1. Iraq Assessment Working Group Rapid Needs Assessment
RNA Context and Methodology
Session 4 3 January 2018

2. What is the RNA and what does it do?
The RNA is a rapid emergency assessment tool, used by multiple partners to capture multi-sectoral needs information in non-camp settings with mixed populations. It aims to:
Identify the main humanitarian issues and priority needs in a location
Identify the population group for which the problem is most severe
Estimate the proportion of people in need of assistance
Coordinated assessment allows for improved analysis, avoids variety or tools and assessment fatigue.
Provides coordinated baseline to benefit future in-depth assessments.
Informs an immediate response by red flagging specific needs or locations
Informs or supports prioritizing in-depth sector-specific assessments

3. What are the RNA’s limitations?
Findings are at the urban neighbourhood or village level
Findings are only indicative of the situation inside the neighbourhood/village
Limitations
Based on quick-access methodology
Complex changing situation in Iraq, data becomes old quickly

4. Where and when to use the RNA?
Nationwide villages, towns and city neighbourhoods where humanitarian partners will benefit from the findings of a rapid assessment:
Recently retaken areas or areas where there is a lack of information
New emergency (e.g. earthquake; floods; movement of population - Refugees, IDPs, Returnees)
Severe, urgent needs are not understood
Rising returns (or anticipation of more) to areas where there is no presence/no programming

5. Where NOT to use the RNA?
The AWG RNA is not a multi-sectoral assessment tool designed to be used in any situation.
It is a rapid emergency tool that should be used in recently accessible areas where there is very little or no multi-sectoral needs information.
It should not be used in:
Areas where there has recently been assessments conducted
Areas unaffected by conflict, displacement and for which there exists recent multi-sectoral information
It should not be used to inform:
Medium- to long-term programming
High-level strategic decision making

6. AWG Support Partner’s Role
Our support and partners’ role
AWG Support
Technical support
Coordination
Data cleaning and monitoring
Dashboard and map
Shared dataset
Lessons learned
External advocacy
Partner’s Role
Communication
Identification of RNA areas
Detailed data collection
Check data for mistakes
Top up or fix incorrect data

7. RNA Basic Methodology
One assessment form is submitted to the server for each area (urban neighbourhood, village etc.)
This form is submitted by a senior staff member and is representative of the situation inside the whole area assessed.
The answers on this submitted form are compiled from 3 forms filled out in the field, consisting of:
2 Community Group Discussions (CGDs) and 1 Key Informant Interview (KII)
1x Community Group Discussion
1x Community Group Discussion
1x Key Informant Interview
1 Final Form submitted

8. 1 – How to use the tool
Get familiar with the tool, both on KoBo and the paper version
Know how to download the form, open a blank form, save a blank form, delete a form, fill in a form, and save a finalized form without sending it to the server!
Know and recognize the mandatory questions, they are written in red
Know when to prompt for responses from participants and when to no
Know the order of the sections, in case you need to skip forward or back
Know how to record GPS points if using KoBo in the field,

9. Is it an area in which there is a lack of multi-sectoral information?
2 – Choosing the assessment area
Identify and area that you plan to assess and ensure that it is suitable for the RNA
Collate background information on the area, contact the Mukhtar and inform them of your visit
Ask them is they can help you to find a space in which to conduct your CGDs and KI interviews
Is it an area in which there is a lack of multi-sectoral information?
Ask them is they can help you to find 2 groups of people from mixed population to interview
Is it an area that has not been visited by partners yet? Or an are where data is very outdated?

10. 3 – Takes notes on the context and situation at the site
Use information gathered through direct observation to triangulate the findings from the KIIs and CGDs
Record notes on what you see in the area (eg. markets, school, population groups etc)
Record notes on members of the CGDs, do some people seem more reliable than others? Or more knowledgeable than others? Are any not telling the truth?
Are there any things that people said in CGDs that contradict one another, or contradict what was said by the KI?
All this information will be important in order to debrief and submit the final RNA form.

11. 4 – Facilitating CGDs
Use the RNA form to have a structure conversation with CGD participants
Read the explanations for the questions but don’t read the answers out loud!
Paraphrase and repeat all answers back to respondents to ensure you heard correctly
All this information will be important in order to debrief and submit the final RNA form
Try not to let one character dominate a CGDs
Be aware of time and do not rush, but similarly do not let partipants rush you

12. 5 – Debrief and translation
Look through the data from all 3 filled in forms together, discuss with enumerators, and decide which answer should be submitted on the final form.
Look for any mistakes, anomalies, or suspicious entries. This is your opportunity to follow up on these, speak to KIs and ensure the submitted findings are as accurate as possible.
Translate any text answers and all place names (Governorate, District etc.) into English,
Community Group Discussion 1
Community Group Discussion 2
Key Informant Interview
1 FINAL FORM in English

13. 6 – Send the finalized form
Check that the form is completely in full
Make sure you have recorded you name and contact details
Make sure that you have checked all the answered
Make sure that you have correctly recorded the GPS points
Submit a finalised RNA form to the server!
Do not submit all 3!!

14. Data Cleaning
After receiving data we check it in detail using a data cleaning script.
If we find data that looks suspicious or confusing then we will move the submitted form into a GoogleDoc and not into the dashboard
The entries that may be wrong will be highlighted red
We will then share this GoogleDoc directly with the partner who has submitted incorrect data
They will then have the opportunity to view their data and correct the potential mistake

15. RNA Dashboard and Map
The findings of each RNA will feed into a map, dashboard, and dataset that is public and updated every Sunday morning
This is the reason that so much care must be taken in checking, recording, and sending findings.
It is because one wrong results can strongly affect the overall findings in our dashboard and particularly affect the finds in a specific district or governorate.

16. Interactive Dashboard

17. Interactive Dashboard
Click here to download the full dataset which is updated weekly.
If you would like to see you submitted dataset sooner then contact us and we can send an immediate updated dataset.

18. Interactive Dashboard

19. Interactive Dashboard

20. Resources for reference
The RNA in brief: assessmentrna-brief
The RNA Methodology and Standard Operating Procedures: methodology-and-procedures-enumeratorsen
The RNA dashboard: rna
The RNA suggested Key Informants list: suggested-key-informants-list .