Profiling and assessment resource kit (PARK)

In humanitarian emergencies or protracted crisis situations, securing reliable and effective information about the populations of concern is paramount. It is crucial to know who we are trying to assist in order to assist them, and we need evidence upon which to base our programming decisions. However, whilst data collection along these lines is not new, collecting, managing, sharing and actually using information about the affected populations remains a challenge for national and international actors, especially in situations of internal displacement where they must coordinate their assistance efforts. This companion outlines the processes of profiling IDP situations and conducting joint assessments — two complementary practices that aim to address this challenge and facilitate evidence-based decision making in both humanitarian situations and those transitioning between humanitarian and development responses. Written to accompany the Profiling and Assessment Resource Kit (PARK) — an online database created to make it easy to access and share documents, tools and guidelines for profiling and joint assessment activities — this companion is hopefully also of independent use for practitioners planning or implementing such activities.