Needs Assessment Task Force Completion report and hand over

1. Needs Assessment Task Force Completion report and hand over Feedback to LCG-DER

2. Background • November 1st 2011 DER formed a Task Force on Joint Assessments. Identifying the “urgent need to standardize assessment tools, approaches and methodologies for coordinated assessment.” • The Task Force: DFID, ECHO, Unicef, Oxfam, WFP, with DMRD and UNDP as co-conveners. • Contributions of DoRR, CDMP, UNFPA as well as CARE and Solidarites International (INGO AWG).

3. Pressure to respond Pressure to allocate funds Incomplete picture of needs Inadequately Informed Decision Making The problem

4. Process • Built on work over the past few years and existing methodologies in Bangladesh around Sidr, Aila and waterlogging • Consultative process including workshops, meetings and inputs from many stakeholders led by government (DMRD) • Links into global guidance and good assessment practice

5. Prepare-dness Phasing for sudden onset disasters Compiled SOS Form Joint Assessment Report Community Level Assessment Secondary information + 0 1 2 3 4 Disaster Compiled SOS Form Single cluster/sector in depth Assessment Initial qualitative information Preliminary Scenario Definition

6. Why a multi-sector, multi-stakeholder approach for Phase 1 & Phase 2? Key decisions in phase 1 and 2: • Do we need to respond? • Scale of response (magnitude, timeframe, methods) • Where to respond (geographic priorities) • How to respond (sectors to prioritise) • A multi-sector, multi-stakeholder approach promotes a shared understanding of the overall situation across the affected area and across different sectors.

7. Multi-cluster/sector, multi stakeholder assessment preparedness involves... ....agreeing on: Assessment content: the information needed to plan a response to a disaster. Assessment mechanism: roles and responsibilities for how the assessment actually operates after a disaster.

8. Principles • Government has the ultimate responsibility for needs assessment • Commitment to a common approach to assessments • Utilise a phased approach to assessments • Accountability to the affected population • Speed: right information at the right time • Avoid ‘assessment fatigue’ for local government and communities • Objective and impartial analysis focused on needs • Ensure gender, age, disability are considered • Transparency • Quick and effective communication and sharing of information • Be as ready as we can now; plan for even better assessments in future

9. Roles and Responsibilities

10. Decisions required from LCG-DER • Formally adopt the recommendations in the discussion paper • Confirm the Roles and Responsibilities as detailed in the discussion paper including that needs assessments will be coordinated by the HCTT and operationalised by the NAWG • Confirm that the LCG-DER and its members are committed to multi-stakeholder, multi sector assessments in phase one and two

11. Way forward: priority actions • Fully operationalise the agreed approach (i.e. train wider team, share tools, run simulations etc) • Clusters already have some trained members, but cluster leads and other members need to get up to speed • Capture existing work to ensure it is not lost