Iraq - Displacement Index Methodological Overview

CONTEXT With the end of the conflict with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), protracted displacement has come to characterize the post-conflict environment in Iraq. Around 1.2 million people remain internally displaced, nearly all of whom fled their areas of origin more than three years ago. In light of the above, it is essential to advance durable solutions to displacement in Iraq through improving the living conditions that will enable internally displaced persons (IDPs) to voluntarily take the first steps towards return, local integration or settlement in new locations.

DATA COLLECTION APPROACH

The Displacement Index (DI) is a tool designed to measure and monitor the living conditions of IDPs. Data collection for the DI take place across 18 governorates, 94 districts and around 2,000 locations of displacement in Iraq. The unit of the analysis is the location, which can be a town, village or neighbourhood in a city. Data is collected through IOM’s Rapid Assessment and Response Teams (RARTs), composed of over 80 staff members deployed across Iraq (20% of enumerators are female). IOM’s RARTs collect data through structured interviews with KIs using a large, well-established network of over 2,000 KIs (5% are female) that includes community leaders, mukhtars, local authorities and security forces.