COLLECTING, ANALYSING AND INTERPRETING DATA TO ASSESS NEEDS & INFORM DECISIONS
Since its inception ACAPS has undertaken field needs assessment and produced needs assessment tools.
All documents below distil key points, advice, and pitfalls in carrying out needs assessments. They provide a general introduction to what works and what does not. As such, it is aimed towards humanitarian personnel responding to or preparing for emergencies both at field and headquarters level.
Guidance & Tools
collecting data in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar - What works based on five years of experience
This learning document highlights the lessons learned from five years of data collection in the Rohingya camps in the frame of assessments, monitoring and evaluation activities being rapid or comprehensive, sectoral or multi-sectoral, joint or standalone initiatives, and other studies. It has been developed to help adapt data collection processes to the Rohingya Response in Cox’s Bazar based on collated experiences and learning. The methods used to collect data include surveys, group discussions, key informant interviews and direct observations.
Technical note based on experiences from the Rohingya response - Challenges in analysing needs over time using Multi Sectoral Needs Assessments (MSNAs)
This document presents the reflections of the ACAPS Cox’s Bazar team on the development of the Needs and Priorities of Rohingya and Host Communities in Cox’s Bazar since 2017 report through a review of ACAPS’ internal working documents to check comparisons over time. Based on these reflections, the team revisited previous challenges to ensure that key information was not missed. They also reviewed secondary data to inform the background of the study and expound on the importance of having comparable indicators from MSNAs.
HUMANITARIAN NEEDS ASSESSMENT - THE GOOD ENOUGH GUIDE
Needs assessment is essential for programme planning, monitoring and evaluation, and accountability, however needs assessment is still a critical weakness of humanitarian response. Organizations urgently need to improve how they do assessments. ACAPS and the Emergency Capacity Building Project (ECB) have produced this guide to fill the gap that existed for a practical resource that pulls together the main lessons learned from various humanitarian initiatives and experiences.
QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN FOR NEEDS ASSESSMENTS IN HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES
This technical brief aims to support the design of questionnaires for use in humanitarian emergencies by providing a set of guiding principles and a step-by-step process.
QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN FOR NEEDS ASSESSMENTS IN HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES, SUMMARY
This summary provides an overview of the basic rules to build an effective questionnaire. It is divided into three parts: purpose and principles of questionnaire design, the ten steps of designing a questionnaire and a set of do’s.
CRÉATION DE QUESTIONNAIRES POUR L'ÉVALUATION DES BESOINS DANS LES URGENCES HUMANITAIRES, RÉSUMÉ
Ce résumé donne un aperçu des règles de base pour construire un questionnaire efficace. Il est divisé en trois parties : le but et les principes de la conception d’un questionnaire, les dix étapes de sa conception et un ensemble de bonnes pratiques.
DIRECT OBSERVATION AND KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES
How to maximize observation and gather information on: who are the most affected, where are they and what are their key priority needs.
KEY INFORMANT AND DIRECT OBSERVATION: POCKET VERSION
This document highlights key issues to remember when conducting key informants interviews and direct observation. A practical 2-pager to bring to the field!
RAPID HUMANITARIAN ASSESSMENT IN URBAN SETTINGS
This Brief provides guidance on carrying out joint rapid assessments of humanitarian needs in urban environments within the first weeks of a disaster. Organisations can useit to ensure that joint assessments are carried out appropriately in urban areas, and to update their assessment practice.
QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
Collection, collation, analysis, and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative information, gathered and analysed using appropriate sources, tools, and methods is the cornerstone of rapid needs assessments that allows decision makers to plan a timely, appropriate, and coordinated emergency response.
BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENT TEAM
This document is designed to guide the first steps of assembling, managing and training an assessment team to perform a joint rapid assessment in the first weeks of a disaster.
COORDINATED ASSESSMENTS IN EMERGENCIES. WHAT WE KNOW NOW: KEY LESSONS FROM FIELD EXPERIENCE
This document uses lessons learned from coordinated assessments to distil key points, advice, and pitfalls in carrying out a Coordinated Assessment during the first weeks of a disaster. It provides a general introduction to what has been learned about coordinated assessments in terms of what works and what does not. As such, it is aimed towards humanitarian personnel responding to or preparing for emergencies both at field and headquarters level.
DISASTER SUMMARY SHEET, ARMED CONFLICT
This disaster summary sheet (DSS) provides a general profile of the potential impact of an armed conflict. The DSS helps understanding what the actual impact and priority needs during an armed crisis may be, based on experience and lessons learnt from previous crises.
DISASTER SUMMARY SHEET, EARTHQUAKES
This can be used immediately after receiving an earthquake alert as a framework for estimating the impact of the disaster.
DISASTER SUMMARY SHEET, FLOODS
Not all disasters have the same impact or affect the population in the same way. This document focuses on impact and priority needs in floods context.
DISASTER SUMMARY SHEET, TROPICAL CYCLONES
What are the actual impact and priority needs after a cyclone? Based on experience and lessons learned from medium and large scale tropical cyclones that have occurred in the past this document answers these questions.
SECONDARY DATA REVIEW - SUDDEN ONSET NATURAL DISASTERS
A Secondary Data Review is a rigorous process of data collation, synthesis and analysis building on a desk study of all relevant information available from different sources. It builds on the logic that the severity of the crisis, the type, scope, scale of problems, and risks faced by the affected population can be estimated or projected with reasonable degree of accuracy by following a systematic and multi-disciplinary approach. It can be used to inform preparedness measures and support strategic and operational decision making processes. It can further be used to design and inform detailed sector specific field assessments.
Reviews
REVIEW OF MULTISECTORAL COORDINATED NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORTS
In 2015, ACAPS undertook a review of 105 multisectoral coordinated needs assessment (CNA) reports released over the previous ten years. The objective of this document was to determine trends in reporting relevance and methods, and to identify factors that influence the completeness and speed of reporting.