Needs Assessments in the Field of SSG/R

Once sufficient information has been gathered by the assessment team, it must be compiled and analysed to identify key findings and recommendations. The guiding questions developed at the start of the exercise can be used to structure the analysis and the options for the way forward. Following that structure, the data can be analysed as follows:

• Understanding the context (the context should include a situation analysis and a stakeholder analysis);
• Considering the potential for national ownership of reforms;
• Understanding which security needs of the population are being met and which are not and why (this is the core of the assessment and the problem analysis);
• Identifying options for the way forward.

For key questions on each of these areas, see section 3.3 of Chapter 4 in the Guidelines.

After analysing the results, they should be validated. The purpose of validation is to categorize the preliminary findings and recommendations so that they can be presented to the beneficiaries and partners for feedback and confirmation. Feedback can be sought in various ways, including validation workshops, focus group discussions, follow-up interviews with selected respondents from the in-country assessment, or written questionnaires. If the needs assessment is meant to provide recommendations for OSCE programmatic activities, OSCE staff should be involved in the validation exercise. Feedback from the validation exercise should be incorporated into the final needs assessment report and recommendations.