Global Framework of Humanitarian Information Management

(session 4)

Information in Disasters Workshop

Tanoa Plaza Hotel, Suva, Fiji

June 2011

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1. Briefly define information management (IM)

2. IM and the cluster approach and IASC task forces

3. IM Preparedness

Session Objectives

The Information Management Continuum

Collection

Processing

Dissemination

Analysis

Information Management & the Humanitarian Architecture

“IM and the Cluster Approach”

Humanitarian Reform / Cluster Approach

Intended to make humanitarian assistance more reliable, predictable and accountable.

During the first pilot of the cluster approach (Pakistan ‘05) the clusters had no plan for managing and coordinating information.

This led to the

• IASC IM Working Group

• Operational Guidance on Coordinated Assessments, and

• Various tools and services (Who Does What Where (3W), Humanitarian Information Centres (HIC) etc.)

IASC Information Management Task Force

The IM Task force was a subsidiary body of the IASC until July 2011. It was one of 7 groups that were institutionalized. The TF will continue its work and process policy guidance through the IASC for their endorsement

Key outputs• Op. Guidance Note – IM and the Cluster Approach

• Op. Guidance Note – Common Op. Datasets/Fund. Op. Data.

• Op. Guidance on Coordinated Assessments

“Operational Guidance on Responsibilities of Cluster/Sector Leads and OCHA in Information Management” Endorsed by IASC in late 2007

Cluster Leads:

• Responsible for IM needs WITHIN their cluster

• Are to ensure that adequate IM Capacity exists in their cluster

OCHA:

• Responsible for ensuring effective IM BETWEEN clusters and support operational analysis

• Convene an IM Network of IM cluster focal points WIDTH

DEPTH

Info Mgt and the Cluster Approach

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Info Mgt and the Cluster Approach

Responsibilities of Cluster/Sector leads at the country level with the support of Cluster members are:

• Cluster/Sector lead agencies shall allocate the necessary human and financial resources for IM.

• Each cluster shall appoint an IM focal point, who should have sufficient expertise and an ability to work with different partners and clusters.

• While it is important that there is one IM focal point per Cluster/Sector, humanitarian partners are encouraged to share IM resources and capacities within and across clusters at the country level where appropriate to promote harmonization and economies of scale.

• Cluster/Sector IM focal points should contribute to inter-cluster IM coordination led by OCHA, and support efforts to ensure coherence and coordination between intra and inter cluster information management initiatives.

• Cluster/Sector IM focal points are responsible for ensuring adherence to global—and taking into account national—IM norms, policies and standards. Global level clusters and OCHA can be called upon for IM expertise, operational support, general guidance, training materials and funds as appropriate.

• Cluster/Sector IM focal points will work with OCHA to establish the systems and processes needed for effective information sharing with cluster partners related to inter-cluster coordination and cross-cluster programming.

• Cluster/Sector leads are responsible for generating up-to-date cluster specific information (e.g. contact lists, meeting minutes, standard forms, policy or technical guidance, datasets, needs/gap analysis, etc.) and sharing it with OCHA in order to support inter-cluster data sharing.

• If needed, Cluster/Sector leads are responsible for establishing a data confidentiality and privacy policy within their cluster, which ensures that sensitive, personally identifiable datasets are suitably anonymized.

• Cluster/Sector leads should ensure all information is age and sex disaggregated where appropriate.

Info Mgt and the Cluster Approach

The minimum set of predictable standardized information products to be produced by OCHA in collaboration with clusters/sectors and made available to all are:

• Contact directories of humanitarian partners and IM focal points;

• Meeting schedules, agendas and minutes of coordination meetings chaired by the Humanitarian Coordinator or

OCHA;

• Who does What Where (3W) database and derivative products, such as maps;

• Inventory of relevant documents on the humanitarian situation, i.e. mission reports, assessments, evaluations, etc;

• Inventory of relevant common Cluster/Sector data sets, including population data disaggregated by age and sex;

• Data on the humanitarian requirements and contributions (through the Financial Tracking System);

• A country-specific or disaster specific humanitarian web-portal;

• Situation Reports; and

• Mapping products.

Info Mgt and the Cluster Approach

The minimum services to be provided by OCHA and made available to clusters/sectors are:

• A space where the humanitarian community can access information resources;

• Maintenance of common datasets that are used by the majority of sectors/clusters;

• Geospatial data and analysis relevant to inter-cluster/sector decision making;

• Management of the collection and dissemination of all inter-cluster information;

• Advocacy for data and information sharing within the humanitarian community as well as the

adoption of global data standards;

• Provision of technical IM advice to clusters/sectors on survey design for needs assessments and/or

other significant external data collection exercises;

• Access to schedules, agendas and minutes of cluster/sector coordination meetings.

IM and data Preparedness

• Common Operational Datasets:

• Information Management Working Group

• Data standards

• Needs Assessments: Methodology, SOPs, capacity, Data Management

• Contingency Planning

• Build Capacity

• Awareness Raising on available global resources including access to space-based information

Dataset Mandatory Data Characteristics

Humanitarian Profile (disaggregated by admin level and populated place)

-Internally Displaced-Non-displaced affected-Host family/resident community affected-Refugee-Dead-Injured-Missing

Population Statistics

-Total population by admin level (Individuals)-Total population by admin level (Number of Households) –- - Age-Sex-Average family size by admin level-Unique identifier

Administrative Boundaries (Geographic)

admin level 1, 2, 3, 4

-Unique identifier (P-Code)-Name

Populated Places (Geographic)

-Unique identifier (P-Code) -Names -Size classification -Population statistics -Status if capital of administrative division -Type (Village, spontaneous settlement, collective center, planned settlement)

Transportation Network (Geographic)

-Roads (Classified by size) -Railways -Airports/helipads -Seaports

Hydrology (Geographic)

-Rivers (Classified by size) -Water bodies

Hypsography (Geographic)

-Elevation-Resolution

Common OperationalDatasets

Common operational datasets are predictable, core sets of data needed to support operations and decision-making for all actors in a humanitarian response.

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