Communities affected by natural disasters in Fiji will soon experience improved support thanks to the soft launch of the Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) by the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS). The launch event took place at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva on Tuesday and aims to enhance communication between impacted communities and service providers.
The CFM is designed as a platform for affected individuals to submit feedback, concerns, and information about their situations, which can include photographs or reports. These submissions are crucial for informing service providers, government bodies, and development partners about the communities’ needs during recovery efforts.
Key features of the CFM include a digital system that organizes and analyzes feedback, a variety of communication channels such as Facebook, Messenger, Viber, and SMS, and a centralized storage system for data. Each piece of feedback is assigned a unique ID and is regularly updated on its status. The outcome of this process is an automated community observation report that summarizes all feedback collected.
Josaia Tokoni, the program manager for FCOSS, highlighted the limitations of traditional feedback methods, such as village meetings, which may not always ensure that issues are promptly addressed. He emphasized the importance of the CFM in bridging this gap.
During disaster response phases, FCOSS will produce daily community observation reports, which will be distributed by the District Council of Social Services (DCOSS) to enhance the effectiveness of relief efforts in affected areas.
This initiative represents a significant step toward fostering more responsive support systems for communities in need, ultimately building resilience and capacity to recover from future disasters. By improving communication and ensuring accountability, the CFM could help to transform the landscape of disaster response in Fiji.
In summary, the launch of the CFM is a positive development that promises to enhance the efficiency of relief efforts in Fiji, ensuring that the voices of affected communities are heard and their needs addressed more effectively.
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