The Good Enough Guide

This tool suggests ways of informing, consulting, involving, and reporting to people affected by an emergency at every stage of the project. It was originally developed for use in villages in Aceh. It can be adapted for other sites too.

Before assessment

• Determine and clearly state the objectives of the assessment
• If you can, inform the local community and local authorities well before the assessment takes place
• Include both women and men in the project team
• Make a list of vulnerable groups to be identified during the assessment
• Check what other NGOs have done in that community and get a copy of their reports

During assessment

• Introduce team members and their roles
• Explain the timeframe for assessment
• Invite representatives of local people to participate
• Create space for individuals or groups to speak openly
• Hold separate discussions and interviews with different groups, for example: local officials, community groups, men, women, local staff
• Ask these groups for their opinions on needs and priorities. Inform them about any decisions taken. Note: If it is not possible to consult all groups within the community at one time, state clearly which groups have been omitted on this occasion and return to meet them as soon as possible. Write up your findings and describe your methodology and its limitations. Use the analysis for future decision-making.

During project design

• Give local authorities and community, including the village committee and representatives of affected groups, the findings of the assessment
• Invite representatives of local people to participate in project design
• Explain to people their rights as disaster-affected people
• Enable the village committee to take part in project budgeting
• Check the project design with different groups of beneficiaries
• Design a complaints and response mechanism

During project implementation

• Invite local community, village committee, and local authorities to take part in developing criteria for selection of beneficiaries
• Announce the criteria and display them in a public place
• Invite the local community and village committee to participate in selecting beneficiaries
• Announce the beneficiaries and post the list in a public place
• Announce the complaints and response mechanisms and forum for beneficiaries to raise complaints

During distribution

• If recruiting additional staff for distribution, advertise openly, e.g. in newspaper
• Form a distribution committee comprising the village committee, government official(s), and NGO staff
• Consider how distribution will include the most vulnerable, such as disabled people, elderly people, and other poor or marginalised groups
• Give the local authority and local community a date and location for distribution in advance where safety allows
• List items for distribution and their cost and display this list in advance in a public place
• In order to include people living a long way from the village or distribution point, consider giving them transport costs
• In order to include vulnerable people, such as pregnant women, for example, distribute to them first
• Ensure people know how to register complaints

During monitoring

• Invite the village committee to take part in the monitoring process
• Share findings with the village committee and community

From S. Phoeuk (2005) ‘Practical Guidelines on Humanitarian Accountability’, Oxfam GB Cambodia (internal, adapted).

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