Designed for the Philippines, but also applicable to many parts of the Pacific, the 8 Build Back Safer Key Messages were developed through a consultative process with shelter agencies and government as a part of the Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda response in the Philippines and can be seen as a minimum checklist of disaster risk reduction construction techniques for owner-driven self-recovery in non-engineered, non-architecturally designed lightweight structures that most shelter agencies were dealing with. 

The primary goal of the 8 Build Back Safer Key Messages was to ensure common understanding amongst shelter cluster members around simple accessible advice to families on how they can improve their makeshift shelter or simple home no matter how minimal their budget. Rather than promoting a one off perfect solution that is simply unaffordable for most of the affected population, the messages provide advice for the owner driven incremental approach that the majority of the affected community are engaged in.

For best results, these messages should be delivered to householders by construction trainers, using physical models, or through the construction of model houses in their communities.