Strengthening Coordinated Assessments in Field Operations
Implementation of NATF Guidance and Tools 2011
Background
- It is contingent upon the humanitarian community, including OCHA and Clusters, to improve the coordination of assessments in humanitarian emergencies. Incomplete information, conflicting data, insufficient preparedness, and inadequate capacity in the field to carry out solid emergency assessments are leading to a weak evidence base for humanitarian action in many humanitarian responses.
- The IASC Needs Assessment Task Force (NATF) has approved a package of guidance and tools designed to support a coordinated approach to assessments in emergencies. These include:
- Operational Guidance on Coordinated Assessments in Emergencies
- Key Humanitarian Indicators and Guidance
- Multi-Cluster Initial and Rapid Assessment Methodology
- Humanitarian Dashboard
- The NATF recommends that this provisional package be applied in the field, in a minimum of four countries, during preparedness and/or response (including relief and recovery) and revised, as needed, in 2011. Two workshops will be convened by the NATFin June and October 2011 to allow for the review of the guidance and tools. Reviews will be based on feedback from trainings, field testing of the MIRA, including through UNDAC missions, HC and HCT member feedback at the national level and internal and external after-action reviews.
- The final NATF package will be presented to the IASC Working Group for endorsement in November 2011.In addition, theIASC is committed to building capacity within the humanitarian system on coordinated assessments.
Key stakeholders
- There are multiple stakeholders who have a direct role to play in scaling up coordinated assessments, and implementing NATF guidance and tools in 2011. The roles of some of these key stakeholders are outlined below:
Group / Role
1 / Humanitarian Coordinators / Lead, in consultation with the HCT, the implementation of a coordinated assessment approach, using NATF tools and guidance at the field level, ensuring participation in all components, including capacity-building and preparedness activities
2 / OCHA HQ / Facilitate understanding and implementation of NATF products and approaches throughout the humanitarian system, ensure linkages between NATF & cluster processes at the global level. Provide training to OCHA staff members. Make available capacity to support field operations, as required.
3 / Global Cluster Leads / Facilitate understanding and implementation of NATF products and approaches within the cluster, identify capacity needs, and ensure linkages between NATF & cluster processes at the global level. Ensure training is provided to cluster members. Make available capacity to support field operations, as required.
4 / OCHA Field Offices / Support implementation of coordinated assessments through effectively assuming inter-cluster coordination roles in accordance with NATF guidance, facilitating deployment of assessment experts, as required, and providing feedback for lessons learned exercises
5 / Field Cluster Coordinators / Operate in accordance with NATF guidance and utilizing NATF tools, with a focus on conducting needs assessments in a coordinated and collaborative manner, including a harmonized approach to data collection, management and analysis, as well as participating in preparedness activities.
6 / UNDAC / Support implementation of coordinated assessments by applying NATF tools and methodologies in field operations, particularly Phase 1 methodologies and feeding back lessons learned to the NATF
7 / Cluster members / Conduct assessments in a coordinated manner, including planning and sharing of assessment data.
5. These stakeholders will be supported:
- By the NATF, which will provide remote technical support for the use of the tools and guidance, and review lessons learned and adapt the NATF package accordingly.
- By the NGO consortium ACAPS, which will providetechnical training, as well as trained assessment experts to the CASPAR pool.
Activities
6. Four key activities are recommended by the NATF for implementing its guidance and tools:
Provision of supplementary assessment capacity in ongoing crises for 3-6 months. Assessment experts will be deployed to support Humanitarian Country Teams (through OCHA, and/or key clusters) in implementing the NATF guidance and tools. They will help ensure that assessments are planned and implemented in a coordinated manner and that data is analysed and used to inform the appeals process.
Provision of supplementary assessment capacity to undertake assessment preparedness missions of 3-6 weeks. Assessment experts will be deployed to orient and build Humanitarian Country Team capacity, using NATF products. They will help ensure that a coordinated approach to assessments is incorporated into contingency plans, and that the capacity is in place ahead of an emergency.
Provision of assessment surge capacity through OCHA and cluster lead agencies in large-scale emergencies.The agreed availability of the CASPAR may be activated to support this surge.
A variety of capacity-building activities to be carried out for different stakeholders. Capacity-building training activities at the global, regional and national levels will be undertaken to ensure a cross-section of actors from the humanitarian community are equipped with the required knowledge and skills to undertake coordinated assessments. A Technical Advisory Group has been developed as part of the NATF Technical Group II to oversee the curricula proposed for the below trainings:
- Orientation sessions (1-2 hours) for humanitarian decision-makers, including Humanitarian Coordinators, Senior Managers, Heads of Office, Cluster leads, etc. to foster buy-in for the NATF package and support for its implementation. It is expected that OCHA and cluster lead agencies will assume responsibility for orienting their key audiences;
- Inductions (3-6 hours) for operational staff to be carried out alone or built into trainings of clusters, UNDAC and OCHA.This training will introduce NATF guidance and tools to practitioners to sensitize them to NATF methodologies and approaches to assessment coordination. In particular, inductions should be carried out prior to deployment of assessment capacity and use of NATF products in the field;
- Technical training workshops (5-7 days) for assessment practitioners focusingon coordination and conduct of assessments in emergencies. The training is geared towards CASPAR members and national actors through preparedness missions and will cover the scope of the NATF Guidance on Coordinated Assessments, with particular emphasis on Phase 1 and Phase 2 (MIRA). Upon completion of the training, the roster/pool members are expected to effectively lead preparedness missionsand assessment activities in protracted crises. At the field level, technical training will be carried out as part of the NATF preparedness missions and in ongoing crises where the NATF is being rolled-out.
In addition, Training of Trainer Activities should be considered at the global and regional level in order to build additional capacity to provide training:
7.Projected capacity-building activities include:
Target Audience
/ Responsibility / Type of Training / Proposed Timeline (TBC)HCs / OCHA / Orientation / June 2011
OCHA
OCHA (surge mechanisms) / OCHA
OCHA and other agencies
OCHA / Orientations (for OCHA)
Orientations (inter-agency)
Inductions within existing trainings / HQ NY (Nov 2010)
HQ GVA (Jan 2011)
ROLAC (Feb 2011)
ROAP (Mar 2011)
ERR, AER
UNDAC / UNDAC / Orientations/Inductions within existing trainings / May, October 2011
Clusters
- Health
- Education
- WASH
- Shelter
- Nutrition
- Food
- Protection
- CCCM
UNICEF
UNICEF
IFRC/UNHCR
UNICEF
WFP/FAO
UNHCR
UNHCR/IOM / Orientations/Inductions within existing trainings / TBC
CASPAR Members / ACAPS / Technical Training Workshops / Thailand (March 2011)
Panama (April 2011) TBC
Sweden (June 2011) TBC
Nairobi /Jo’burg(Sept 2011)