Data Scenario Identification for PiN (under review)
Overview
What are 'People in Need'?
The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance helps to define the magnitude of a crisis and the overall cost estimate of an emergency response; it is a prerequisite for strategic planning and response monitoring. Identifying the number of People in Need is also essential to determine priority areas for interventions, when those are defined as a function of people in need, access, and likely deterioration, etc. This section looks at specific examples and step-by-step approaches to derive estimates for the size of the population in need. It assumes that the Total Population, as well as the total number of People Affected (in accordance with the Humanitarian Profile), is known
What does “need” mean?
The term "need" refers to a gap or discrepancy between the status quo and a different desired state. The need is neither the present nor the ideal state; it is the gap between them (ex: damage to the local water system has reduced the availability of safe drinking water by 50%). Need can quantify or qualify the extent of that gap.
Need is a contextually defined concept as it can be influenced by factors such as legal systems, personal values, prior experience, internationally or nationally defined standards. It is also a time-sensitive concept because what is defined as need can often change over time as crisis response progresses.
Because it is an evolving the needs concept needs to be operationally defined for each crisis according to the current context and historical references or benchmarks.
Need is a time sensitive concept
What is defined as a need often changes over time as the fulfillment of basic need permits awareness of a less urgent need. Consequently, unmet needs are often measured differently based on the programming phase – proximity to threat or exposure to death in the first days after a disaster, degree of access to basic services and goods in the following weeks, and so on. As a relative and evolutionary term, the need concept is without widely agreed boundaries. It must be operationally defined for each crisis according to the current context and historical references or benchmarks.
People in Need is a subset that includes:
whose physical security, basic rights, dignity, living conditions or livelihoods are threatened or have been disrupted, AND
whose current level of access to basic services, goods, and social protection is inadequate to re-establish normal living conditions with their accustomed means in a timely manner without additional assistance.
Process
How to establish People in Need
Two scenarios (A & B) have been identified for JIAF PiN calculation
The scenarios are determined based on the availability of JIAF indicator data, in particular whether data is available at household and/or area level
Follow the decision tree below to identify the data scenario for each geographic level/ affected group.
Outputs/Resources
Scenario A output table example
Scenario B output table example