Purpose

The guidelines in this document aim to support National Societies in conducting Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments (VCA) and adapting the VCA process to their own countries. It provides a suggested path for conducting a VCA day-by-day in the field, and its expected outcomes.

Overview

The 12-step guide to effective VCA includes:

• Level 1 – National Society support: understanding why VCA is being proposed; 2. sensitising National Society leadership, branches, and partners; 3. setting up a management structure for conducting VCA; 4. setting VCA objectives (such as where the assessments will take place).
• Level 2 – from assessment to planning: planning the VCA (who will do what, how and when); 6. preparation; 7. using investigative tools within the community; 8. systematising, analysing and interpreting the data; 9. returning information to the community and deciding priorities and actions for transformation.
• Level 3 – from planning to action: turning vulnerabilities into capacities through practical action; 11. recommendations and report-writing for local authorities, donors and partners; 12. community intervention/actions for reducing identified risks where applicable.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff; Volunteers