VZCZCXYZ0084
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBS #1120/01 0921546
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021546Z APR 07
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC

UNCLAS USEU BRUSSELS 001120 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM BE
SUBJECT: MONITORING AND EVALUATION: THE COMPLEX EMERGENCIES 
DATABASE 
 
 
¶1. (U) PRM Policy Team Leader and USEU RefAssistant visited 
the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters 
(CRED) at the University of Louvain in Brussels on March 21 
to monitor the continued development and global expansion of 
the Complex Emergencies Database (CE-DAT) to provide key 
nutritional, health and mortality indicators for all 
populations affected by conflicts and other complex 
emergencies (Agreement SPRMCO6GR067).  At roughly the 
project,s mid-point, the monitoring visit found that CRED 
has made significant progress toward meeting agreed 
objectives and indicators, demonstrating strong performance 
on activities that are key to the Department,s ability to 
assess humanitarian impact. 
 
¶2. (U) PRM Policy Team Leader and USEU RefAssistant discussed 
the CE-DAT project with CRED,s Director, Debarati Guha 
Sapir, as well as research fellows Olivier Degomme and Chiara 
Altare.  Other CRED staff, including Information Technology 
programmer Alexander Diaz, as well as Khassoum Diallo and 
Sakura Atsumi of UNHCR,s Field Information and Coordination 
Support Section joined an informal luncheon. 
 
¶3. (U) CRED demonstrated significant progress ) already 
meeting or exceeding some targets ) toward the first 
objective of the CE-DAT project: To increase the quantity of 
CE-DAT data available to the international humanitarian 
community. 
 
Indicator 1.1: An increase of at least 50% from the current 
number of survey data points included in CE-DAT. 
 
Results to date: The target of 9,750 records has already been 
exceeded.  As of March 19, CE-DAT included 11,369 data points 
from 1,625 surveys.  CRED staff attributed this success to 
their strong collaboration with nongovernmental organizations 
(NGOs). 
 
Indicator 1.2: Geo-reference data provided for at least 70% 
of survey records. 
 
Results to date:  Geo-referencing has become standard for all 
data (100%) in CE-DAT; CRED staff demonstrated how data is 
referenced to various administrative divisions within 
countries (e.g., provinces, districts, cities, camps). 
However, CRED continues to grapple with a common problem in 
geo-referencing: how to reflect changes in administrative 
divisions that occur in countries undergoing or emerging from 
conflict, such as Afghanistan and Sudan. 
 
Indicator 1.3: At least one contextual information item 
included for every new record. 
 
Results to date:  Progress is needed on this indicator. 
Although lots of contextual information is available in the 
surveys collected, CRED has found it difficult to include 
this data in CE-DAT in a standardized way.  CRED plans to 
seek solutions to this challenge during a meeting of its 
experts, working group in April. 
 
Indicator 1.4: 100% of new CE-DAT entries archived at 
Recipient,s office in paper or electronic format. 
 
Results to date: 100% of new CE-DAT entries have been 
archived in paper format, including those that have been 
received electronically.  CRED,s policy is to archive all 
entries @nd electronic format (thee).  CRED staff recognil previous years of the 
some entries were arc@s, which may have 
change The project is on track tctive: 
To improve thed data in CE-DAT. 
 
Ind Emergencies Data Networth at least five memorandaed. 
 
Results to date:  Cd`paQso collaborating closely and in the process of negotiating 
MOUs with GOAL, MSF-Belgium, MSF-Holand, and Action Contre 
la Faim.  While CRED as pursued MOUs for the purpose of 
long-term Qnstitutional commitment to data sharing, it has 
found that the existence of an MOU carries ittle implication 
for the amount of data receQved from an NGO.  Some NGOs have 
provided sigificant amounts of data while hesitating to sign 
an MOU for reasons of "independence."  CRED,s ongoing 
collaboration with UNHCR was evidenced by UNHCR staff,s 
presence during our visit. 
 
Indicator 2.2:  Guidelines for reporting data designed and 
distributed to all members of CEDN. 
 
 
Results to date:  Guidelines for reporting have not been 
developed, but will be discussed at the expert working group 
meeting in April. 
 
Indicator 2.3:  Promptness of data availability increase with 
a turnaround for data inquiries of 24 hours minimum and 15 
days maximum. 
 
Results to date:  Anecdotal evidence suggests that turnaround 
for data-inquiries has been prompt; however, CE-DAT has no 
mechanism to measure the amount of time between the request 
for analysis and the response. CRED has recently added a tool 
to track the time it takes to provide the data requested. 
 
Indicator 2.4:  Two technical and advisory meetings with 
partners organized at project,s mid-point and at end of 
project period. 
 
Results to date:  The first CE-DAT Technical Advisory Group 
(TAG) meeting occurred in London in November 2006.  The 
second TAG meeting is planned for July 2007. 
 
¶5. (U) The project has made some progress toward its third 
objective: To develop decision support products and tools. 
However, further efforts will be needed to achieve targets in 
this area. 
 
Indicator 3.1:  Partner capacities improved through 
Recipient,s participation in at least eight discussions and 
four technical meetings. 
 
Results to date:  CRED has participated in several technical 
discussions with partners, and has formed an Expert Working 
Group to address technical issues and improve partner 
capacities.  For example, CRED met with Action Against 
Hunger-UK to discuss its Hunger Watch initiative.  The Expert 
Working Group will meet in April 2007.  CRED is in the 
process of redeveloping the CE-DAT website to add a new 
function and applications devoted to the CEDN that would 
include discussion groups. 
 
Indicator 3.2:  At least six reports or briefs prepared and 
disseminated. 
 
Results to date:  CRED produced and disseminated a report on 
The Democratic Republic of the Congo: A brief analysis of 
anthropometric surveys from 2000-2006.  It disseminated on 
March 26 the first CE-DAT newsletter, which provided a useful 
analysis of data from Afghanistan, and identified complex 
emergencies where data is lacking.  CRED has prepared three 
briefs for PRM: 1) an update on crude mortality and global 
acute malnutrition rates that exceed emergency thresholds; 2) 
a short primer on CMR and GAM for a non-technical audience; 
and 3) a brief analysis of available data for Palestinian 
refugees in the West Bank and Gaza.  CRED is currently 
preparing a brief on Iraq at the request of the UN,s Deputy 
Emergency Relief Coordinator. 
 
Indicator 3.3:  A report on baselines, thresholds and 
reference values prepared and disseminated to the CEDN. 
 
Results to date:  The project has produced a preliminary 
analysis of baseline data on mortality rates for children 
under five in several countries. 
 
Indicator 3.4:  Four risk maps created and made available on 
the CE-DAT website. 
 
Results to date:  Risk maps are not yet available.  As part 
of the redesign of the CE-DAT website, CRED plans to create 
risk maps by linking data possibly via Google Earth.  This 
capability is under development. 
 
¶6. (U) Overall, the CE-DAT project has made significant 
progress toward its objectives.  For the remainder of the 
project period, providing tools and resources for the CEDN ) 
such as guidelines for reporting, technical meetings and 
discussion groups ) should be a major area of focus for the 
CRED team.  The redesign of the CE-DAT website will also be 
critical to achieving the project,s objectives, particularly 
through online discussion groups and the creation of risk 
maps.  PRM Policy Team Leader pressed CRED to continue to 
reach out to humanitarian partners on data sharing, 
especially to increase its engagement with the International 
Committee of the Red Cross.  PRM also would like to see 
greater collaboration between CRED and the UN,s Standing 
Committee on Nutrition.  CRED has effectively managed staff 
turnover in its small team, including restoring electronic 
files lost by the abrupt departure of its previous 
Information Technology program officer.  Communication 
between CRED staff and PRM remains excellent. 
 
¶7. (U) The CE-DAT project remains essential to the 
Department,s ability to track and report on core indicators 
of humanitarian assistance, as laid out in PRM,s FY08 Bureau 
Performance Plan, the Department,s Performance 
Accountability Report, and the new State-USAID framework of 
foreign assistance.  It is also a key tool in the Office of 
Management and Budget,s 2007 Program Assessment Rating Tool 
(PART) review of PRM,s assistance to refugees.  While 
refugee health is the most immediate cross-cutting policy 
goal that it addresses, CE-DAT serves a broader function of 
building the international humanitarian community,s capacity 
to use reliable, timely evidence in decisions about 
intervention policies, program design and resource allocation. 
 
GRAY 
.