Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions
The data can also reveal ways to help the NHRI prioritise its CD needs: issues in which the capacity gap
between ‘current’ and ‘required’ is greatest can be the issues where the NHRI chooses to focus first
and most intensively. Alternatively, smaller gaps can be identified as potential ‘quick wins’ for the NHRI.
Where the questionnaire is completed online the data can be analysed automatically through the internet
program used. Where it is completed in hardcopy form, then the data will need to be collated through
a program such as Excel to enable easy analysis. In either case, the responses to the questionnaire
should be able to be analysed, as required and relevant, for each core capacity issue, comparing the
ratings for current and future required capacity and showing the capacity gap, that is, the difference
between the two ratings:
• for the NHRI as a whole
• by category, for example, by gender, ethnicity, NHRI functional area, central and regional offices,
type of position (manager or policy or administration).
This kind of analysis enables differences of perspective to be identified and understood and highlights
specific challenges and priority capacity areas based on the NHRI’s organisational structure.
The CA team needs to consider the most appropriate and relevant way to present the results of the data
analysis. It will want to provide the NHRI with the best analysis in the most meaningful way. Inevitably the
analysis will require narrative discussion, in the text of the CA report. In addition, it should be presented
in tables or graphs that draw out the key results, including the key differences in the perspectives of the
different categories of respondents.
In smaller NHRIs the results will usually be presented only for the NHRI as a whole. Disaggregating
the responses into groups within the NHRI will usually be of limited use as the numbers are so small.
It may also risk compromising the anonymity of the responses as, in small NHRIs, staff members are
more readily identifiable, even when providing information anonymously. Table 1 is an example of how
institution-wide data can be presented in the CA report.
Table 1
Issue
1
Current Future
OVERALL
3.04
4.03
2
Gap
0.99
Current Future
2.77
4.02
3
Gap
1.25
Current Future
2.70
4.03
4
Gap
1.33
Current Future
3.07
4.16
Gap
1.09
Here, the table presents the NHRI-wide averages for current and required future capacities for each
issue and indicates the capacity gap for that issue. The respondents have indicated that issue 4 has
the highest current capacity and issue 3 the lowest and that those issues also have the highest required
future capacities. When the capacity gaps are determined, however, the largest capacity gaps are for
issues 2 and 3 and so priority in capacity development would be given to those issues.
In larger NHRIs there is certainly value in disaggregating the results so that the range of perspectives
across the institution is apparent and significant differences of perspective are brought to light. Larger
NHRIs tend to have many different sections and units and often both central and regional offices. There
may also be differences of view among staff defined by gender or ethnicity or some other variable. The
CA team tests the results by examining them according to these variables. It will analyse the data by a
number of potentially key variables to see where the differences are significant and then draw attention
to those areas in the report. Table 2 is an example of how the data can be presented to provide both
the institution-wide picture and the different perspectives of different groups within the institution –
according to ethnicity, office location, position and function.
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