Capacity Assessment Manual for National Human Rights Institutions For each issue respondents are asked to provide: • a rating between zero and five for the current capacity of the NHRI on that issue (current capacity) • evidence to support that current rating of the NHRI’s capacity • another rating between zero and five for the capacity on that issue that the NHRI must have in five years’ time if it is to do its work effectively (required capacity) • recommendations for action to increase the capacity on that issue from the current capacity to the required capacity. The two ratings are the quantitative part of the questionnaire. They enable calculation of the perceived current capacity on each capacity issue and the required capacity on that each, aggregated over the NHRI as a whole and also disaggregated on the basis of a specific functional or other characteristic, such as gender, ethnicity, religion, length of service, position and so on. The difference between the current capacity and the required capacity is the capacity gap on that issue. The opportunities to provide evidence for ratings and to recommend actions to increase capacity are the qualitative parts of the questionnaire. These comments assist respondents to determine their ratings. They also enable respondents to express their views further, after reflection following the discussion groups, and to make comments that they may have felt unable to make in the groups. It was a very detailed set of worksheets which made us think about our strengths, our potential and where we can do better. The worksheets also made staff feel like their voice is important. SAMAR TARAWNEH Officer, National Centre for Human Rights, Jordan Team member for the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand CA 2011 A model questionnaire, including instructions for its completion, can be found in Appendix 8. All NHRI leaders and staff are asked to complete a questionnaire. The validity of the results depends on the responses being as universal as possible. The questionnaires are individual, that is, they are completed by each individual personally and reflect that individual’s own views. They are also anonymous. Respondents are asked not to indicate their names or provide any identifying information. The content of individual questionnaires is confidential –the CA report includes only the aggregated results and results disaggregated by category where the respondents cannot be identified. After the completed questionnaires are analysed, they are not given to the NHRI but are available only to the CA team. NHRI leaders and staff should be given an opportunity to be briefed on the questionnaire, including how to complete it, at a meeting. One or two members of the CA team introduce the questionnaire, explain how the issues have been identified, provide guidance on how to complete it and answer any questions. They stress that the questionnaires are individual, anonymous and confidential. They make sure that everyone understands what has to be done in completing the questionnaires. Wherever possible the questionnaire is completed online, using an online survey site, usually Survey Monkey. Online completion reduces the workload and time in processing results and providing the analysis. It also enables the swift production of useful graphs representing the results in visual form. Online surveys can be completed in English and also in a local language if the script is available. The CA team attempts to provide the questionnaire in the local language when English is not generally spoken. Completing the questionnaire in English assists the team to analyse the responses quickly and easily. It may not be reasonably possible in many countries or in many NHRIs to do the questionnaire online. Also some staff may not be comfortable in doing so, even where it is available online. Chapter 3: The recommended steps in conducting a capacity assessment for a national human rights institution | 31