Define what decision the assessment must support, who will use the answer, and what must be known now versus later.
Free foundation pathway
Rapid assessment basics that stay honest under pressure.
Explore the six-step sequence, then enter the free learner workspace for complete lessons, three short films, decision checks, practice assessment, notes, bookmarks, progress, and a foundation learning record.
Lesson flow
Six steps from urgency to usable findings.
Build a fast secondary data review before collecting new information, and mark what is outdated, missing, disputed, or unreliable.
Turn information needs into a small set of field questions that teams can ask consistently without leading respondents.
Explain who was reached, who was missed, why access was limited, and what the assessment cannot safely claim.
Use enumerator briefings, consent checks, duplicate review, outlier notes, and correction logs before analysis begins.
Separate evidence, interpretation, assumptions, recommendations, and open questions in a short brief people can actually use.
Starter downloads
Simple tools for assessment preparation and quality review.
CSV templateRapid assessment planning matrix
Map the decision, information need, source, owner, field method, risk, and action for each assessment question.
CSV templateSecondary data review logTrack existing reports, dates, geographic coverage, reliability notes, gaps, and how each source will be used.
CSV checklistField data quality checklistDaily checks for consent, enumerator briefing, completeness, duplicate entries, outliers, and correction decisions.
CSV outlineRapid assessment brief outlineA report skeleton that keeps findings, limitations, recommendations, and open questions visible.
CSV session planFacilitator session planA simple workshop flow for teams preparing a practical rapid assessment exercise or organization cohort.
Related courseField data with KoboToolboxUse Kobo-compatible forms and safer field data workflows when the rapid assessment requires structured collection.
Assessment boundary
A rapid assessment is not proof of everything.
Rapid assessment work should be clear about time pressure, access limits, sampling constraints, data gaps, and uncertainty. These materials support practical readiness, but they do not replace sector specialists, protection procedures, epidemiological surveys, commissioned evaluations, donor-required assessments, or formal security analysis.