Common Operational Picture: Managing Relief Information in the Field

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Common Operational PictureManaging Relief
Information in the Field
OFDA-COEDMHA Seminar Traditional Responders
Non-Traditional Roles Honolulu, Hawaii 3 February
2003

• Shawn Messick
• Senior Analyst
• Information Management Mine Action Program
• Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation

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Assistance Information Management

• Delivery of services and supplies to a population
  in a specific location
• Services and Supplies what, standards of
  deficiency and sufficiency
• Population who, how many, how much,
  accountability
• Location accountability, how, when, coverage,
  gaps
• To achieve a common operational picture of
  assistance needs, their location and the relative
  priority for meeting these needs vs. luck of the
  draw

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Current Situation

• I cant find any information on.
• Heres a whole stack of reports!!
• Im saving lives, I dont have time to report!
• I did a survey but dont have the time or staff
  to enter the data.
• My organization is covering the whole area!?
• Why didnt you tell me you already went there?
• I send my data and get nothing back!

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Whats the Problem

• Demands for instant data and Ad hoc solutions
  instead of a managed data process
• Confusing data management and public information
• Reporting formats number of organizations
• Resistance to implementing a common data
  framework (mine is better than yours)
• Instituting common geospatial referents and
  indirect referencing systems - too technical!
• Conflicts between tabular and spatial approaches

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Why is there a Problem

• Information management is not a deliberate
  process
• Reinventing the wheel vs. Best practices
• Convenience - Tabular vs. spatial data
  approaches.
• Data is proprietary/Information is power
• Confusing IT as synonymous with IM
• Perception - Relief has no relevance to
  reconstruction or development?

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What is an IM System

• People
• Policy
• Procedure
• Process
• Supporting the decision making and reporting
  obligations of the organization/broader community
• We now use Computer Hardware/ Software

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Questions, Functions Approaches
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The UN Humanitarian Information Center (HIC)
Concept

• 1999- Geographic Information Support Team
• (GIST) - OCHA, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, USAID/OFDA,
  EC/JRC, WHO, FAO
• OCHA Humanitarian Information Center Concept
• 1999-2001 - Fielded in Kosovo, Sierra Leone,
  Eritrea
• Regional efforts in Horn of Africa 2000(DEPHA),
  2002 Southern Africa (SAHIMS)
• 2002 Best Practices in Humanitarian Information
  Exchange Symposium
• 2001 AIMS 2003 - MEHIC?
• 2002 DoS/USAID Humanitarian Information Unit

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HIC Objective

• To facilitate the collection and maintenance of
  accurate, timely and georeferenced current and
  baseline information supporting national
  planning and field level coordination and
  implementation.

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HIC Approach

• Support relief operations and coordination
  efforts through
• Simplifying and expediting the process of using
  more data in better ways
• Providing a central framework for IM and
  geospatial data
• Promoting IM Strategy, processes, practices
  appropriate to the task
• Sector IM assistance integrally linked to sector
  management structure practices
• Expanding use of thematic maps as visualization
  aids for consensus building

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Basic HIC Services

• GIS production facility and map depot
• Web site and electronic distribution of products
• Data management support services
• Consultative services on data management,
  analysis, GIS support/tools/products.

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Methods

• Decentralization!!!!
• Rebuilding basic planning information data sets
• Educating/training of Managers to use information
  products to support decision making
• Government Ministries
• UN Agencies
• NGOs and Other relief organizations
• Providing internal information management
  technical/policy consulting services
• Use GIS and data management services as carrot

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Major Constraints on Organizations

• Information Technology novelty vs. tool
• Information collected is not based on
  decision/management requirements
• Lack of defined sector technical standards
• Insufficient processing capacity
• No standard location references
• Project focus vs. sector management
• Uneven information quality
• Incompatible information elements

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Why Geographic Data Standards?

• Many people cant read or orient a map
• Place names are reported Phonetically or using
  different Romanization schema
• Multiple places with the same name
• Location name variants based on ethnicity/language

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GEOCODES/PCODES

• Cant differentiate or locate

Unique Identification and geographic location
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Better use of Data

• Improve data availability, compatibility and
  quality
• Develop/improve use of data/information in
  decision support processes.
• Develop opportunities for cross-/multi-sectoral
  analyses
• Expand use of thematic maps as visualization aids
  for consensus building.

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Reorienting Vision and Process

• Creating a common operational picture through
  standardized information collection and analysis
• Pre-established Common and Technical Essential
  information requirements, forms and databases
• Standard geographic frameworks
• Aggregate information is not a goal
• Generate Decision support analyses

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The Way Forward

• Strong Donor Interest (UK, US, EC)
• Service needs to be outsourced to maintain
  independence and service to all focus
• Develop a body of professional knowledge
  practice
• Expand pool of qualified/experienced personnel
  external to and within organizations
• Convene larger stakeholder group
• Introduction of motivated Private Sector (not
  institutional contractors)
• Develop standard reporting tools and formats

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What Needs to be Prepared

• Common assessment forms and databases
• Improved field reporting mechanisms
• Standardized technical data by sector and
  databases
• Geographic data and Map products
• User training
• Organizational buy-in and active support

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Further Information

• Shawn Messick
• smessick_at_vi.org
• Information Management and Mine Action Programs
• Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation
• 1725 Eye St, NW, 4th Floor
• Washington, DC 20006
• PH 202 557-7570