Linked to: / Response Management Procedure
Version: / 1.0
Approved Date: / March 2014
Approved by: / Humanitarian Technical Working Group
Author: / Charlotte Balfour Poole
Review Date: / March 2015
CONTENTS
1. Scope of this Document 2
2. Initial Observations Tool 3
2.1 Contextual Background 3
2.2 Top Five Questions to Ask After an Emergency 4
3. SC MS-IRA 7
3.1 About MS-IRA 7
3.2 Preparation and Planning 12
3.2.1 Background Information and Secondary Data 12
3.2.2 Planning your Assessment 14
3.3 Methodology – Information Gathering 16
3.4 Analysis 22
3.5 Assessment Report 23
Annex 1: MS-IRA Data Collection Tool 25
1. Scope of this Document
Save the Children’s Response Management Procedure gives an overview of how the many component parts of a Save the Children Country Office must work together to launch and implement a quality response that meets Essential Standards and the overarching goal and principles described in Save the Children’s Approach to Humanitarian Response. Of particular importance is Essential Standard 34, Quality Response:
Essential Standard 34: Quality ResponseFor all categorized humanitarian crises a quality response is delivered:
· By implementing programs in time to save lives,
· Targeting 20% of the total affected population and 25% of affected children,
· Addressing all sectors with assessed gaps,
· Designing programs to meet humanitarian sector technical standards,
· Developing plans for transition to longer term programming where appropriate.
In order to meet the above essential standard, it’s necessary to have a good understanding of the context, the impact of the disaster and the resulting needs of the population.
This document provides the team with two simple tools to assess the situation at the onset of an emergency: the first focusses primarily on the initial observations and the second, on the SC MS-IRA which, as stated in the Response Management Procedure, a must be conducted in the first 24 to 48 hours of an emergency.
The annex provides links to other useful tools for detailed, sector specific assessments.
2. Initial Observations Tool
If access is secured and the logistical and human resources available allow a wide team of sectoral experts to be deployed on the ground for a good amount of time, then it may be feasible for all of the information listed in the assessment tool (separate document) to be collected.
However, where this is not the case, where resources and access are limited and non-sectoral experts have to collect the data and quickly, the aim should be to answer the top 5 questions for each sector. These top 5 questions should be the first listed in the assessment tool and be answered using a combination of the primary data collection methods most suited to that type and that stage of the emergency and supported by the secondary data. Realistically, within the first 48 hours this will likely rely on information gathered using open questions from generalist key informants (see above) and direct observations.
In a rapid onset emergency, it’s essential to provide fast, top level information on the impact of the disaster and the needs of the population within a very short timeframe. This information is useful to inform the next steps of the in-country team, to contact donors and to contribute to the communications and fundraising effort.
The initial observations will capture some of the contextual information:
2.1 Contextual Background
What has happened?
Describe what led to the crisis
Who has been affected?
Who are the main communities affected and who are most vulnerable among them? What is their identity, ethnicity, political, religious, and tribal or clan affiliation. Have people moved or been displaced or are people likely to move? Has displacement happened more than once? Is it likely that they will be denied access to key services because of displacement?
Security context
Are there any security constraints or man-made dangers (e.g. war, mines, UXO, militias)? Are there any political sensitivity? How does the security situation affect operation delivery? How does the security situation affect access to services for beneficiaries?
Partners on the ground
What other local and international agencies or organisations are in the affected area? How long have they been working there? What technical areas do they work on? What is their capacity to scale up their operations (geographically/technically)? Have they undertaken an assessment? Key contacts.
Donors
What donors are in country and have they been contacted to let them know about the assessment?
Coordination
What coordination mechanisms have been activated or pre-existed the crisis? What other assessments have been completed and by whom.
In addition to the above contextual information, it is possible to ascertain the most urgent needs across all seven technical sectors by asking a few key questions. These questions are in the simplest form and free from technical jargon so that they can be asked and answered by anyone.2.2 Top Five Questions to Ask After an Emergency
Child Protection
1. is there a formal authority in the area that is responsible for the protection of children, and if yes, what capacity do they have to respond?
2. Are there children in the community who have become separated from their usual caregivers and have no one to care for them? If yes, how are they being cared for?
3. What forms of violence (eg killing or injury from violent attack, sexual violence, abduction, recruitment, trafficking) and/or exploitation (e.g. sexual or labour) are children at risk of?
4. What environmental hazards (eg landmines, flooding, fire, dangerous buildings, toxic waste etc.) are children at risk of?
5. Are there any children or families who are excluded from community supports and basic services (consider gender, ethnicity, children without appropriate care, children in institutions, female/disabled/elderly headed households)?
Education
1. Is there an active Education Cluster and functioning Ministry of Education?
2. What are the main factors preventing access to school for boys and for girls?
3. Are schools/learning spaces safe and available? (i.e. not occupied, damaged or destroyed)
4. Are teaching and learning materials available? (including student, teacher and recreational materials)
5. Are trained teachers available? If not, are other members of the community available and willing?
Food Security and Livelihoods
1. Impact on livelihoods: How has the crisis had impacted livelihoods and potential income sources?
2. Impact on markets: What has been the impact of the crisis on markets (price and availability of commodities)?
3. Do the communities have access (physical) to markets?
4. Access to food: How has the crisis impacted food stocks and food production at household level, and how long will stocks last? (ask in the present for slow onset emergencies).
5. What strategies will households use to ration food consumption and/or to increase income? (ask in the present for slow onset emergencies)
Health
1. What are the current priorities in terms of health, for this community? Have these changed due to the crisis?
2. What are the main reasons children are dying/getting sick in your community? (Probe for measles, malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea, trauma/conflict)
3. Are the health facilities open and do they have some staff and basic drugs available?
4. Are children able to get their vaccinations either at the clinic or in the community?
5. Do you have village health workers in your communities and are they working/doing what?
HIV
1. What is the HIV prevalence nationally and in the areas where we are working? (Desk research pre-assessment)
2. Do people living with HIV have access to antiretroviral medicines and is there a guaranteed supply?
3. Are condoms available? Adequate quantities?
4. Are there associations of people living with HIV? Have we have made contact with them in order to inform our response?
5. Were PMTCT programmes in place before the current crisis and what is their status now?
Nutrition
1. Are there any visible signs of malnutrition (e.g. wasted and thin children, bilateral oedema) and micronutrient deficiencies among the affected population? What were the levels of acute malnutrition before the emergency? Are there any differences in nutrition/breastfeeding for boys and girls?
2. What are the major underlying causes of malnutrition according to the community? Are there any aggravating factors (e.g. lean season, rainy season, outbreak of disease, limited access to health services, food prices etc.)?
3. Has infant formula, (dried or ready to use) or other milk products (e.g. dried whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk powder, ready to use milk) and/or baby bottles/teats been distributed since the emergency started?
4. Has the community/health staff/ caretakers identified any problems in feeding babies or young children (from birth up to 2 years of age) since the crisis? (Note: Probe for 0-<6m and 6m-24m, Also probe about problems related to breastfeeding, care for non-breastfed infants and complementary food)
5. Are there any on-going nutrition interventions in the affected area? If yes, which ones and where?
Shelter
1. Estimated number (or ratio) of population without access to adequate shelter, i.e. shelter allowing basic protection against elements and hazards, privacy, space for breastfeeding and dignity?
2. Describe temporary shelter solution(s) being used by the affected population (location, typology, materials, average size per person)
3. What are the immediate issues and priorities, as formulated by affected population and based on observation, in terms of access to adequate shelter and household items (construction materials, tools, cash, land, cooking utensils, bedding materials, bed nets, etc.)
4. What are the intentions of the affected population in terms of displacement and housing situation for the foreseeable future (staying, relocating, returning, building shelters, repairing house, being hosted, renting?)
5. Are basic shelter materials locally available in adequate quantity (covering material, framing material like timber or bamboo, rope, etc.)
WASH
1. What water sources are available (numbers and type of sources and water points; distance and condition e.g. drainage or damage, of the 3 main water points)?
2. How the people use, transport, store and drink water (e.g. do containers have lids and are they being used hygienically)? Who collects the water?
3. What latrines are there in that community/institution (type, number, distance, gender separation, condition)?
4. How much soap is there and what do people use it for? (e.g. for hand washing, for bathing, is it affordable and available in markets)?
5. What are the hygiene practices of people in this community (e.g. hand washing with soap, water treatment, latrine usage, and do children look relatively clean)?
3. SC MS-IRA
3.1 About MS-IRA
What is the purpose of the SC MS-IRA?
The SC MS-IRA aims to provide fundamental information on the needs and locations of affected populations and to support the identification of strategic humanitarian priorities to feed into the Preliminary Response Plans, identify the response framework sector and locations and inform the initial sector programme plans (including log frames and budgets). It should answer the following core questions:
· What was the situation/context before the disaster?
· What are the main problems now and who is affected by these problems?
· What other problems are there likely to be in the short/longer term future?
· What is the capacity of the affected population? How well can they cope with the problems?
· What initiatives are boys, girls, youth, men, women or local civil society organisations already doing to respond to the disaster? How can these initiatives be built upon and strengthened enhancing local ownership?
· Is other assistance currently available or planned to be available to the affected population?
· Is there a need for Save the Children to intervene?
· If so what kind of intervention is required and are there any operational constraints?
· Does the SC Country Office have the capacity to manage the emergency? If not, what support does it need?
· What action can be taken immediately?
The SC MS-IRA should also be shared with all humanitarian actors in order to feed into the IASC MIRSA (Multi-Cluster Initial Rapid Assessment) PSD (Preliminary Scenario Definition) and to guide the subsequent 2-week MIRA CLA (Community Level Assessment) process. More information on the IASC MIRA can be found in the separate MIRA Overview document.
Why do the SC MS-IRA?
The outputs of the IASC-sponsored MIRA approach are a preliminary scenario definition after 72 hours followed by a Multi-Cluster needs assessment report after 2 weeks, both to inform initial and revised FLASH and other appeals, the humanitarian dashboard and subsequent Cluster-specific assessments. However, as an agency with a large footprint in many emergency-prone countries and substantial emergency response resources at its disposal (both with regards HR and pre-positioned supplies) Save the Children is often in a position to initiate and conduct an initial rapid assessment ahead of this process, both to inform the SC response plans and strategy and to contribute to the PSD and IASC MIRA process. Doing the MS-IRA either unilaterally or with other agencies in a similar position does not preclude Save the Children from being part of the IASC MIRA.
When and where should the SC MS-IRA be conducted?
In line with the Save the Children Response Management Procedure the SC MS-IRA should be conducted in the first 24-48 hours of a rapid onset disaster – both natural and man-made (access allowing).
Who should conduct the SC MS-IRA?
The SC MS-IRA should be carried out by a team of emergency specialists, including assessment and sector specialists as well as logistics and security staff. Ideally, the team is drawn from the existing team in-country to ensure that local knowledge is included in the findings. Additional headquarters and regional support may be required, depending on the scale of the emergency.
How should the SC MS-IRA be conducted?
The SC MS-IRA should comprise the following activities (simultaneously):
Secondary data collection and analysis:
Pre-existing: Assessing pre-existing vulnerabilities (including gender vulnerabilities) and risks that may be exacerbated as a result of the disaster. Pre-crisis information can also serve as the baseline for assessing the impact of the disaster.
Pre-existing: The country emergency preparedness plans coordinated by the UN should assess pre-existing vulnerabilities and risks that may be exacerbated as a result of the disaster.