Needs assessments in emergencies

The role of assessment in an emergency is a critical step and ongoing process in determining humanitarian needs and following humanitarian principles. Assessments help to identify the most appropriate options for responding to an emergency and are vital in guiding programme design. 

Through assessments, humanitarian organisations gain accurate data about the needs and operating context, and engage with local communities and other humanitarian actors in the affected area. Where possible, you should always consider conducting a field assessment in partnership with others, or participate in coordinated assessment eg in conjunction with UNOCHA. 

The purpose of this guide is: 

• To provide a short overview of how to conduct a needs assessment in emergencies
• To explain how to use Tearfund’s needs assessment tools. 

Why do we do assessments? 

• To know more detail about the situation
• To decide what needs to be done
• To determine who has the capacity to respond appropriately
• To determine what we should and should not do

Needs assessments should be the basis for:

• Decision-making
• Planning an appropriate response (programme/project)
• Mobilising resources (staff, funds, media coverage)
• Monitoring and evaluation