2. Assessment checklist
Involving people in emergency response programmes requires assessment teams to first develop a rapid understanding of who the disaster-affected people are. The following tool (The good enough guide) can help establish a basic community profile.
Checklist
The good enough guide, Tool 4: How to profile the affected community and assess initial needs
- What is the background of the affected group(s)? Are they from an urban or rural background?
- What is the approximate number of people affected and their demographic characteristics? (Include a breakdown of the population by sex, and children under five. Include numbers of 5-14 year olds, pregnant and lactating women, and those aged 60 and over, if data is available.)
- Who are the marginalised/separated people in this population group (e.g. female-headed households, unaccompanied children, disabled, sick, elderly, ethnic minorities, etc.). Do they have specific needs? How have they been affected by the current crisis?
- Are there are particular family, ethnic, or religious or other groupings among the affected people? Are any groups particularly hard to access?
- Who are the key people to contact/consult? Are there any community members or elders leading the people affected by the emergency? Are there organisations with local expertise (e.g. churches, mosques or local NGOs) that can be part of decision-making?
- What are the biggest risks, in terms of health and protection against violence, faced by the various groups of people affected by this emergency, and what agency is addressing them?
