Improving Needs Assessment

1
Improving Needs Assessment

• IASC CAP Workshop

2
According to Need? ODI study, 2003

• Responses often not proportionate and appropriate
  to need
• Assessments biased by agency mandates. Therefore,
  objectivity of assessments questioned and lack of
  trust between agencies and donors
• Need more consistent application of standards
• Severity of situation should be described in
  terms of needs but also of risks anticipated
  needs

3
WHO/UNICEF Study on Needs Assessment

• Reviewed Consolidated Appeals and 120 assessment
  guidelines
• Assessments done but not well coordinated
• Assessment information not systematically
  compiled
• Lack of consistency in terminology and
  description of needs across countries
• e.g. appalling conditions, severe
  humanitarian crisis, desperate situation
  which is worse?

4
The Needs Assessment Framework and Matrix

• A common framework for assessments and matrix of
  minimum data to be collected, analysed and
  presented across all countries

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The Needs Assessment Framework
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The Needs Assessment Framework

• Basis to reach common understanding of needs
• Categories are issues of concern, not needs per
  se
• Hierarchy of concerns reflected in each level but
  does not imply consequent prioritised response
• Categories are interdependent - assess them
  individually and as part of integrated assessment
• Integrates gender analysis

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The Needs Assessment Matrix

• Not necessarily joint assessments, but
  coordinated ones!
• A tool for consolidating and analysing individual
  agencies needs assessment in a consistent format
  across all CAP countries.
• Promotes disaggragation of data by gender, age,
  etc.
• Standardises information to be collected.
• Categories of information in matrix are from
  framework
• Combines evidence and judgment to reflect on
  humanitarian needs and help determine severity of
  a situation

8
Link to programming

• Matrix information helps define response
  priorities
• Priorities guide overall development of sector
  plans
• So, there is a healthy de-linking of assessment
  from programming

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Prioritisation in the CAP
    IDENTIFY PRIORITY NEEDS         DEVELOP A
PRIORITISED RESPONSE STRATEGY         DEVELOP
PRIORITY PROJECTS
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Feedback from pilot in Burundi

• Provides a more consistent approach to describing
  humanitarian needs
• Is useful for making sectoral and inter-sectoral
  analyses
• Serves as basis for priority setting and defining
  a common humanitarian strategy
• Will improve coherence, objectivity and
  transparency
• Can be used as basis for monitoring and review

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Feedback continued

• But probably more important
• recognised it is not only a technical tool, but
  also means to improve interaction and
  collaboration between all stakeholders

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Some practical concerns

• new way of working, which requires additional
  work
• process to analyse the material also requires
  extra staff time in some sectors
• Finding balance between getting snapshot of
  countrys needs and the risk of loosing important
  geographical variations of humanitarian needs
• However
• Additional investments in time and resources can
  add value to monitoring and review, and less
  effort for periodical updates.