SMART Highlights
What is different in SMART?
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SMART simplifies the collection and reporting of good quality data, with only one manual with accompanying software called ENA.
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ENA draws from already existing softwares such as EpiInfo, EpiNut, Excel, SPSS etc.
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Whereas current guidelines are not ‘living’ documents that are regularly upgraded, SMART adds to the established and tested methods and is constantly improved based on research, experience and current best practices.
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SMART methodology answers all of the questions that are regularly faced by field workers.
The SMART method is not really ‘new’, but rather, builds on existing approaches to humanitarian intervention. The basis for the methodology has been drawn from many established manuals and guidelines, particularly that recently published by Save the Children Fund. Elements have also been taken from, among others, MSF, FANTA, ACF and WHO publications, as well as standard epidemiological and statistical texts.Why is SMART needed?
SMART addresses issues of common interest to many organizations:
- It allows field partners and relief organizations to collect information with a minimum added burden to their programs.
- It supplies information in the right format, to the right people at the right time so that humanitarian aid is provided to those most in need.
- It resolves technical problems in collecting reliable information n emergencies.
- SMART strengthens the technical capacity of all partners by addressing the need to establish a standardized methodology for assessing populations in crisis. Multiple organizations, technical agencies and donors work together and contribute to the development of the methodology. SMART could eventually be accepted and adopted as the standard used by all organizations working in humanitarian assistance.
SMART advantages
- Integrates anthropometric, mortality and food-security data together.
- Relatively simple process in the field and in the office, which generates accurate and reliable information fast; adding benefit to working lives.
- Tries to anticipate practical difficulties that arise at field level. Makes the survey as easy as possible for the person in the field.
- Delivers timely and reliable data in a standardized way for prioritizing humanitarian assistance for policy and program decision-making.
- Facilitates decision making and the provision of timely, appropriate assistance to the most vulnerable groups
- Improves worldwide emergency assessment.
ENA software advantages
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Addresses issues of survey design -
Assesses the quality of training and indicates which individuals require additional training or replacement
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Helps with identification of errors during data entry
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Examines the internal structure of the data to see where the quality of the survey (reports the SD, skewness and kurtosis of the sample and for each team, and the Poisson distribution of the malnourished cases etc.) is inadequate
- Provides a more accurate method for estimating death rates taking into account a variable recall period method for dealing with mass migration
- Produces a report in a standard format that contains all the information needed to judge the quality of the survey as well as presenting the data in a standard format.