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The Journey Into the information typhoon:                     executive summary

9/30/2014

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Over the past months and weeks, we have been working on the DRL report about our transdisciplinary field research on Typhoon Haiyan. Our research has been driven by the need to under­stand the information and communication needs of humanitarian responders. During the response to Typhoon Haiyan, we focused on decision support and sensemak­ing, i.e., the process by which people give meaning to what is happening.

In the Executive Summary we report on our findings along five domains and try to provide some first answers to the following questions:

1.     The Role of Information Management: what is the role of traditional information management offic­ers and other actors who focus on information products and flow of information to various deci­sion-makers? How is information management embedded in their respective operations?

2.     Information Sharing and Coordination: how is information shared between actors and organiza­tions? How is it filtered, processed, and transformed into actionable insights? What are the success stories, and what are challenges?

3.     Understanding and Monitoring Risks: how are risks assessed and monitored? How is infor­mation from various partners analysed to efficiently recognize gaps between aid provided and needs in a post disaster dynamic environment? How are emerging risks and new threats under­stood by various actors and how does this translate into monitoring?

4.     Information Products Impact Evaluation: how are traditional and current crisis mapping infor­mation products impacting humanitarian operations? Which technologies, information product types, and modalities are being recognized, valued and used for decision-making at various lev­els?  What are the cross cutting barriers to perceived value and successful use?

5.     Logistics and Supply Chain Management: how is information about logistics needs translated into goods distributed, and what is the impact of aid on markets, and infrastructures?
 
We are happy and proud to share the draft of the Executive Summary with you. Our findings and recommendations are derived from field observations, meetings, and 39 interviews con­ducted in the Philippines with responders from United Nations (UN) agencies, local and interna­tional non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as governmental agencies. MapAction and digital humanitarian volunteers carried out additional analyses. 

Once more, we would like to thank all our supporters, particularly our interviewees. Without you, this work would not have been possible.

The insights and recommendations shared in this document are aimed to contribute to ongoing and evolv­ing discussions on information management and decision-making in humanitarian and disaster set­tings. We hope that our communications do not only support pre-existing knowledge and perspectives but also that our findings will provide new insights and help us all move ahead. 

This draft is only a part of the full report, which we will over the next weeks post chapter by chapter. We hope that in this manner, we can engage in a discussion process with you. We look forward to your feedback on this work, and are open for suggestions on how to continue our collaboration.
DRL Philippines Executive Summary
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    Authors

    Bartel Van de Walle has worked on the virtuous circle of sensemaking and decisions in crisis management. For the past 20 years he has worked on information systems for better crisis response in the field and as an associate professor at Tilburg University.

    Tina Comes develops systems and tools to support decision makers dealing with complexity and uncertainty. Her work as Associate Professor in ICT at the University of Agder aims at bridging the gap between technology and users.

    Together, we are working on improving disaster resilience, since the ability to prepare for, manage and learn from risks and crises has become a prerequisite for sustainable growth in an increasingly complex, uncertain and dynamically evolving world.    

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    Categories

    All
    Coordination
    Decision Support
    Field Trip
    Funding
    Impact
    Infrastructure
    Interview
    Logistics
    Ngos
    Philippines
    Planning
    Recovery
    Research
    Response
    Shelter

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