IASC Needs Assessment IASC Needs Assessment Task ForceTask Force

NATF Training on Coordinated NATF Training on Coordinated AssessmentsAssessments

Revinge, SwedenRevinge, Sweden

October 28, 2010October 28, 2010

The ChallengeThe Challenge ““Needs assessment, is recognised as an area that needed to be Needs assessment, is recognised as an area that needed to be

prioritised right from the start, however, there were no clear prioritised right from the start, however, there were no clear structures, guidance or modalities in place to support this process. structures, guidance or modalities in place to support this process. The deployment of needs assessment capacity and expertise was The deployment of needs assessment capacity and expertise was done on a last-minute basis and geared towards “planning on the done on a last-minute basis and geared towards “planning on the go” and “learning while doing.” go” and “learning while doing.” After-Action Review, Rapid Multi-After-Action Review, Rapid Multi-cluster Needs Assessment in Haiti, 05 April, 2010cluster Needs Assessment in Haiti, 05 April, 2010

““We have a proliferation of assessments going on in Pakistan. We have a proliferation of assessments going on in Pakistan. Nearly each organisation does its own assessment, often without Nearly each organisation does its own assessment, often without any coordination even within their respective cluster. Regularly any coordination even within their respective cluster. Regularly questionnaires used are badly designed with inappropriate, questionnaires used are badly designed with inappropriate, insensitive and/or misleading questions that do not allow the insensitive and/or misleading questions that do not allow the needed analysis. Hence there is a lot of work needed to get needed analysis. Hence there is a lot of work needed to get assessments right”- assessments right”- Manuel Bessler, HoO PakistanManuel Bessler, HoO Pakistan

IASC Needs Assessment Task IASC Needs Assessment Task ForceForce

Objective: To harmonise and promote cross-Objective: To harmonise and promote cross-sector needs assessment initiatives for sector needs assessment initiatives for consistent, reliable and timely data on consistent, reliable and timely data on humanitarian needs in complex humanitarian needs in complex emergencies and natural disasters to emergencies and natural disasters to strengthen informed decision-making and strengthen informed decision-making and improve humanitarian responseimprove humanitarian response

Outputs:Outputs: Guidance, tools and capacity designed to Guidance, tools and capacity designed to lead to common and coordinated assessments lead to common and coordinated assessments and consolidated data for use by humanitarian and consolidated data for use by humanitarian actors in emergency settingsactors in emergency settings

An integrated approach for An integrated approach for evidence- based decision evidence- based decision

makingmaking

PreliminaryScenario Definition Flash

Appeal

Revision of Flash Appeal

Coordinatedsectoralassessments

Contingency Planning Preparedness

Multi-cluster Rapid Assessment

RTE / Monitoring

Recovery Assessment

Impact Monitoring & Learning

HumanitarianDashboard Updates

Performance monitoring & RTEs

Evaluation

Cluster-level monitoring and reporting

Operational Guidance on Operational Guidance on Coordinated Assessments in Coordinated Assessments in

EmergenciesEmergencies Establishes a common understanding Establishes a common understanding

on how to plan and carry out common on how to plan and carry out common and coordinated assessments in and coordinated assessments in different phases of an emergencydifferent phases of an emergency

Calls for:Calls for:– Preliminary Scenario Definition (Phase 1)Preliminary Scenario Definition (Phase 1)– Joint, multi-cluster rapid assessment (Phase 2)Joint, multi-cluster rapid assessment (Phase 2)– Common and coordinated cluster/sector assessments and Common and coordinated cluster/sector assessments and

ongoing inter-sectoral coordination (Phases 3 and 4)ongoing inter-sectoral coordination (Phases 3 and 4)

Key Humanitarian Key Humanitarian IndicatorsIndicators

Approx. 10 indicators per Approx. 10 indicators per cluster selected as cluster selected as most most representative representative

These 132 indicators include These 132 indicators include Common Operational Common Operational Datasets and “Top Level Datasets and “Top Level Outcome” indicatorsOutcome” indicators

To be populated by To be populated by Clusters/Sectors to create a Clusters/Sectors to create a composite picture of composite picture of humanitarian needs and humanitarian needs and status of the affected status of the affected populationpopulation

Supplemented by guidance Supplemented by guidance indicating the data indicating the data collection methodology to collection methodology to be used in different phases be used in different phases of an emergencyof an emergency

NATF Roster and PoolNATF Roster and Pool To provide additional To provide additional

support to country teams support to country teams to coordinate and conduct to coordinate and conduct inter-sectoral assessmentsinter-sectoral assessments

Roster provided by ACAPS Roster provided by ACAPS and managed by NRCand managed by NRC

Pool composed of OCHA Pool composed of OCHA and cluster members and cluster members (NGOS)(NGOS)

Both groups trained in Both groups trained in NATF guidance and how to NATF guidance and how to lead joint assessmentslead joint assessments

Deployable through surge Deployable through surge capacity mechanisms of capacity mechanisms of OCHA and clusters OCHA and clusters

Capacity Building ActivitiesCapacity Building Activitieso Focus on multi-Focus on multi-

sectoral assessments sectoral assessments and inter-sectoral and inter-sectoral analysisanalysis

o ACAPS to lead ACAPS to lead training effort. Tools training effort. Tools and methodologies and methodologies agreed by NATFagreed by NATF

o Assessment modules Assessment modules to be integrated into to be integrated into OCHA/Cluster OCHA/Cluster trainings trainings

o NATF orientation NATF orientation sessions/workshops sessions/workshops planned in 2011 planned in 2011

Humanitarian DashboardHumanitarian DashboardPakistan examplePakistan example

NATF Information NATF Information ManagementManagement

o Mainstreamed through the work of the NATF Mainstreamed through the work of the NATF Technical GroupsTechnical Groups

o Close linkages established with the IASC Task Close linkages established with the IASC Task Force on Information ManagementForce on Information Management

o Areas of progress on information management:Areas of progress on information management:o Inclusion of Inclusion of information management information management

recommendationsrecommendations in the Operational Guidance. in the Operational Guidance.o Development of Development of web-based toolboxweb-based toolbox to complement the to complement the

Operational Guidance.Operational Guidance.o Linkages established between the definition of Linkages established between the definition of

indicators indicators (led by NATF) and the definition of (led by NATF) and the definition of operational datasetsoperational datasets (led by IMTF) (led by IMTF)

o Inclusion of “information management for needs Inclusion of “information management for needs assessment experts” in assessment experts” in training and capacity buildingtraining and capacity building (linked closely with IM Training Module). (linked closely with IM Training Module).

Activities planned for 2011Activities planned for 2011

Dissemination and Dissemination and field use of provisional field use of provisional NATF guidance and NATF guidance and tools and revisionstools and revisions

Development of Development of additional tools:additional tools:– MIRA: Multi-cluster MIRA: Multi-cluster

Initial/Rapid Initial/Rapid AssessmentAssessment

Ongoing Capacity-Ongoing Capacity-building activitiesbuilding activities

Linkages to PDNALinkages to PDNA

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

Work of the NATF steady but still outstanding technical Work of the NATF steady but still outstanding technical issues that require additional consultations and field inputsissues that require additional consultations and field inputs

Convergence of outputs between the three technical groups Convergence of outputs between the three technical groups required: ie:required: ie: Operational Guidance informs Training PackageOperational Guidance informs Training Package Indicators required for Humanitarian DashboardIndicators required for Humanitarian Dashboard Humanitarian Dashboard supports components of the Humanitarian Dashboard supports components of the

Operational GuidanceOperational Guidance

Need to engage more stakeholders particularly in the field- Need to engage more stakeholders particularly in the field- NATF products to become standard practice in new NATF products to become standard practice in new emergencies by 2012emergencies by 2012

Considerations for the future: How to move from NATF Considerations for the future: How to move from NATF outputs to outcomes? outputs to outcomes?