The Assessment Capacities Project (Acaps)

Mapping of Multi-sectoral and Multi-agency Needs Assessment Training Courses, Materials, Tools and Resources

Introduction

A mapping exercise was undertaken over a 3 week period in December 2009 to identify and collate multi-sectoral and multi-agency needs assessment training courses, materials, tools and resources that might contribute to the development of a training curriculum for Acaps roster members.

A total of 154 respondents participated in a training needs analysis (TNA) for Acaps roster members; 26 completed a semi-structured interview and 128 completed a structured online survey.

Respondents were drawn from a wide range of organisations including United Nations agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations (NGO), NGO consortiums, national government representatives, Donors, Regional response agencies and members of the academic community.

Respondents were asked to identify multi-sectoral and multi-agency needs assessment training courses, materials, tools and resources that they were aware of as part of the online TNA survey and as part of the semi-structured interviews that were conducted.

In addition, an internet key word search was undertaken to identify further training materials, tools and resources.

It was agreed with Acaps at an early stage in the consultancy to focus on those materials, tools and resources that were dedicated in whole or in part to multi-sectoral and multi-agency needs assessment as opposed to sector or cluster specific materials. However, cluster specific materials are included where they have been recommended by the relevant global cluster as the most likely tools and materials to be offered by the cluster for multi-agency or multi-sectoral approaches to draw upon in the future.

The information collected represents an overview of existing multi-sectoral and multi-agency needs assessment materials, tools and resources that came to light during the Acaps TNA exercise but should not be considered an exhaustive list.

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Abbreviations

ACAPS Assessment Capacities Project

ADPC Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre

ADRA Adventist Development and Relief Agency

ADRCAsian Disaster Reduction Centre

AICF Action Internationale Contre la Faim (International Action Against Hunger)

AIDMI All India Disaster Mitigation Institute

ALNAP ActiveLearningNetworkforAccountabilityandPerformance in Humanitarian Action

AMDA Association of Medical Doctors of Asia

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations

ASSETS Assessment of Emergency and Transition Situations

AusAid The Australian Government’s Overseas Aid Programme

BCPR Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery

CAFOD Catholic Fund for Overseas Development

CARE Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere

CCCM CampCoordination and CampManagementCluster

CDADA Community Damage Assessment and Demand Analysis

CDC Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta

CEDAT Complex Emergency Database

CDEMA Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency

CERF Central Emergency Revolving Fund

CFSVA Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analyses

CIDA Canadian International Development Agency

CRS Catholic Relief Services

CRED Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters

DART Disaster Assistance Relief Teams

DESINVENTAR Disaster Inventory System

DFID UK Government Department for International Development

DHA Department of Humanitarian Affairs (UN)

DMT Disaster Management Team

DPKO Department of Peace-Keeping Operations (UN)

DRI Disaster Risk Index

ECB EmergencyCapacityBuilding Project

ECLAC Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

ECHO European Community Humanitarian Office

ECOSOC Economic and Social Council (UN)

EFSAEmergency Food Security Assessment

ERT Emergency Response Team

EU European Union

EU MIC European Commission Mechanism for Civil Protection
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization (UN)

FCA Forgotten Crises Assessment

FTS Financial Tracking System

GCL Global Cluster Leads

GLIDE Global Unique Disaster Identifier GNA Global Needs Assessment

GRIP Global Risk Identification Programme

GTZ Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (Society for Technical Cooperation)

HeRAMS Health Resources Availability and Mapping System

HIS Health Information System

HIT Health Information Team

HNTS Health and Nutrition Tracking Service

IASCInter-Agency Standing Committee (UN)

ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross

ICVA International Council of Voluntary Agencies

ICVA International Council of Voluntary Agencies

IDP Internally Displaced Person

IDRLInternational Disaster Response Laws, Rules and Principles programme

IFRC International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

ILOInternational Labour Organisation

INEEInteragency network for education in emergencies
IOMInternational Organization for Migration

IPCIntegrated Food Security Phase Classification

IRA Initial Rapid Assessment

IRC International Rescue Committee

IRINIntegrated Regional Information Networks - IRIN

ISDR International System for Disaster Reduction

JAMJoint Assessment Mission
JIRA Joint Initial Rapid Assessment

JTF Joint Task Force

LATLivelihood Assessment Toolkit

LENSS Local Estimate of Needs for Shelter and Settlement

LWF Lutheran World Federation

LMSLearning Management System

McRam Multi-cluster rapid assessment mechanism

MdM Médecins du monde (Doctors of the World)

MDRMKB Megacities Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Base

MEASURE Monitoring and Evaluation to Assess and Use Results

MICSMultiple Indicator Cluster Survey

NAF Needs Analysis Framework

NCDC National Climatic Data Centre

NICS Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

OCHA ACE Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Assessment and Classification of Emergencies Project

ODI Overseas Development Institute

OFDA Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (US)

OFDA DART United States Office for Disaster Assistance – Disaster Assistance ResponseTeam

PCNA Post-Conflict Needs Assessment

PDCPacific Disaster Centre

PDNA Post Disaster Needs Assessment

PONJA Post-Nargis Joint Needs Assessment participants

REA Rapid environmental assessment

REDLAC Working group on Risk, Emergency, and Disaster of the Interagency Standing

Committee for the Latin American and Caribbean Region

REDR Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief
SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

RNIS Refugee Nutrition Information System (UN)

SCF Save the Children Fund (UK) and Save the Children Federation (USA)

SMART Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions

SPDRP South Pacific Disaster Reduction Programme (SPDRP)

SPHERE Humanitarian charter and minimum standards in disaster response

TRIAMS Tsunami Recovery Impact Assessment and Monitoring System

UNDAC United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team
UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

UN-HABITATUnited Nations Human Settlements Programme

UNHCHR United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

UNSCNUnited Nations Standing Committee on Nutrition

USAID United States Agency for International Development

USG United States Government

VCA Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment

VTA Village Tract Assessment participants

VOICE Voluntary Organizations in Cooperation in Emergencies

WASH Water Sanitation and Hygiene

WB World Bank

WFP World Food Programme (UN)

WHO World Health Organization (UN)

WHO HAC World health Organization – Health Action in Crises (UN)

Summary of Multi-sectoral and Multi-agency Needs Assessment Training Courses,

Materials, Tools and Resources

Handbooks/Guides/Manuals

  1. Assessment of Emergency and Transition Situations (ASSETS) - (Mercy Corps, Health Alliance International)
  2. Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analyses Guidelines 2009 (CFSVA) - WFP
  3. Contingency Planning Guidelines and Online Toolbox - Inter-Agency, IASC SWG on Preparedness and Contingency Planning
  4. Disaster Loss Assessment Guidelines - Government of Australia (Queensland) Department of Emergency Services, 2002
  5. Emergency Field Handbook, 2005 – UNICEF
  6. Emergency Food Security Assessment Handbook (EFSA) 2009 – WFP
  7. Emergency Preparedness and Response Manual - CRS
  8. Environmental Needs Assessment in Post Disaster Situations, 2008 – UNEP
  9. Field Operations Guide For Disaster Assessment and Response, version 3 – USAID
  10. Good Enough Guide - Impact Measurement and Accountability in Emergencies -Emergency Capacity Building Group (ECBG)
  11. Guide To Successful Damage And Needs Assessment, 1999 - South Pacific Disaster Reduction Programme (SPDRP)
  12. Guidelines for Emergency Assessment, 2005 - IFRC
  13. Handbook for Emergencies, third edition, 2007 – UNHCR
  14. Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) Guidelines, 2008 - UNHCR, WFP
  15. Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations (NICS) – UN SCN- NICS
  16. Preparedness for a Multi-cluster Assessment, 2009 (Guidance based on the McRAM experience Pakistan) - Inter-Cluster
  17. SPHERE Handbook, 2004 - NGOs, IFRC, ICRC
  18. UNDAC Handbook, 2006– UNDAC

Toolkits

  1. CampManagement Toolkit, 2008, CCCM Cluster
  2. Community Risk Assessment Toolkit, 2009, ProVention Consortium
  3. Contingency Planning Guidelines and Online Toolbox - Inter-Agency, IASC SWG on Preparedness and Contingency Planning
  4. Disaster Response Preparedness Toolkit, 2008 - OCHA
  5. Disaster Risk Index (DRI) Analysis Tool, 2003 - UNDP
  6. Emergency Health and Nutrition Assessment Toolkit - Save the Children
  7. Guidelines for Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment in Disaster (REA), 2005 - UniversityCollegeLondon – CARE International
  8. Health Resources Availability and Mapping System (HeRAMS), 2009 – Health cluster
  9. Health Information System (HIS), 2009 - UNHCR
  10. INEE Minimum standards toolkit for education in emergencies, chronic crises and early reconstruction, 2006 – Inter-agency
  11. Initial Rapid Assessment (IRA) Tool, 2009 - Health, nutrition and WASH clusters
  12. Integrated Food Security and Humanitarian Phase Classification (IPC) - Food Security Analysis Unit, 2008- Somalia (FSAU)
  13. Joint Initial Rapid Assessment Tool, 2009 - EmergencyCapacityBuilding Project (ECB)
  14. Livelihood Assessment Tool-kit (LAT), 2009 - FAO / ILO
  15. Local Estimate of Needs for Shelter and Settlement (LENSS), 2009 – Shelter cluster
  16. Multi-Cluster Rapid Assessment (McRAM) Mechanism, 2009 - Inter-cluster
  17. Pacific Disaster Centre (PDC) interactive tool, 2009 – Pacific Disaster Centre
  18. Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) Methodology, 2007 -Inter-agency
  19. Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment Toolbox, 1999– IFRC
  20. WASH Cluster Survey Tool, 2009 – WASHCluster

Frameworks

  1. CampCoordination and CampManagement (CCCM) Assessment Framework, 2008 – CCCM Cluster
  2. Needs Analysis Framework (NAF), 2006 - Inter-Agency (IASC CAP working group)

Trainingcourses

  1. Distance Learning Management System (DLMS), 2009 (in development) UN-HABITAT
  2. ICT Humanitarian Emergency Platform Training, 2008, WFP
  3. Learning Management System, 2009 – WFP
  4. Needs Assessment in Disaster Situations, 2008 OCHA
  5. Needs Assessment Training, 2008 – NOAA
  6. Needs Assessment Training in Emergencies Course, 2009– RedR
  7. The Basics of International Humanitarian Response, 2009, UNHCR

Methodologies

  1. Community Damage Assessment and Demand Analysis (CDADA) Methodology - All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI)
  2. Forgotten Crises Assessment (FCA) Methodology, 2005 - ECHO
  3. Global Needs Assessment (GNA) Methodology - ECHO
  4. Global Needs Assessment (GNA) Methodology, 2009 - UNHCR
  5. Indicators for Monitoring the Millennium Development Goals – UN
  6. Methodology for Rapid Assessment in Humanitarian Assistance, 2006 - REDLAC
  7. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) - UNICEF
  8. Post-Conflict Needs Assessment and Framework Toolkits (PCNAs), 2008 - UN,WB
  9. Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) and Recovery Framework (RF) 2009 - UN,WB
  10. Risk Mapping and Shelter Response Planning - UN-HABITAT and GRIP

Recovery

  1. Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis Methodology, 2000, ADPC
  2. Methodology for Estimating the Socio-economic and Environmental Impact of Disasters, 2003, ECLAC
  3. Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA), 2008 Govt of Myanamar, ASEAN, UN, Humanitarian Agencies
  4. Tsunami Recovery Impact Assessment and Monitoring System (TRIAMS) - Sub-regional initiative
  5. UNDP/BCPR Post-disaster Recovery Guidelines

Databases

  1. Asia Pacific Natural Hazards and Vulnerabilities Atlas - Pacific Disaster Centre
  2. Complex Emergency Database (CE-DAT) - CRED
  3. Country Information - ISDR
  4. Dartmouth Flood Observatory - Dartmouth Flood Observatory
  5. Disaster Inventory System (DesInventar) - LA RED
  6. Disaster Data Portal (as part of the Global Risk Identification Program) - UNDP-CRED-GRIP
  7. Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) - CRED-WHO
  8. GeoNetwork Openspace - Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems (FIVIMS)
  9. GLIDEnumber - Asian Disaster Reduction Centre
  10. Integrated Regional Information Networks - IRIN
  11. International Disaster Response Laws, Rules and Principles programme – IDRL
  12. Joint Needs Assessment Database System ECB
  13. Megacities Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Base (MDRM-KB) - Pacific Disaster Centre
  14. Natural and Environmental Disaster Information Exchange System - European Commission Joint Research Centre
  15. NCDC Storm Event Database - NOAA
  16. Reuters AlertNet - Emergencies - Country Stat - Reuters Foundation

Others

  1. Health and Nutrition Tracking Service (HNTS) - Inter-agency
  2. Inventory of Disaster-Related Education and Training in East and Southern Africa, 2006 OFDA
  3. Monitoring and Evaluation to Assess and USE Results (MEASURE) DHS (Demographic and Health Surveys) – USAID

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Multi-sectoral and multi-agency Needs Assessment Training Courses,

Materials, Tools and Resources

HANDBOOKS/GUIDES/MANUALS
Title/name / Type of materials and target audience / Content outline / Format/methodologies used
Assessment of Emergency and
Transition Situations (ASSETS)
(Mercy Corps, Health Alliance International) / A needs assessment manual for Health Alliance International field staff. / A collection of step-by-step, participatory tools designed to help move an assessment team from the “big picture overview” to an examination of the most critical sectors in a given environment. / A collection of participatory instruments presented as a generic assessment continuum designed to promote high impact developmental relief programs in emergency situation as well as to examine the most critical sectors in a given emergency to learn where the agency can add the most value through developmental relief programs.
This guide is divided into three sections and reflects the linear, step-by-step approach of ASSETS. The first section is a basic introduction to ASSETS and the philosophy behind the tools.
It details when to use ASSETS, the necessary components of an effective ASSETS team and the two-part structure of the ASSETS model.
The second section gives an overview of the General Assessment Tool (GAT) and how to use its six components. It provides some guidelines about when, why, how and by whom the various assessment components should be used.
The third section focuses on sector snap shots, which can help an assessment team develop an in-depth assessment of one or more sectors, such as Civil Society, Economic Development, Food and Non-Food Resources, Health Behaviour, Beliefs and Practices, Health Infrastructures, Staffing and Services, Health Status, Local Partnership Opportunities, Site and Shelter Planning and Water and Sanitation.
Web link / Contact
/
Malka Older

Title/name / Type of materials and target audience / Content outline / Format/methodologies
Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analyses Guidelines 2009 (CFSVA)
WFP / The guidelines cover how to conduct CFSVAs to obtain pre-crisis information on the scale, nature and causes of food insecurity and vulnerability in countries exposed to recurrent and protracted emergencies. / Involves in-depth, large-scale household surveys (generally covering the entire country) and analyses ofsecondary data. Field work typically lasts 3-4 weeks and data analysis and report writing can take up to 3-4 months; the baseline is expected to be valid for 3-5 years unless major shocks occur. / Recent CFSVAs have identified what can be done to address food insecurity and vulnerability, and included an improved analysis of risks, which allows a projection to be made of the likelychanges over the CFSVA timeframe.
Key Indicators:
CFSVAs typically analyse the same core set of indicators and information as used in WFP’s Emergency Food Security Assessments (EFSAs).
Web link / Contact
/ Agnes Dhur

Title/name / Type of materials and target audience / Content outline / Format/methodologies
Contingency Planning Guidelines and Online Toolbox,
Inter-Agency, IASC SWG on Preparedness and Contingency Planning / Guidelines and online toolbox on preparedness and contingency planning for IASC Country Teams / The toolbox is being field tested and further development of this initiative is planned for 2010. (Further information requested).
Web link / Contact
/
Title/name / Type of materials and target audience / Content outline / Format/methodologies
Disaster Loss Assessment Guidelines. 2002
Government of Australia (Queensland) Department of Emergency Services / Disaster loss assessment guidelines for State and Territory emergency management organisations, students, community organisations, appropriate government departments and for further dissemination to approved users including local government in over 70 countries around the world. / The Guidelines provide an explanation of the process of loss assessment, and then lead the reader through the steps required to carry out an economic assessment of disaster losses. / The guidelines set down processes that will be applicable to regional and national governments and cover all types of loss, including losses affecting different aspects of an area, economic and financial losses, and total and avoidable losses.
They offer a step-by-step guide to disaster loss assessment and apply to both actual disasters as well as hypothetical events.
Web link / Contact
/
Title/name / Type of materials and target audience / Content outline / Format/methodologies
Emergency food security assessment handbook (EFSA) 2009 WFP
The EFSA Handbook (second edition) is complemented by the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment (CFSVA) Guidelines. / The handbook describes how an EFSA may be undertaken in response to a rapid- or a slow-onset emergency. In either case, food and nutrition security is analysed to determine the nature of the risks faced by individuals and households. / The second edition of the EFSA Handbook moves beyond describing the various approaches to measuring food insecurity
among households and populations affected by natural and man-made emergencies. It complements the first edition by providing guidance for collecting
and analysing both rapid and in-depth emergency assessment data and for formulating recommendations for effective programming response. / Part I presents the purpose and objectives of an EFSA, the Conceptual Framework, key food security concepts and the different types of EFSA.