Guidelines on Data Issues in Humanitarian Crisis Situations

To enhance the implementation of its humanitarian strategy, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) management in early 2007 constituted the Internal Working Group on Data in Crisis Situations made up of in-house experts from all regions, in the domain of data collec- tion and analyses, with a wide experience of crisis situations. During a workshop organized in Dakar, Senegal in April 2007, it was strongly recommended that UNFPA synthesize available information and experiences on data issues during all phases of humanitarian crises in the form of Guidelines for Data Collection in Humanitarian Crisis Situations.
A task force made up of Abdallah Zoubi, Rachelle Djangone, Jason Onsembe and Samson Lamlenn (coordinator) was created to conceive the overall content of this document and prepare the various chapter drafts, under the overall supervision of a steering committee comprised of the other members of the Internal Working Group and coordinated by the then Chief of the Humanitarian Response Unit/Branch (HRB).
Acknowledgements are due to all task force members, who worked diligently over the past two years from various locations to produce the various chapter drafts, and to all steering committee members (Pamela Delargy, Basil Tambashe, Eduard Jongstra, Siti Batoul Oussein, Benoit Kalasa, Boubacar Sow, Jean-Louis Rallu, Jose Miguel Guzman, Kourtoum Nacro and Nami Takashi), whose thoughtful and timely comments and suggestions enhanced the devel- opment of this document. The UNFPA Humanitarian Response Branch is particularly indebted to all those (from Country, Regional and Sub-regional Offices and from regional training and research institutions) who participated in the workshop (organized in Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire, in May 2009) to review the final draft of this document, for their enriching comments and suggestions. The Guidelines were finalized for printing under the supervision of Jemilah Mahmood, Chief of HRB and Mabingue Ngom, Director of the Programme Division.
The Guidelines should be considered as an internal working document, which UNFPA is submitting to its various field units, regional research institutions and other stakeholders in the humanitarian community for practical application on the ground. During the course of this roll-out, the need for further revisions may be realized. Subsequent translations into the other official languages of the United Nations system will logically follow after such revisions.