Background

After reorganization to become an “Administrative Corporation" under the National Science and Technology Council in the mid of 2014, "Policy and Socio-Economics Division" was formed through merging "Management System and Policy Division" and "Socio-Economic System Division".

The original Management System and Policy Division visited many cities and communities every year to provide advices and training opportunities. It also helped the central government to form advisory committee and to evaluate local governments’ capabilities. The major purpose was to improve the whole system in disaster management and to encourage partnership and participation at the central and local government level.

The original Socio-Economic System Division recognized the significance of non-engineering viewpoint of a disaster. It established social economic data of disasters from conducting surveys or collecting governmental data. It then provided these data to the public, especially academia for fundamental researches. It also developed models, e.g., economic loss models based on these data.

The Policy and Socio-Economics Division after reorganization not only keeps the functions of the original two divisions but also encourages the dialog between process of policy reformation and social-economic data collections. On the one hand, analytical results of social-economic data can be evidences to support a policy reformation; on the other hand, weak points found in the process of policy reformation can be guidance of data collection directions.

Primary Tasks

1. Develop methods and tools to help local governments manage disasters (http://easy2do.ncdr.nat.gov.tw)
2. Assist Executive Yuan to evaluate and give suggestions to local governments about disaster management
3. Help to organize Disaster Prevention and Protection Expert Consultation Committee (http://www.ncdr.nat.gov.tw/)
4. Establish Taiwan Typhoon Loss Assessment System
5. Develop methods and tools for community-based disaster management (http://community.ncdr.nat.gov.tw)
6. Conduct social surveys of disasters (http://easy2do.ncdr.nat.gov.tw/survey)
7. Develop methods of disaster management for social welfare institutions (http://easy2do.ncdr.nat.gov.tw/welfare)
8. Develop Social Vulnerability Indexes of disasters

Key Achievements

1. The main website: “Easy to Do” for city governments
   Main issues included on the website for city governments (https://easy2do.ncdr.nat.gov.tw) are disaster risk management, emergency information management, critical resources logistics and distribution, evacuation, shelters, and housing reconstruction. This website suggests city governments how to do a task step by step. It provides many links to resources and examples in these steps, as well as a tool of assessment. It also presents itself as a platform of experience exchanges for city governments.
   
2. The sub-website: “Easy to Support” for social welfare institutions 
   The issues of this sub-website (https://easy2do.ncdr.nat.gov.tw/welfare) are designed based on evaluation standards of Ministry of Health and Welfare. This website teaches city governments and social welfare institutions themselves how to prepare for a disaster. It also provides many links to resources and examples, as well as a tool of assessment.