ABSTRACT
The early choices that an agency makes in response to a disaster are crucial. They establish the overall shape and direction of the program. The first decision is whether to provide assistance or not. Most agencies—whether identified as relief or as development agencies—are "vulnerable" to the pressures exerted by their board members and major donors for certain kinds and locations of programming. To increase their ability to provide assistance that supports development, agencies need to reduce their own vulnerabilities to pressures that force programming they know will increase dependency. An agency may do a Capacities and Vulnerabilities Analysis on itself, at any point, to ascertain its ability to provide aid developmentally. Specific capacities to do developmental programming at specific locations, such as language facility, familiarity with local culture or experience with local groups, may help an agency decide whether or not to intervene with emergency aid.
