Bangladesh — NPM ACAPS Analysis Hub Report — Challenges in analysing needs over time using MSNA experiences from the Rohingya responses (January 2018 - December 2022)

In late 2021, ACAPS’ Cox’s Bazar Analysis Hub embarked on research to understand the development of humanitarian needs in the Rohingya refugee crisis. The research was mainly based on the comparison of findings from four consecutive years (2018–2021) of Multi Sector Needs Assessments (MSNAs). The report titled Needs and Priorities of Rohingya and Host Communities in Cox’s Bazar since 2017 was published on 30 August 2022.

The 2019 Rohingya MSNA aimed to “provide an analysis of how refugees’ population and host communities’ needs have changed in 2019”, while the 2020 and 2021 Rohingya MSNAs aimed “to facilitate an understanding of the evolution of needs and service gaps across time” (ISCG 05/2019, 06/05/2021, and 08/08/2022). Despite the similarity, direct comparisons of the yearly situations still proved challenging.

This technical note outlines the key challenges the ACAPS team faced while analysing and comparing data across multiple MSNAs. To develop an understanding of the Rohingya crisis over time, the team included other sources of information, such as the WFP Rohingya Influx Emergency Vulnerability Assessments (REVAs), especially for food and livelihood needs, and information supplied specifically from the sectors. On that note, similar comparability issues were also observed with these other assessments and information sources.

This note aims to highlight how assessment design, data collection, and results presentation enable (or prevent) trends analysis. It also aims to encourage assessment designers and coordinators to consider the future use of their data with the immediate requirements, even as they seek to improve data collection or overcome changes based on the context of the people in need.