Access is a concern as well as making sure that the information coming from Humanitarian organisations and local authorities are available/provided. We have set up a new position of Humanitarian Liaison Officer in our different hum. The HLO acts as an interface between journalists/local media and humanitarian organisations.
The thing is, providing information and being in communication is relevant at every stage of the humanitarian programme cycle. We're often struck that agencies don't integrate info and comms from preparedness, into needs assessments, implementation, M&E etc. This is covered well in the OCHA report on p33.
@rohanjay: Yes. working with mobile networks to develop disaster preparedness strategies *before* crisis hits is critical.
@rohanjay. Increasingly yes. Have a look at the Vodafone INstant Network which I worked with recently in the Philippines (first ever deployment in a sudden onset). But increasingly these answers are going to come from domestic telcos. That's who we really need to work with.
In most countries where we work, the networks are receptive to cooperating with aid providers in non-crisis periods to develop best practices and readiness strategies.
Using plain language and ditching the jargon is crucial. And I count words like "stakeholder" among the jargon
It's Rachel Houghton of CDAC, not Katherine Houghton. It's Katherine Roux of the Red Cross.
@imogen well stated about white noise - and as the report also highlights, the challenge is to make sure we share the key information we do filter out between humanitarian organisations.
Exactly; one of the key challenges is for aid providers to work together, not at cross-purposes, when crisis strikes.
@katherineroux yes. The commitment to Open Data and accessibility for all with regard to humanitarian info is crucial. This includes governments, local media, and affected communities (which is everyone, not just 'beneficiaries'). It means working in multiple languages as well.
@TimothyLarge. In the Philippines we worked with the DHN to build a real time map of infrastructure damage and impact following typhoon Bopha -based entirely on reports from survivors shared on social media. It CAN be done.
One other point, drawing on our experience in the field: I would still contend that citizen reporting is important in a crisis event. Report do need to be verified, of course, but the opportunity to empower local community members by giving them a voice, via technology, shouldn’t be
understated. In our work in Somalia, Libya & Gaza, the main (positive) feedback point we heard from communities was that they felt their voices were being heard for the first time—and mobile tech was enabling this to happen.
@RachelHoughton: Apologies Rachel
Agree with @LibbyPowell: Use the most affordable, most ubiquitous, and most accessible technologies to send/receive information--this way, you're engaging as many communities as possible.
@rohayjay hahaha! yes, and we are also aware it's a report about the future of the digital age in a 120 page PDF format :). Wheels change slowly at the UN. But the whole thing is online and shareable so at the risk of our lawyers' wrath please go ahead and use/quote/share it.
Clarity of messaging is also critical: It's vital to ensure that accurate & easy-to-understand information is being conveyed, rather than "misinformation"
@ TedxDeusto: at the moment through the resilience lens and via Internews and other partners.
