Second Annual FedEx Award for Innovations in Disaster Preparedness Submission Form I. Contact Information

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Second Annual FedEx Award for Innovations in Disaster Preparedness Submission Form I. Contact Information"

Rosaline Norris
6 years ago
Views:

1 Second Annual FedEx Award for Innovations in Disaster Preparedness Submission Form I. Contact Information Name: Heather Bennett Title: Director, Foundation and Corporate Development Organization: Direct Relief Address: 27 S. La Patera Lane, Santa Barbara, CA Telephone: II. Basic Information on Project Title of Project: Using Collaborative Analytics to Implement a Data Preparedness Network Location (please include all relevant information: regions, countries, districts/provinces, cities, etc.): Visayas, Philippines Scale (choose one): Local/Community State/Provincial/Sub-national Regional International National Target Population(s): People affected by Typhoon Haiyan; people in the Philippines that are most vulnerable; local NGOs working in the Philippines Number of Beneficiaries: Estimated 350,000 people, including staff at partner organizations and people living in the local communities in which they work Partners: Palantir Technologies, Gawad Kalinga, Health Futures Foundation, Inc., International Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (IPI) Foundation, Philippine Red Cross, Access Aid International, Tacloban Health Cluster Funders/Donors: Direct Relief has self-funded this project Total Funding: N/A Website: 1

2 III. Project Details 1. Intervention background and goals and objectives (maximum 250 words) Please describe the intervention and its goals and objectives. Include details on the intervention s timeline. To be adaptive and responsive as an NGO that responses to disasters, understanding the needs of local communities requires a rich information infrastructure. As complex situations change in rapid and unpredictable ways, having access to the right information often can mean the difference between life and death. Information systems cannot be constructed easily, if at all, in the midst of chaos. To have access to critical disaster information means getting the right systems in place before events happen. Effective disaster response means extending the concept of mainstream relief from the world of material goods to the world of data, information, and analysis. Direct Relief has developed an innovative intervention with the goal of building a data preparedness network in the Philippines to enable effective response through aggregated information and analytics. In collaboration with Palantir Technologies and key partners working in typhoon-affected areas, Direct Relief has achieved the following objectives since the typhoon struck in October 2013: Equipped 7 local agencies with mobile data collection tools Conducted field trainings to 160 people in effective data collection Linked collected data for integrated, real-time analytics Conducted tabletop scenarios to better use information during emergencies Direct Relief is building the data preparedness network to get rapid feedback from critical health facilities during disasters, to link response agencies in the field through data, and to guide humanitarian assistance more accurately and with strategic insight. This innovation lays a foundation for broader data preparedness for years to come, both in the Philippines and elsewhere. 2. Please describe the project s key activities (maximum 250 words) Please describe the intervention s main activities. Since Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, Direct Relief has taken a number of tangible steps towards building a functional data preparedness network, including meeting the objectives specified in the section above. The intervention enables local, on-the-ground response agencies to coordinate resources, share data, and link with other local agencies to participate in a networked approach to disaster response. During the typhoon response, Direct Relief worked with Palantir to create a means for several local community actors to input critical information (in the form of short message service, or SMS, communications) about their activities into a common cloud-based platform, often using satellite technology to enable data collection and transmission regardless of cellular network connectivity. 2

3 The data from these forms fed into Palantir software, allowing for real-time analytics, coordination of multiple response agencies, integration of real-time data collection with third party open datasets, and continuous evaluation of program impact. This common platform allowed all actors to explore, share, and create humanitarian value from their own and others project data in near real time. From this work, Direct Relief had a much better baseline insight into the needs of communities and health facilities throughout the country. For example, one partner, Gawad Kalinga, has built nearly 800 communities across the Philippines for people living on $2 USD/day or less. Their regional teams now have much better, more routine and shareable insight into what the needs of these communities are and how they are changing. 3. Please explain you think this is an innovative intervention. Provide evidence in the following areas: (maximum 750 words) Effectiveness/evidence of success: Direct Relief s data preparedness network has been an effective and successful intervention in the Philippines. It has increased awareness twofold: one, by elevating the need to collect and have access to real-time data during disasters, and two, by increasing the awareness among local actors on how they can contribute and be a part of the solution. The intervention has built substantial capacity in local communities affected by the typhoon, empowered local groups to participate, and increased community participation. Knowledge has been built through the volume of data collection from all sectors: civil society, local governments, and the private sector and analysis of the data into a comprehensive landscape of the needs of communities affected. The intervention has been effective in that it has informed emergency responders and humanitarian groups on how to most effectively harness resources and incorporate into mainstream disaster preparedness and relief activities. Sustainability: Direct Relief has ensured that the intervention can be sustained long-term socially, financially, and environmentally. The intervention allows for a broader array of data collection and transmission options, which promotes sustainability. Direct Relief has developed standardized data collection forms that are easy to use and allows for all partners on the ground to use the same tool. This ease of use, which also reduces labor and time, will lead to this intervention becoming more imbedded in the operations of the organizations, contributing to both its long-term use and the sense of local ownership of the project. Financially, the intervention is sustainable. After the up-front costs of the data collection devices, the intervention relies on existing staff and resources. Palantir contributes to back-end support and hosting as an in-kind philanthropic contribution, and they are committed to the intervention long-term. To further promote sustainability, Direct Relief has conducted on-the-ground training sessions with local Philippine agencies. Local groups have the technology in place to collect and share relevant data, and Direct Relief and Palantir are involved in a long-term partnership to analyze and aggregate data related to disaster situations. Equitable outcomes for women and men: The intervention facilitates the participation of both women and men, and also results in equitable benefits for both throughout affected local communities. All members of the community and local response groups are engaged in the project without discrimination, including gender, income, religion, disability, and all other non-merit factors. 3

4 Efficiency/cost-effectiveness: The main cost of this intervention is the procurement of mobile devices to collect the on the-ground data in real-time. The other costs involved are to support trainings, but, once trained, agencies can participate in a train-the-trainer model in order to be most cost-effective. By having a data preparedness network in place prior to a disaster, it greatly reduces both financial and human resource costs during response efforts, compared to having to start from scratch and scramble to collect data in the midst of an emergency. Replicability/adaptability: The intervention can be replicated and adapted in other countries and regions affected by disasters. The key success factor is the engagement and involvement of local community actors active in response efforts. Direct Relief will continue to build viable, ongoing data preparedness infrastructure to better prepare for future disasters. Working with their global partner network of local, on-the-ground health facilities, Direct Relief will proactively collect, analyze, and share data that will be useful to inform future emergency response efforts. Based on this model, new instances can be rapidly deployed, allowing effective local actors to receive better and timelier aid, to share information openly and transparently, and to act in emergent collaboration with a range of other local and international groups capable of supplying vital humanitarian support. This data preparedness network will enable needs to be better understood and addressed, so that when the next disaster strikes, Direct Relief will be able to immediately and more effectively deliver humanitarian aid to affected communities. 4. Challenges & Lessons Learned (maximum 250 words) Please describe the main challenges or obstacles you faced or are facing in this intervention and how they were addressed. What are the most important lessons that a reader should take from this experience? The largest challenge in implementing this intervention was that it was implemented during a largescale disaster situation out of necessity to obtain real-time, accurate information from field partners. Moving forward, it is critical to establish a data preparedness network before a disaster strikes. Conditions for collecting, analyzing, and sharing critical data sources must be established prior to emergency situations; otherwise, the hurdles to creating such conditions during events may be insurmountable. A second challenge was educating first-responder groups that collecting data was a top-tier need immediately following the typhoon. Responders and humanitarian agencies urgently want to deliver aid to affected communities and people, and collecting data while in the field was, at first, not viewed as a pressing need to address. Having Direct Relief and Palantir staff in the field conducting trainings and explaining the overall goal of the project was essential in gaining participation from other agencies. A lesson learned that emerged from this experience was that it was an example of a pragmatic and successful disaster response coordination, made effective specifically because it emerged from intergroup communications within an intuitive technical platform rather than through an outside coordination structure. While the system proved effective to encourage collaboration and deliver targeted aid, it was limited by its construction mid-response. 4

5 5. Please demonstrate how you consulted with the community prior to implementing the intervention. (maximum 150 words) From the onset of the intervention, Direct Relief consulted with and relied on the expertise of local communities. The best source of information related to humanitarian needs is usually actors in the local community -- in the case of Direct Relief, these actors are locally-run healthcare facilities that provide care to vulnerable people and are located in affected areas before disaster events occur. At the core of the network are field partners which Direct Relief supplies with essential health resources -- organizations like the Philippine Red Cross, which conducted hundreds of shelter needs assessments; Gawad Kalinga, which provided shelter reconstruction for hundreds of poor communities; and Bumi Wada, which ensured safe childbirth for thousands of women from the most vulnerable parts of Leyte island. These groups have intimate knowledge of the communities in which they work, and Direct Relief has consulted with them throughout the lifecycle of this intervention. 6. Please provide a testimonial from someone who has benefited from this intervention. (maximum 200 words) The Tacloban Health Cluster coordinates public health response in the hardest-hit metro areas of the Philippines. Direct Relief s intervention was implemented with the Tacloban Health Cluster after Typhoon Haiyan hit to track high-risk diseases and medical conditions in real-time throughout all clinics and hospitals in the city. According to Dr. Gloria Fabregas, Director of the Tacloban Health Cluster, this intervention has been a crucial part of our ability to connect health centers to effective coordination mechanisms and understand emergent infections and health trends as they happened. Response times have quickened and insight into Tacloban s health system has deepened, paving the way for improved public health preparedness in the face of whatever events may strike Tacloban in the future. 7. If selected, how will your organization use the funds? (maximum 150 words) Funding would enable Direct Relief to expand the program and establish a viable, ongoing data preparedness infrastructure to better prepare for future disasters. Working with their global partner network of local, on-the-ground health facilities, Direct Relief will proactively collect, analyze, and share data that will be useful to inform future emergency response efforts. Based on this model, new instances can be rapidly deployed, allowing effective local actors to receive better and timelier aid, to share information openly and transparently, and to act in emergent collaboration with a range of other local and international groups capable of supplying vital humanitarian support. The data preparedness network will enable needs to be better understood and addressed, so that when the next disaster strikes, Direct Relief will be able to immediately and more effectively deliver humanitarian aid to affected communities. 5

Addressing TB in the Mines: A Multi- Sector Approach in Practice

Addressing TB in the Mines: A Multi- Sector Approach in Practice Regional Dialogue: Portability of Social Benefits for Mineworkers in Southern Africa Tom Mogeni, World Bank, 27 March 2015 What do we know