Networked Assessment Revolutionizes Crisis Response
Excerpt from http://www.interaction.org/ict/relief_technologies.html
by Brian Michael King
( WASHINGTON ) The rapid expansion and diversification of information and communications technology has profoundly changed the ways we communicate, organize, and process information. Integration of these tools in the field for disaster assessment efforts, however, still presents serious challenges. Relief workers are often encumbered by poor Internet connectivity, fragile or expensive equipment, or security concerns associated with collecting detailed geographic data in areas recovering from conflict. As connectivity expands and the tools get cheaper and more diverse, the specific needs of relief workers in the field are increasingly being met. Companies such as Global Relief Technologies appear to point the way.
Global Relief Technologies, founded by a former Navy lieutenant involved in coordinating relief efforts in Kosovo and Afghanistan , seeks to integrate existing technologies into solutions tailored to rapid field assessment in disaster or conflict areas. The company deploys off-the-shelf pocket PCs with a global positioning system attachment, that run customized assessment forms adapted from the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance field operations guide, or from Sphere, the assessment standards identified by International Red Cross and Red Crescent with several other nongovernmental organizations. Assessment information can be broadcast directly from the field to a central, firewalled hub over satellite phones, cellular phones or the Internet. In this hub data is compiled, processed, and presented in accurate maps, tables or graphs in real-time. Workers in the field can check the progress of the assessment via a password-protected page on the Internet. The U.S. Marine Corps is currently using the service for water and sanitation assessments in Haiti , and reportedly will be sharing this data with the NGO community on the website set up by Global Relief Technologies.
Ky Luu of the International Medical Corps sees the GRT approach as a way to gather substantive assessment data on a daily basis, making it an invaluable tool for coordination and training. In addition to instantly providing sharable data, Luu thinks that the approach will save money by significantly reducing the need for lengthy and expensive conference calls. "If this really takes off I think it will change the way NGOs operate in the field," says Luu.
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