Six Partners, One Vision: Aligning Work Packages for Climate Resilience
Quarterly workshops serve as the vital engine of Project RURBANISE—a venue where multi-sector consortium partners convene, align research outputs, and co-design actionable pathways for community climate resilience.
On March 21, 2025, the Q1 2025 workshop held at ISO Walter Hogan Conference Center, Ateneo de Manila University showcased how joint work package (WP) efforts convert field insights into practical, on-the-ground solutions.
This workshop was participated in by the six partners: Technical Assistance Movement for People and Environment, Inc. (TAMPEI), Homeless People’s Federation Philippines, Inc. (HPFPI), Institute of Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC), University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI), University of the Philippines School of Urban and Regional Planning (UP SURP), and The University of Sheffield (TUoS).
Alignment of Work Package Outputs
The following flowchart best summarizes and integrates the framework of all work packages and how each work package relates to each other:
The morning session of the workshop focused on organizational updates, evaluating recent field activities, and connecting findings across work packages:
Work Package 1 (Risk Reduction and Simulation)
TAMPEI presented updates on DRR-CCA orientations across various Homeowners Associations (HOAs). ESSC shared validated Community Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (CVCA) outcomes, and UPRI-NOAH presented natural hazard simulations. SURP's household survey updates were slated for a dedicated follow-up session.
Work Package 2 (Governance and Policy)
ESSC brought validated Community-Based Policy Evaluation (CBPE) results to the table. TUoS summarized key insights from local/national policy interviews. UPRI shared groundwork for upcoming Legal Institutional Arrangements (LIA) workshops
Work Package 3 (Assessments and Case Studies)
HPFPI-PACSII synthesized HOA assessment findings, while TAMPEI focused on special case studies in sites such as ASHAI and SMART Tower.
Work Package 4 (Innovations and Sensors)
UPRI-NOAH outlined progress on environmental hazard sensors and 3D-printed community maps, linking these technical outputs directly to TAMPEI’s proposed innovation workshops.
Strategic Priorities and Expert Guidance
The afternoon session shifted toward collaborative action planning around organizational development (OD), advocacy, and knowledge management (KM):
Organizational Development
Partners drafted targeted mini-work plans to embed research insights directly into HPFPI’s regional and national strategic planning. The team identified high-priority community concerns requiring ongoing support, while intentionally weaving Conflict Sensitivity (CS) and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) into future activities.
Advocacy
To address tenure security and climate risks, the team outlined plans for Local Initiative Action (LIA) workshops, policy labs, and stakeholder engagement. These platforms aim to map key opportunities and threats, paving the way for targeted strategies to maximize local strengths and mitigate vulnerability.
Knowledge Management
The team explored pathways for academic publications and conference presentations, while advancing plans to integrate performative ethnography, popular education, and community stories. The session was elevated by the physical presence of Prof. Vanesa Castan Broto, whose participation enriched action planning discussions. Drawing from her extensive expertise, Prof. Broto provided valuable guidance on strategic academic publishing, advising the consortium on suitable high-impact journals to showcase RURBANISE’s findings.
Quarterly Workshops Matter for RURBANISE
More than progress checks, quarterly workshops are RURBANISE’s engine for collaborative learning. They allow consortium partners to continuously adapt work plans, align interdisciplinary research outputs, and integrate local voices with high-level scholarship. It is through this sustained, collective reflection that the project creates lasting impact on the ground.
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CLARE includes three core pillars: ‘Research’, commissioning new substantive action-oriented research as well as providing the cross-programme infrastructure, jointly run and co-funded by the UK and by Canada’s International Development Research Centre; ‘Services’ providing timely weather and climate services to inform investments and actions by FCDO, UK government and wider stakeholders in partnership with the UK Met Office and others; and ‘Partnerships’, supporting strategic alliances on climate science and adaptation such as the Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA) and Climate Risks and Early Warning Systems (CREWS).
About the Author
Janina Salubo is a Knowledge Management and Development Communications Volunteer for the RURBANISE project, specializing in translating complex resilience research into accessible insights for funders and grassroots communities.