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Needs assessment and decision-making

James Darcy, ODI Presentation to NATF – Geneva, 5 th July 2010. Needs assessment and decision-making. 3 functions of assessment. to inform organisational decisions about response, throughout the life of a programme to influence others’ decisions (including donors and host governments)

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Needs assessment and decision-making

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  1. James Darcy, ODI Presentation to NATF – Geneva, 5th July 2010 Needs assessment and decision-making

  2. 3 functions of assessment • to inform organisational decisions about response, throughout the life of a programme • to influence others’ decisions (including donors and host governments) • to justify response decisions and appeals for funds (& provide baseline for impact assessment)

  3. Crisis-affectedcommunities STATE National & local government + agents • Non-state actors • Civil society: NGOs etc • - Other Who is making the decisions…? INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN ‘SYSTEM’ CRISIS CONTEXTS Finance Implementation International donor governments (humanitarian ODA) UN agencies National and regional offices Red Cross/ Crescent Movement Common Funds Governance and Coordination Private individuals International NGOs Corporate etc

  4. What types of decision? At what level? • Strategic decisions about whether and how to respond – or to change a response – including macro-resource allocation • Programmedesign decisions (sectoral approach etc) • Micro resource allocation decisions: What resources ($, people etc) to allocate and how to allocate them (cp macro and micro resource allocation) • Tactical & operational decisions Levels of decision: (i) Within organisations: HQ, regional, national, local (ii) System-wide or inter-organisational

  5. 3 types of evidence • Evidence about the situation (evolving crisis) • Evidence about the context – capacities + social, economic, political factors • Evidence about ‘what happens’ and ‘what works’ in such crises

  6. Linking assessment and response 1: getting to a programme Pre-crisis Information (baselines, livelihoods etc) Early Warning Surveillance Monitoring Situational analysis tools (social, economic, political, + sector specific: epidemiological, etc.) Response analysis tools (best practice, standards & protocols, evaluations, etc.) Response analysis (Design, resourcerequirements) Assessment Programme design • Other factors: • Organisational policy • Resource availability • Added value • Politics • Etc. Response Decision Costed Programme Situational analysis Response analysis Situational analysis (Need/risk, vulnerability, capacities)

  7. Caseload determination Linking assessment and response decisions 2: getting to a number EWS, vulnerability mapping, surveillance, scenario planning Donor assessments Population affected International appeal Donor resource allocation Situational Assessments Groups at most risk Proposed interventions: programme design Operational & work plans National government Information systems Programme implementation Situational analysis Calculation of resource requirement Response analysis Agency Proposal

  8. Some conclusions • The appropriate model of coordinated assessment depends on function and context. • Difference between strategic function (prioritisation etc) and design functions • Fit between assessment process and key joint decision-making points (e.g. Flash Appeal, revised Flash, CAP/CHAP, CERF, CHF...) • Need for few, high-level bases of analysis • Rolling assessment and monitoring

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