasters. Legal, ethical and policy issues in disaster information and communication.
SOC/DDM/024: DISASTER ASSESSMENT
Definition. Receiving alerts and protocols. Types of assessments: economic, social, political, environmental, security. Determination of damage types and extent. Assessment stages and strategies. Assessment techniques. Assessment teams and their preparedness. Assessment of different disaster management strategies. Assessment of the impact of disasters: environmental, financial and human. Surveillance systems in disaster situations. Preparation of proposal bids. Proposals for remedial and rehabilitation measures.
SOC/DDM/025: DISASTER MITIGATION
Definition and objectives of disaster mitigation. Mitigation as an approach to managing disasters. Role of mitigation in disaster management. Pre-disaster mitigation strategies: hazard mapping, land use zoning, earthquake resistant building codes, hail storm suppression, dyking techniques, home raising in flood areas. Post-disaster mitigation measures: health, water and sanitation, housing, environment and education. Mitigation, community education and public awareness, insurance in disaster mitigation. Disaster mitigation policies for some selected African countries.
SOC/DDM/026:RESEARCH METHODS AND STATISTICS
Definitions: Research and statistics. Population and sampling, data collection, qualitative and quantitative analysis and data presentation. Preparation of proposals; research problem, research objectives and questions, literature review, theoretical perspectives and conceptual framework, report writing, field work requirements, ethical issues in social research. Basic concepts in statistics, principles of statistical applications, types of statistics, sources of statistical data, function and limitations of statistics. Qualitative and quantitative data, scales of measurements, standardization, measures of central tendency, association and dispersion, sampling distributions, point and interval estimates.
SOC/DDM/027:HEALTH, WATER AND SANITATION IN EMERGENCIES
Definition of emergency situations. Nature and types of emergencies common in Africa and other selected countries. Needs identification and assessment in emergency situations: Water, health and sanitation. Resource mobilization for emergency situations: Water, health and sanitation. Emergency response strategies for water, health and sanitation services. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation of water, health and sanitary strategies in emergencies. Emergency policy issues for water, health and sanitation.
SOC/DDM/028: COUNSELING AND COPING IN DISASTER SITUATIONS
Definitions: Counselling, guidance and coping. Principles of counseling. Types of Counselling. Counselling procedures. Role of a counselor. Client expectations, identifying client problems, trauma and stress counselling. Rehabilitation in counselling. Group counselling. Ethics in counselling. Challenges in adjustment, coping, focused on counseling.
SOC/DDM/029:STAFF SECURITY IN EMERGENCY SETTINGS
Staff preparedness for disasters: types of insecurities: phases, appropriate preparation and equipment. Provisions of security. Communication protocol. Disasters staff training needs: victim recognition and rescue skills. Emergency rehearsals. Essential supplies for disasters. Back-up security in disaster management, evacuation protocol. Trauma management and counselling.
SOC/DDM/030:DISASTER MANAGEMENT FOR SPECIAL GROUPS
Definition. Identification of persons with special needs in disaster situations: women, children, and the mentally and physically challenged, older persons. Responses targeting specific groups. Evacuation plans and procedures for specific groups. Information and communication modes for special groups. Emergency supplies for special groups. Rehabilitation, counselling, resettlement and reintegration.
SOC/DDM/031:DISASTER MANAGEMENT POLICIES
Definitions. Types of policy: Broad and specific. Goals and importance of specific policies with special reference to agriculture, economy, industry, health and social services. Theoretical approaches to policy making. Process of policy formulation, disaster management policy goals, target groups for disaster policy, gaps between policy and implementation, disaster policies for special groups: women, children, elderly, disabled, diplaced. Role of different agencies in policy making, challenges in policy development.
SOC/DDM/032:REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION
Definition of rehabilitation and reconstruction. Types and plans for rehabilitation: temporary and long term relief. Assessment for rehabilitation. Rehabilitation of disaster victims, affected areas and communities. Relief and disaster management projects, Logistics and strategies in reconstruction. Reconstruction for post disaster situations: markets, buildings, transport, communication, schools, hospitals and housing. Risk assessment in reconstruction. Stages in reconstruction process. Cases of reconstruction from Africa and Asia: Role of governments, international organizations, civil societies, non-governmental organizations and communities.
SOC/DDM/ 033:PROJECT WRITING (EQUIVALENT TO 2 UNITS)
Students will undertake field work on a topic relevant to disaster management. The field work will be undertaken within the final semester. They will then write a project paper which should be submitted before the final exams.
SOC/DDM 034:CONVENTIONS AND LEGAL ISSUES IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Definitions: conventions, statutes, law, treaties. Human rights. Human rights instruments: UN declaration of human rights, convention on the rights of the child; African charter on the rights and welfare of the Africa child. Convention on elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW). Conventions governing the Red Cross and Red Crescent. Bill of Rights. Humanitarian charter, SPHERE during disasters. Cross-border protocol. Legal assistance during disaster mitigation. Global insecurities and their linkages to disasters
SOC/DDM 035: CULTURE, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND DISASTERS
Definitions: culture, science, technology; interface between culture and technology. Diffusions of technology; culture and disasters; types of technologies: intermediate technology, information technology and the third wave. Impacts of increasing technology use on the environment; use of technology to detect, locate, monitor, prospect and manage disasters: Global Information System (GIS) and Global Position System (GPS). Disaster surveillance using historical cycles. The future of technology.
SOC/DDM 036:AGENCY OPERATIONS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Definitions: State and non-state actors: CBOs, NGOs, INGOs and Private corporate organizations. Role of disaster control units at various levels. Mandate and responsibilities of non-state actors, policy and legal framework for non-state actors. Kenya national policy on relief assistance. Role of public awareness. Community and resource mobilization, networking and advocacy; community education; accountability and ethical issues, challenges, strengths and opportunities, working with local and international media.
