CWA 18390:2026

This CEN Workshop Agreement provides guidance for the preparedness phase of disaster risk management. It focuses on the alignment of how tools, platforms, and processes developed for disaster risk preparedness are presented, organised, maintained, and made discoverable, providing a practical reference of good practices that research and innovation (R& I) projects and other stakeholders can adopt and adapt.
This CWA addresses the documentation and presentation of preparedness solutions developed through research, innovation and operational programmes. It promotes the adoption of shared descriptors and quality practices so that these outputs can be more easily identified, compared and applied by different organisations.
It also covers aspects of governance, sustainability, interoperability and communication that influence how such solutions are developed, accessed and retained.
Examples of preparedness solutions include but are not limited to emergency communications systems, digital twins or other systems to gather data and show the operational picture, risk assessment modules, decision support systems, and training modules.
The recommendations are designed to support:
− teams, organisations or bodies undertaking research and innovation activities that produce preparedness solutions
− teams, organisations or bodies undertaking initiatives that identify, assess or select preparedness solutions for operational or policy use
− civil-protection and emergency-management authorities
− practitioner and responder organisations
− policy and funding bodies seeking to align or evaluate initiatives and
− entities responsible for maintaining catalogues, repositories or training material.
This CWA applies to preparedness solutions addressing both rapid-onset and slow-onset hazards, recognising that different hazard dynamics may influence how preparedness activities are documented and presented. It is applicable to both digital and non-digital outputs, ranging from software platforms and data services to operational procedures, training frameworks and collaborative processes.
While primarily intended for European use, the guidance may also inform cooperation and exchange beyond Europe where appropriate.
This CWA does not prescribe any particular technical architecture, management structure or legal arrangement. It provides a voluntary reference that organisations can adopt or adapt to suit their own context. It is not intended to establish conformity assessment, auditing or certification schemes. Users remain responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable legislation, standards and organisational requirements.
The scope of this CWA is limited to the preparedness phase of disaster risk management. Certain elements of the recommendations may also prove useful for prevention, mitigation, response or recovery activities however, those areas lie outside the present Scope.