Common country assessment

Background

The General Assembly resolution 72/279 emphasizes the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) as the primary instrument for planning and implementing UN development activities at the country level in alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The UNSDCF employs a multidimensional approach to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) risk analysis, summarizing key risks and assessing capacities to prevent, resist, absorb, adapt, respond, and recover from hazards and shocks.

Given the significant impact of climate change and disasters on people, planet, prosperity, and peace, the UN system has prioritized the design of risk-informed Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks. Consequently, a Guidance Note on Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in the UNSDCF was developed by the global UN Disaster Risk Reduction Focal Point Group in 2020, with input from United Nations country teams from all regions.

This course focuses on the development of Common Country Assessments (CCA) as an integrated, forward looking, and evidence-based analysis of the country's context for sustainable development as established in the UNSDCF. The CCA serves as an essential step in integrating risk reduction and climate change adaptation across the UN system's policy and programme support.

Learning objectives

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

1. Explain the importance of the use of a risk-sensitive approach in the formulation of risk county assessments.
2. Describe the importance of risk analysis in United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSCDF) processes.
3. Outline the key stages of the UNSCDF guidance and options for integrating a risk lens and/or DRR actions in each.
4. Develop a multidimensional risk analysis for new Common Country Assessment (CCA) and its updates for discussions and validation in a workshop setting.
5. Plan and prepare a risk analysis workshop for CCAs.
6. Summarize findings and write up drafts of the CCAs risk chapters respectively.

Content and structure

The course is comprised of the following modules:

Module 1. Risk Analysis for Humanitarian Planning.

Module 2. Introduction to Risk Analysis in the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) Processes.

Module 3. Risk Analysis Methodologies for New CCA and CCA Updates.

Module 4. Practical resources for and Examples of Successful Risk Analysis Workshops.

Methodology

This is a self-paced, interactive course. The course contains the following components:

Interactive lessons. They introduce you to the conceptual foundations of the different modules in an interactive manner.

Templates and samples. They complement the interactive lessons and provide relevant information to conduct risk analysis workshops:

• Introductory slide decks for initial engagement
• Half day agenda for risk analysis workshop
• Full day agenda for risk analysis workshop
• Two-day agenda for new CCA
• Master slide deck for CCA update
• Risk analysis matrices (EN, SP, FR)
• Example of Checklist session slide deck
• Draft risk chapters
• RiX Spotlights (Editable versions)
• Participant's workshop folder

Targeted audience

This course is targeted toward professionals on risk analysis who seek to understand the application of a forward-looking and evidence-based analysis in the development of Common Country Assessments.