Preparing for a Needs Assessment (NA) and Recovery Framework (RF)

1. Preparing for a Needs Assessment (NA) and Recovery Framework (RF) Cairo, March 2008

2. OUTLINE • The Needs Assessment (NA) Approach • Assessing needs and methodology 3. Developing a results-based recovery framework, costing and monitoring

3. 1. The Needs Assessment Approach

4. The NA Approach • NA: identify, prioritize and finance recovery needs for countries in transition. • Focus on national vision and plans: Priorities reflecting consensus of parties and stakeholders in key areas, although these may not yet have been clearly articulated: e.g. • Deepening peace and security • Community and institutional capacity building • Social and economic stabilization and recovery • Covering key priority sectors and cross-cutting issues

5. Stakeholders Participatory and consultative: • National and local authorities • Local and international CSOs/NGOs • Regional Entities, e.g. AU • United Nations, World Bank, Regional Banks • Donors Inclusive versus strategic

6. GuidingPrinciples • Keep it simple • National ownership and participation • Broad support from all partners: “One team approach” – regular consultations • Each NA is different, respecting contexts, objectives and processes • Importance of substance and process (confidence building, enhanced cooperation) • Credibility: High quality and realistic expectations • Prioritize, integrate and sequence: Quick win – community led • Do no harm: conflict prevention

7. Assessing Needs and methodology

8. IDENTIFYING PRIORITY CLUSTERS • Strategic not comprehensive: • Linked to areas where NA stakeholders have a comparative advantage • E.g.: security, governance and rule of law, social services, basic infrastructure, productive sectors, livelihoods and reintegration strategies

9. INTEGRATING KEY CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES • Affecting all or majority of priority clusters • Gender • Environment • Reconciliation and conflict prevention • Capacity building and community driven development

10. Methodology Information management: • Review of baseline documents • Commission thematic reports and inputs • Sector working papers • Field observations/assessments • Focus group consultations • National stakeholder consultations • Use of local expertise, international consultants and advisory services from UN system, World Bank and IMF

11. Adopt a conflict analysis framework Aim: Tool to help teams to consider factors affecting conflict when developing strategies, policies and programmes Helps to: • Increase sensitivity to conflict in strategies for recovery and development • Identify and analyze sources and problem issues related to conflict • Highlight linkages between conflict and poverty • Strengthen resilience to conflict via appropriate recovery interventions

12. 3. Developing a Results-based Recovery Framework, Costing, and Monitoring

13. Transitional Results Matrix (TRM) • Identifies key result areas • Reflects integrated character of national priorities • Links the humanitarian with the recovery imperatives • Specific results and outcomes for the transition period • Concretizes national transition programme into time-bound action plan • Outlines key responsibilities and provides rallying points for major actors and decision makers • Provides instrument for partnership, monitoring and mutual accountability • Basis for funding and implementation strategies

14. Results frameworks or calendars • Place key actions, outputs, results for political, security, economic and social spheres on a simple calendar frame • Help clarify expectations (donors, leadership, population) by increasing realism on timing and forcing prioritization • Identify periods of overload and sector linkages • Identify actions which are lagging behind (e.g. major infrastructure before the rainy season, voter registration before elections)

15. Costing • To estimate the needed financial resources to implement the planned interventions • To provide fairly detailed and credible costs that have been estimated with a consistent method • To inform and guide commitments for fundraising and pledges at the donor conference

16. Coordination Structures for Transition • What structures need to put into place: • Internally: RCO, UNCT • Externally: Govt., donors, … • Hand-over from HC to RC, existing coordination arrangements

17. Tips • Light versus detailed NA • Identify major results first (e.g. MDGs, school enrolment) and work backwards (e.g. school rehabilitation, textbook distribution, teacher training, contracts for school rehabilitation, recruitment of teachers, school mapping) • Include time for decision-making, design and contracting • Include time for investigation of policy options, consultation on policy, and implementation, • Focus on joint programming • Keep it simple!

18. Problems in recovery planning/needs assessments • Lack of prioritization: “We tried to do everything, everywhere, for everyone, all at the same time” President Thabo Mbeki, of the South African RDP • Unrealistic expectations (authorities, donors) • Loss of momentum • Weak M&E and low implementation rate • Overlapping with other planning instruments, e.g. early recovery WG • Heavy burden on UNCT – time and costs • Lack of national and UNCT capacities to absorb and implement