Executive Summary
This evaluation report aims to provide an independent assessment of the performance of the Kenya Initial Rapid Assessment (KIRA) in phase I from June 2012 – May.
The objective of the KIRA project is to design and implement a country-wide coordinated, multi-sector, multiagency approach to emergency assessments in Kenya aimed at providing appropriate and timely information to support decision making for humanitarian response. KIRA is a joint initiative initially instigated by OCHA on behalf of the Kenya Humanitarian Partnership Team (KHPT), delivered in partnership with the Emergency Capacity Building Project (ECB), UNICEF, RedR UK, and supported by the Assessment Capacities Project (ACAPS). The project was initiated to fill a gap for a multi sector assessment mechanism for sudden onset emergencies.
KIRA’s target stakeholders include UN agencies, sectors, NGOs, the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) and the Government in Kenya (GoK). KIRA phase I activities and outputs comprised of stakeholder consultations, the participatory development of a multi-sector, multiagency coordinated needs assessment methodology and tool, and training delivery to 300+ decentralised participants at national and field levels to build skills in tool application. Phase I was linked to the national humanitarian contingency planning and preparedness efforts of the Kenyan 2013 national elections. KIRA was used in four joint assessments in the run up to elections, and two joint assessments after the elections.
This evaluation aims:
To document the achievements, experiences, challenges and lessons learnt of the process of establishing a coordinated rapid assessment mechanism
To identify critical steps in the process to support the implementation of similar projects globally
To assess the extent to which KIRA training has provided the necessary skills and knowledge to agency staff in the hubs and at national level to conduct a coordinated initial rapid assessment in response in response to sudden onset emergencies in time for March 2013 elections.
To attempt to identify the impact of the project
To provide recommendations to support the implementation of a second phase of activities.
The evaluation’s inquiry framework focused on a formative or improvement-oriented evaluation to learn lessons with the aim to inform and improve KIRA’s on-going interventions. The evaluation was primarily based on assessing qualitative data and evidence gathered via interviews and observational visits from sampled multi-stakeholders to learn lessons of the context specific achievements, challenges, and the critical steps against set OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) criteria
