As we plan where we need to go, and with whom we would like to talk, the most important question is what we are going to achieve. The sheer magnitude of the disaster is overwhelming, going along with an enormous urge to help. Also from a scientific perspective, there are many interesting questions and open issues that do require attention. One of the most difficults aspects is focussing on what we can achieve in very few days. The work that we conduct during our mission in the Philippines will serve to collect data and material from different organisations as a basis for future work.
To shape our research, we had a long series of meetings and skype conferences. We had a meetings with the European Commission, interviewed the team leader from the B-Fast team (now back from the field)... and an endless series of skype calls with colleagues such as Adam Widera (ERCIS, Muenster), Lars Peter Nissen (ACAPS), Vicenzo Bollettino (Harvard Humanitarian Initiative), Andrej Verity (UN OCHA), Jennifer Chan (Northwestern University), Gisli Olafsson (Nethope). They all provided help, guidance and contacts, and supported us getting in touch with coordinators and responders on-site. Thank you all so much for this!
During these discussions, three core topics crystallized:
1. Decision-makers’ needs:
Starting from the taxonomy that has been developed in the OCHA/ACAPS Report on Decision Makers Needs in Sudden Onset disasters, we will visit decision-makers who work in various roles and for different organizations. We will aim at eliciting requirements in terms of information relevance, credibility, information, interoperability, accuracy etc.
2. Information flows
Starting from the decision-makers’ needs, we will investigate the information that was available to these decision-makers in the different response phases (up to six weeks after a disaster). We will collect information to analyse the flows of information between different actors and organisations in the Philippines including tools that are used to communicate, process and share information.
3. Impact evaluation
We will collect information about the technologies; information products and decision support tools that are currently used in practice, as well as an initial understanding why these are adopted. We will also address questions about the use of crowd-sourced information.
This mission is a unique effort connecting scientists and crisis managers working in disaster response so that we together can work towards the aim of improving disaster resilience. If you have any suggestions or would like to support this trip, please contact us at thedisasterresiliencelab@gmail.com.
To shape our research, we had a long series of meetings and skype conferences. We had a meetings with the European Commission, interviewed the team leader from the B-Fast team (now back from the field)... and an endless series of skype calls with colleagues such as Adam Widera (ERCIS, Muenster), Lars Peter Nissen (ACAPS), Vicenzo Bollettino (Harvard Humanitarian Initiative), Andrej Verity (UN OCHA), Jennifer Chan (Northwestern University), Gisli Olafsson (Nethope). They all provided help, guidance and contacts, and supported us getting in touch with coordinators and responders on-site. Thank you all so much for this!
During these discussions, three core topics crystallized:
1. Decision-makers’ needs:
Starting from the taxonomy that has been developed in the OCHA/ACAPS Report on Decision Makers Needs in Sudden Onset disasters, we will visit decision-makers who work in various roles and for different organizations. We will aim at eliciting requirements in terms of information relevance, credibility, information, interoperability, accuracy etc.
2. Information flows
Starting from the decision-makers’ needs, we will investigate the information that was available to these decision-makers in the different response phases (up to six weeks after a disaster). We will collect information to analyse the flows of information between different actors and organisations in the Philippines including tools that are used to communicate, process and share information.
3. Impact evaluation
We will collect information about the technologies; information products and decision support tools that are currently used in practice, as well as an initial understanding why these are adopted. We will also address questions about the use of crowd-sourced information.
This mission is a unique effort connecting scientists and crisis managers working in disaster response so that we together can work towards the aim of improving disaster resilience. If you have any suggestions or would like to support this trip, please contact us at thedisasterresiliencelab@gmail.com.
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