Abbey Abramson

  Minimum viable integrity package Metro-level realities: drainage, debris, and “cash for work” Urban floods require rapid municipal purchases—such as debris trucks, pumps, and renting excavators—as well as cash-for-work programs to clear silted drains. Evidence from multiple cities shows that even small abuses compound: a contractor bills for desilting that was never done; drain cleaning stops at the camera; PPE is invoiced but not delivered. The fix is to treat CFW and municipal buys as micro-contracts with the same disclosure defaults: unit prices, quantities, GPS-tagged photos, and quick citizen verification (OCP evidence on small-lot disclosure).  When cities publish pre-monsoon work orders, silt volumes, and GPS-logged before/after photos (as Mumbai has begun to do for key nullahs and pumping stations, alongside fines for failed performance), it becomes feasible for civic groups to spot bottlenecks and verify work in real time (Times of India, 2025a; 2025b). Minimum vi...

  Climate projects monitoring and evaluation standards What the standards actually say (and how to use them) Sphere Standards (2018) —minimums across WASH, Food Security, Shelter, Health, plus Core Humanitarian Standard for accountability and participation. Use Sphere to argue for transparent criteria, accessible complaints, and monitoring that measures outcomes (not boxes handed out) (Sphere, 2018). The IFRC Emergency Response Framework (2025) defines roles, decision thresholds, and risk appetite in large emergencies, pairing with DREF timelines (10–14 days) to plan pre-positioned controls (IFRC, 2025; IFRC DREF, 2020) (ifrc.org). Open Contracting evidence —publish emergency contracts in OCDS ; evidence links disclosure to increased competition and savings (OCP, 2024). CaLP/CHD Data Responsibility —protect CVA data, document data flows, minimize what you collect, and ensure community consent and exit options (CaLP/CHD, 2020) (data.humdata.org). World Bank ASP (2023–2025) —build s...

  Risks and emergency management in climate change Speed without “disaster capitalism”: designing controls that survive the rush Pre-disaster contracts and vendor pools The IFRC ’s Emergency Response Framework and DREF guidance say rapid response means higher risk. But this risk can be managed. Pre-qualified vendor pools, framework agreements, and vetted specifications speed procurement while reducing collusion (IFRC, 2025; IFRC DREF, 2020). Radical transparency defaults Adopt a 10-day rule : Publish every emergency contract within ten days with the supplier, including unit prices, quantities, delivery evidence, and beneficial owners. Where countries adopted ProZorro-style open data and dashboards, competition widened and savings increased (OCP, 2024; OCP impact story: Ukraine).  Emergency awards should auto-check ownership against sanctions and past performance. Blacklists should be centralized and public. Otherwise, suspended firms return under new names. The International ...