EXPERT PANEL MEETING ON DEVELOPING A

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 003358

SIPDIS

DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID - PPC, EGAT, DHCA, GH, AFR
DEPT FOR E, PRM AND HIU
GENEVA FOR KYLOH
ROME FOR FODAG/LAVELLE
PARIS PASS USOECD FOR CARNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF PHUM PREL SMIG EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EXPERT PANEL MEETING ON DEVELOPING A
STANDARDIZED METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING
HUMANITARIAN NEEDS, BRUSSELS, JULY 13-15, 2004



1. SUMMARY: THE G-8 ACTION PLAN FOR AFRICA FAMINE
INITIATIVE INCLUDES SUPPORT FOR IMPROVED WORLDWIDE
EMERGENCY ASSESSMENT AND RESPONSE SYSTEMS. THE
MULTI-DONOR STANDARDIZED MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
OF RELIEF AND TRANSITIONS (SMART) INITIATIVE IS THE
CENTRAL FOCUS OF G-8 MEMBER SUPPORT. AN EXPERT
PANEL MET IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, JULY 13-15, 2004,
AND AGREED ON THE TECHNICAL PARAMETERS FOR COMBINING
THE ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN
UNDER FIVE, CRUDE MORTALITY RATE (CMR) AND FOOD
SECURITY IN AN INTEGRATED SURVEY PROTOCOL. A
PROTOTYPE WINDOWS-BASED ANALYTICAL SOFTWARE WAS
DEMONSTRATED AND RECEIVED UNANIMOUS ENDORSEMENT FOR
CONTINUED WORK AS IT SIMPLIFIES DATA ENTRY AND
ANALYSIS, WITH QUALITY ASSURANCE CHECKS BUILT INTO
THE SOFTWARE PROGRAM. THE EXPERT PANEL RECOMMENDED
PILOT COUNTRIES FOR TESTING THE METHODOLOGY UNDER
VARIOUS FIELD CONDITIONS. THE PANEL ESTABLISHED THE
INTER-AGENCY WORKPLAN WHICH IS TO HAVE A DRAFT
MANUAL READY BY END AUGUST, FINALIZED IN SEPTEMBER
AND PILOT-TESTED. A MEETING OF ALL DONORS AND OTHER
STAKEHOLDERS WILL BE CONVENED BEFORE END 2004 TO
ROLL-OUT THE SMART METHODOLOGY. THE STANDARDIZED
SMART METHODOLOGY WILL HARMONIZE DATA COLLECTION AND
NEEDS ASSESSMENT ACROSS ALL HUMANITARIAN
ORGANIZATIONS. END SUMMARY.

BACKGROUND
--------------


2. THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
(USAID) AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, BUREAU OF
POPULATION, REFUGEES AND MIGRATION (STATE/PRM)
PARTICIPATED AT THE EXPERT PANEL MEETING ON THE
SMART METHODOLOGY, HOSTED BY THE CENTER FOR RESEARCH
ON THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DISASTERS (CRED).
PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED: (1) THE HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE ADVISOR, BUREAU FOR POLICY AND PROGRAM
COORDINATION (USAID/PPC),(2) THE POLICY ADVISOR FOR
AGRICULTURE, BUREAU FOR POLICY AND PROGRAM
COORDINATION (USAID/PPC),(3) THE SENIOR POLICY
ADVISOR FOR AGRICULTURE, BUREAU FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH,
AGRICULTURE AND TRADE (USAID/EGAT),(4) THE PUBLIC
HEALTH ADVISOR, OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER
ASSISTANCE, BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT AND
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (USAID/DCHA/OFDA),(5) THE
PROGRAM MANAGER, FEWS NET, OFFICE OF FOOD FOR PEACE,
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT AND HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE (USAID/DCHA/FFP),(6) THE HEALTH OFFICER,
BUREAU OF POPULATION, REFUGEES AND MIGRATION
(STATE/PRM),AND (7) THE USAID ADVISOR FOR
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, OFFICE OF THE USAID
REPRESENTATIVE TO THE EUROPEAN UNION, U.S. MISSION
TO THE EUROPEAN UNION.


3. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SMART METHODOLOGY IS
FUNDED BY THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
AGENCY (CIDA) AS PART OF A JOINT DONOR EFFORT TO
DETERMINE NEEDS AND REPORT ON THE IMPACT OF
HUMANITARIAN AID BASED ON RELIABLE, STANDARDIZED AND
COMPARABLE DATA.


4. THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS TO REVIEW
METHODOLOGY OPTIONS AND THE ANALYTICAL SOFTWARE FOR
INTEGRATING THE ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF
CHILDREN UNDER FIVE, CRUDE MORTALITY RATE (CMR) AND
FOOD SECURITY.


5. THE MEETING WAS ATTENDED BY 33 PARTICIPANTS
REPRESENTING 17 INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING DONORS (USG,
DFID, EC-ECHO),UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES (FAO, U.N.
SYSTEM STANDING COMMITTEE ON NUTRITION (UNS/SCN),
UNICEF, WFP),UNIVERSITIES (CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF
LOUVAIN, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, JOHNS HOPKINS
UNIVERSITY, TULANE UNIVERSITY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF
INDONESIA ),REPRESENTATIVES OF TECHNICAL
INSTITUTES/NGOS INCLUDING THE FAFO INSTITUTE FOR
APPLIED INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (NORWAY),SAVE THE
CHILDREN/UK, AND THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND
PREVENTION (CDC).

MEETING SUMMARY
--------------


6. THE PURPOSE OF THE SMART METHODOLOGY IS TO
DETERMINE NEEDS, MONITOR AND REPORT ON PROGRESS AND
TRENDS USING STANDARDIZED DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS,
INTERPRETATION AND REPORTING. THE TARGET AUDIENCE
FOR THE SMART METHODOLOGY IS ALL HUMANITARIAN
ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING HOST GOVERNMENTS. THE
SMART METHODOLOGY WILL BALANCE TECHNICAL SOUNDNESS
AND AMOUNT OF DATA TO BE COLLECTED WITH PRACTICAL
FIELD CONDITIONS.


7. NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND CRUDE MORTALITY RATE ARE
QUANTITATIVE, OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF THE BASIC WELL-
BEING OF A POPULATION GROUP AND THE SEVERITY OF A
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS. THEY ALSO MONITOR THE EXTENT TO
WHICH A COORDINATED RELIEF SYSTEM IS MEETING
EMERGENCY NEEDS AND THUS THE OVERALL IMPACT OF THE
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE. THE INTEGRATION OF THE
HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY APPROACH (HEA) WILL HELP EXPLAIN
THE NUTRITION SURVEY FINDINGS AND MORTALITY, HOW THE
CRISIS HAS AFFECTED PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOODS AND FOOD
ACCESS, THEIR ABILITY TO COPE WITH THE CRISIS AND
COSTS OF COPING, AND WHAT TYPES OF EXTERNAL
ASSISTANCE ARE REQUIRED.


8. THE SMART METHODOLOGY WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING
ELEMENTS: (1) IT WILL BE UPGRADED REGULARLY BASED
ON LATEST RESEARCH WITH SMART VERSION 1 DEVELOPED
THIS YEAR AS THE MOST BASIC, ESSENTIAL METHODOLOGY;
(2) IT WILL INTEGRATE THREE MEASUREMENT PARAMETERS -
NUTRITIONAL STATUS, MORTALITY RATE AND FOOD SECURITY
- INTO A SINGLE PROTOCOL WITH A SOFTWARE PROGRAM
THAT FACILITATES ANALYSIS AND STANDARDIZED REPORTING
ACROSS ALL ORGANIZATIONS; AND (3) THE MANUAL WILL BE
LINKED ELECTRONICALLY TO RELATED REFERENCES FOR A
LAYERING OF GUIDELINES TO MEET DIFFERENT NEEDS.


9. SMART VERSION 1 WILL BE BASED ON ANTHROPOMETRY
(NUTRITIONAL STATUS ASSESSMENT) WITH THE MOST
CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF MORTALITY AND FOOD SECURITY
INTEGRATED. AS RECOMMENDED AT THE JULY 2002 SMART
WORKSHOP (WASHINGTON DC) THE EXPERT PANEL AGREED TO
BASE THE SMART METHODOLOGY ON CURRENT BEST-PRACTICE
METHODOLOGIES UNTIL FURTHER RESEARCH DETERMINES
CHANGE. THE CRITICAL SET OF QUANTITATIVE
INFORMATION NEEDED INCLUDES WASTING RATES (MEASURED
BY WEIGHT-FOR-HEIGHT),EDEMA, CRUDE MORTALITY RATE
(CMR),POPULATION SIZE, AND DEMOGRAPHY.


10. FOR MORTALITY ASSESSMENT, THE RECOMMENDATION IS
TO USE CURRENT HOUSEHOLD CENSUS METHOD THAT
DETERMINES THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS ALIVE AT
THE MOMENT, THE NUMBER OF DEATHS AND BIRTHS WITHIN
THE HOUSEHOLD DURING THE RECALL PERIOD. MIGRATION
IS CRITICAL AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED WITH DEATHS AND
BIRTHS. TO KEEP THE PROTOCOL SIMPLE, ONLY A MINIMUM
SET OF ESSENTIAL DATA ON CAUSE OF DEATH WILL BE
INCLUDED. SINCE CRED'S COMPLEX EMERGENCIES
DATABASE(CE-DAT),SUPPORTED BY STATE/PRM, WILL SERVE
AS DATA SOURCE FOR THE CENTER FOR HUMAN SECURITY IN
MONITORING THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF WAR ON THE HEALTH OF
CIVILIANS, CONFLICT-RELATED DEATHS WILL BE INCLUDED
IN THE MORTALITY PROTOCOL.


11. FOR FOOD SECURITY, THE HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY
APPROACH (HEA) IS THE ONLY LIVELIHOOD METHODOLOGY
THAT LENDS ITSELF TO INTEGRATION TO NUTRITION AND
MORTALITY ASSESSMENT. THE HEA METHODOLOGY WILL BE
SIMPLIFIED BY USING KEY INFORMANTS RATHER THAN
PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION AND REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF
DETAILED QUANTIFICATION. THE AIM IS TO HAVE MINIMUM
BUT SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO SET NUTRITION FINDINGS
IN A CONTEXT, TO ALLOW A PREDICTION ABOUT FUTURE
CHANGES IN NUTRITION, FOOD NEEDS AND RELIEF ACTION.


12. PILOT COUNTRIES: PARTICIPANTS REVIEWED POTENTIAL
COUNTRIES FOR PILOT TESTING THE SMART METHODOLOGY.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CRITERIA IS THE COMMITMENT
OF THE HOST GOVERNMENT TO SUSTAIN THE EFFORT.
ANGOLA WAS RECOMMENDED AT THE JULY 2002 WORKSHOP
WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE ANGOLAN MINISTRY OF
HEALTH AT THE WORKSHOP. AFGHANISTAN AND THE
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO WERE ALSO RECOMMENDED.
OTHER POTENTIAL COUNTRIES ARE: BURUNDI, CHAD, IVORY
COAST, LIBERIA, MALAWI, RWANDA, SIERRA LEONE, AND
SUDAN. ETHIOPIA IS RECOMMENDED BY USAID/PPC BECAUSE
OF THE G-8 FOCUS AND ONGOING EFFORT TO UNDERTAKE
NUTRITION ASSESSMENTS.


13. NEXT STEPS: (1) DEVELOP DRAFT MANUAL BY END
AUGUST AND FINALIZE BY END SEPTEMBER, (2) SELECT
PILOT COUNTRY AND FIELD TEST THE METHODOLOGY, AND
(3) REFINE THE METHODOLOGY AND SOFTWARE PROGRAM AS
NEEDED AND ROLL OUT SMART VERSION 1 BEFORE END 2004
AT A DONOR/STAKEHOLDERS MEETING TO BE CONVENED BY
USAID, STATE/PRM, CIDA AND OTHER PARTNERS.
STATE/PRM, USAID/PPC AND CRED WILL CONVENE A MEETING
WITH PVOS/NGOS AND OTHER PARTNERS IN EARLY SEPTEMBER
(WASHINGTON DC) TO UPDATE ON RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND
REVIEW THE DRAFT METHODOLOGY.

SAMMIS