UNICEF decided that it was important to assess its preparedness effort and early response for Iraq with particular attention to preparedness. The Iraq crisis developed at a time when UNICEF’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning process was becoming more widely used in the organisation, and preparedness in the sub-region received utmost attention. This presented an opportunity to examine the relevance and effectiveness of EPRP. The aim of the evaluation was to provide a critical reference for subsequent evaluations of subsequent stages of the UNICEF response in Iraq.