When planning a large-scale annual assessment, it is often useful to map out key activities into a timeline that illustrates the key phases, tasks, and milestones involved. The timeline is designed to support effective coordination between team members and external partners, resource allocation, and timely delivery of outputs.
Purpose of the Assessment Timeline
A clear assessment timeline helps ensure that all preparatory, implementation, and reporting activities are sequenced logically and completed on schedule. It supports:
Coordination among internal and external stakeholders
Timely mobilization of resources and staff
Alignment with seasonal and programmatic needs
Transparent tracking of progress and deliverables
Example Assessment Timeline
Depending on the size of the assessment, main phases and tasks can include:
Preparatory Phase
Develop the TOR
Summarising lessons learnt from last year’s exercise
Contracting partners and third-party service providers
Staff recruitment and enumerator selection
Tool revision and endorsement
Sampling design and endorsement
Official agreements and kick-off meetings
Procurement of equipment (e.g., tablets)
Training and Field Deployment Planning
Training of trainers (TOT)
Updating training materials and agendas
Venue booking and logistics
Enumerator recruitment and contracting
Enumerator training
Finalizing field implementation plans
Set up high frequency checks as part of the data quality framework including field communication plan
Data Collection and High Frequency Data Quality Checks
Field data collection
Implement daily data quality checks with feedback to the field teams
Monitoring visits
Final dataset download and reporting
Data Cleaning and Analysis
Computation of key indicators
Preparation of results for IPC analysis
IPC Analysis and Reporting
IPC analysis workshop and reporting
Contribution to IPC communication products
Final FSA report preparation and dissemination
Resources
The CFSVA Guideline includes detailed guidance on planning, sequencing, and timing of large-scale assessments
Comprehensive assessment timeline provides a practical overview of how a comprehensive timeline can look
For more information, please contact the Assessments and Targeting Unit in HQ VAM at global.assessmentandtargeting@wfp.org.