A Journey of Understanding: Insights Gained from our Needs Assessment Discovery Work
Introduction
In the dynamic landscape of emergency response in the UK, emergency teams at the British Red Cross work hard to support the needs of people who experience an emergency. However, as we operate across the whole of the UK, we noticed some inconsistencies in the way we assess needs in different regions.
The impact of this is two-fold — not only does it affect the consistency of services provided; it also causes a significant obstacle in making insight informed decisions at the organisational level. Recognising the gravity of the situation, our team embarked on a journey from scoping to discovery, to find out what challenges our frontline teams are facing when assessing the needs of people, we respond to.
The frontline volunteers working with the Crisis and Emergency response team at the British Red Cross support people in various types of emergencies:
· Business-as-Usual events, such as domestic house fires
· Large scale emergencies, such as severe weather events
· Other forms of large-scale events, such as conflict or migration that cause people to flee their countries.
At all these different events, BRC emergency response teams work to provide people with their basic needs as well as provide psychosocial support. From the range of emergencies, it is clear to see how people’s needs might be different and how different demographics of people will be impacted by the emergencies in different ways. It is therefore important that teams have a consistent way of assessing their needs to ensure that they can adequately identify them and support people in the best way possible. This blog will share about the process we took to understand how teams across the BRC assess people’s needs during emergencies and what our learnings were.
Discovery/ Approach
To identify ways in which we could improve how the BRC carries out needs assessments, we needed to first understand how they are done. Our discovery phase was broad, and we used a variety of techniques to ensure we had a comprehensive understanding of the landscape. We engaged in the following activities.
Desk Based Research
As needs assessments are an important component of humanitarian response, we wanted to learn how other international organisations carry out needs assessments. It is imperative that our needs assessment is in line with international standards and staying up to date with what these are and how they have been enforced is important.
Staff and Volunteer Survey
Considering the size of the BRC, we initiated a survey directed at both Crisis and Emergency Response staff and volunteers. Within a week, we received responses from 29 participants, providing valuable insights into how needs are currently being assessed, pain points, and potential solutions.
In-depth Interviews
We engaged in qualitative discussions with staff and volunteers to understand the challenges and paint points of the needs assessment journey right from requests made by partner organisations, to deployment and finally, when teams stand down at the end of a response.
Volunteer Nights and Observation
Actively participating in volunteer nights, we gained first-hand insights into the role volunteers play in carrying out needs assessments and the challenges they encounter. Additionally, we shadowed Emergency Response teams during deployments, observing their actions and challenges in real time.
In addition to speaking to volunteers and staff over interviews, the team shadowed an emergency response at a rest centre during a gas leak. The incident showcased the intricate care and attention required to support service users, emphasising the important role that volunteers play through in-person engagement.
Core Findings
Our discovery phase brought about a richness of understanding about the needs assessment process and the challenges faced by our frontline staff when carrying them out. After several synthesis sessions, the team formulated some core findings which are shared below.
· Communication Challenges: Shock and emotional trauma often prevent individuals from articulating their needs clearly during crises or emergencies.
· Prioritisation Process: When triaging, prioritising, and signposting, the team starts by addressing the most urgent needs such as health and medication, gradually progressing to other needs like accommodation.
· Experience-Driven Assessments: Needs assessments heavily rely on the observations and perceptions of volunteers or staff, acquired through practical experience.
· Phone-Based Assessments: Some Needs Assessments are conducted over the phone, presenting challenges as volunteers lack the visual cues available in face-to-face interactions.
· Limited Information Challenge: Volunteers face challenges due to incomplete information from partners about the crisis. For example, discovering more affected individuals upon deployment than initially communicated.
· Resource Demand: Volunteers and staff expressed a need for a concise and adaptable resource for conducting needs assessments during emergencies, be it a checklist, form, template, or prompts.
Next Steps
Following our discovery phase, the team will explore how prompts, or a guide can support teams to conduct effective needs assessments, aiming to enhance the efficiency and precision of our emergency response efforts.
