Study of ACAPS Analytical Products

In recent years, ACAPS has expanded its range of services to include the production and release of a range of different analytical products. The key products developed by ACAPS are the Global Emergency Overview (GEO), the Disaster Needs Analysis (DNA) and a number of different outputs of the Syria Needs Assessment Project (SNAP). This study of ACAPS products aimed to assist ACAPS in understanding who the different product users are and how they use ACAPS products.

The study has been undertaken by two independent consultants who reviewed relevant key documentation and undertook semi-structured interviews with 40 ACAPS users and three ACAPS staff.

The primary limitation for the study was the difficulty in accessing representatives of all user groups, particularly field-based users. As a result, the majority of interviewees were working at the global level in either a coordination or support role. In addition, the study was limited in its ability to estimate the influence of ACAPS products on decision-making due the multiple potential influences on this process.