SMART Methodology
The basic indicators for assessing the severity of a crisis are the mortality, or death rate, and the nutritional status of the population. These are both estimated by conducting a survey of the affected population.
To know the magnitude of the problem we also need to know the population size and, if possible, the demographic characteristics of the population. A high proportion of malnourished in a small population is normally of less magnitude than a lower proportion of malnourished in a large population. The scale and type of intervention will depend upon the magnitude of the emergency rather than simply on the prevalence of malnutrition.
To understand the reasons for the crisis and to plan and implement appropriate relief, the usual situation for that population, the evolution of the changes, and the context in which the emergency has arisen each needs to be considered. There are many sources of information that are relevant in putting the crisis in context and that may affect the types of response that are appropriate. Cultural, political, economic, anthropological, medical, nutritional, topographical, climatic, seasonal, and other factors can all be important. The effects of these factors on livelihoods and the ability of the affected population to cope at a household level are assessed using a food security survey.
To be useful, the information has to be relatively easy to collect, reliable, and accurate. This manual is designed to provide agencies with the basic tools to collect the data necessary for planning direct interventions in an emergency setting.
The SMART manual (Version 1) is divided into two sections: the assessment of nutritional status and death rates, and the examination of the food security situation.
These data should be collected from the same population simultaneously by conducting surveys. The data are then integrated with estimates of the population size to provide an overall picture of the scale of the crisis and the required response. It is not difficult to conduct a survey, but there are a number of critical points that have to be correct for the results to be valid. It does require planning, training, supervision of staff, interaction with the community, and at least a basic understanding of the concepts of epidemiology and statistics.
A survey should provide information that is accurate and reflects the current situation — not the situation at some time in the past. It should be relatively simple to conduct. The results should be available in time for the data to be useful for the intervention. Complex surveys that attempt to answer many questions and give a complete picture are difficult to conduct, analyze, and interpret. They also cost a lot and require special expertise. The information is often outdated by the time the survey is finished, and it is not easily repeated to give an ongoing picture of changes. It is nearly always better to do a relatively simple survey that answers only the pressing, critical questions, and that can be repeated as the situation evolves. Each additional piece of data gathered, even if it is relatively simple itself, degrades the quality and care with which the critical data are gathered and delays the survey.This manual is designed to be used in conjunction with the accompanying software, ENA for SMART.
Go to Download Materials to access the SMART Methodology Version 1 manual.