Best Practices in Humanitarian Information Exchange Task Team C

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Review lessons learned and evaluate database
applications for field-based, cross sectoral
information coordination.
7 Feb, 2002 Palais des Nations, Geneva
Best Practices in Humanitarian Information
Exchange Task Team C
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• Information Technology (IT) is not
• Information Management (IM)

Cross-Cutting Themes Standards Information
Integrity Collaboration
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In a humanitarian context, IM forms a common
foundation for matching needs with resources and
coordinating multiple actors.
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Theme Preparedness

• General
• Standards, best practices, forms
• Resources (funding surge capacity)
• Regional and global relationships
• Country-Specific
• Standards
• Baseline information
• Local capacity relationships

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Theme Response

• Resource Coordination
• Fine-tuning and promoting standards
• Coordinate information gathering and analysis
• Support informed decision making
• Dissemination and information flow
• Sustainability
• Data preservation
• Continue support after the emergency

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Lessons Learned

• An ounce of preparedness is worth a pound of
  response
• IM can still be done, but
• Fewer resources will be available
• Assessment gaps, overlaps, poor design,
  irrelevance
• Isolated decision making
• Flawed data (flawed decisions, irrelevant
  systems)
• Limited dissemination and sharing

Task Team
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Best Practices

• Preparedness / Collaboration in Kosovo
• Common Standards
• HCIC as neutral service provider
• Joint assessments (RVA, shelter)
• Coordinated response monitoring
• Sustainability

Rapid Village Assessment
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Best Practices

• Preparedness, buy-in, sustainability SUMA
• Deliberate preparedness, standards
• Resources, surge capacity
• Buy-in and relationships
• Sustainability and local capacity

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Recommendations

• Prepare!!!
• Expect and support professional IM
• Build IM into emergency preparedness
• Develop and promote data standards
• Develop and maintain baseline data
• Strengthen country IM capacity

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Recommendations

• IM to be user/demand driven
• Donors and agencies to demand sharing
• HICs or similar to support data coordination
• Develop a data Code of Conduct
• Build-in sustainability

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Principles

• User driven
• Timely
• Collaborative
• Effective

• Accessible
• Sustainable
• Transparent
• Integrity

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Summary

• IM is a process
• Awareness
• Preparedness
• Integrity
• Collaboration
• Sustainability

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• Prepare, share, be aware!

Task Team C goodbye!