INTER-AGENCY INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP (IMWG)
Summary Note
25 September 2014
OCHA, Geneva, Switzerland
1)
The meeting was held from 14:00 to 16:00 in Room A662 of the Palais des Nations.
The Chair welcomed participants online and in person, representing Map Action, NetHope,
OCHA, REACH, Save the Children, UNHCR, UNICEF, and the Food Security and Logistics
clusters.
2)
Briefing from data sub-group by Lauren Burns from Save the Children
The subgroup met on 24 September to discuss a broad strategy for the Ebola response as well
as key priority areas. The subgroup has proposed adopting an online collaborative platform to
allow for more efficient data sharing.
Core datasets, particularly administrative boundaries, are a priority. Pcodes for administrative
boundaries are available for Guinea and Sierra Leone, including the WHO unique identifiers.
The Pcodes for settlements will also be completed for these two countries by early October.
The Pcodes for administrative boundaries and settlements in Liberia are being aligned with
the Government’s system.
The datasets for all health centres (medical institutions providing Ebola and non-Ebola health
care) are being combined into one FOD with unique identifying numbers that can be
expanded to provide greater levels of detail as more information becomes available. The
DHN network has been activated to work on locations of medical facilities providing regular
health care (i.e. non-Ebola services). The group will sift through online resources to cull a list
of facilities and then start a process of verifying locations and add in other details. WHO
released a tranche of relevant extracted files on locations of facilities, however, the data may
be out of date and the subgroup may request the DHN into verifying and cleaning up this data
for use.
The subgroup is exploring various coordination platforms to better link various actors
working on Ebola. A spreadsheet is available and there are a number of thematic skype
groups. The data community on Ebola is growing exponentially and there are multiple data
repositories so it is important that the subgroup in Geneva engage with the UNMEER data
sub group in NY. Please contact Kristina MacKinnon (mackinnonk@un.org) or Lauren Burns
(lauren.burns@savethechildren.org) for more information.
3)
Briefing from training sub-group by May Orchison, SBPT
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Inter-Agency Information Management Working Group, 28 August 2014
Final preparations for the pilot JIMT have started. All 25 participants proposed by 11 standby
partners were approved by the training committee. The Standby Partner Training Secretariat
and the chair of the training sub-group have proposed a meeting mid-November to discuss
next steps for the subgroup and the overall strategy in light of the lessons learned from the
pilot. Please contact Marion Orchinson (spt@un.org) on the JIMT and Manasi Rajagopalan
(rajagopalan@un.org) on the training subgroup.
4)
Briefing from information services sub-group by Andrej Verity, OCHA
The subgroup will have its first discussion next week to establish its objectives and strategy.
This is also an opportunity for partners to outline existing tools and any aspirational solutions
that they are looking into.
Migrations on Humanitarianresponse.info V2 are almost at the halfway mark and 13 country
sites are scheduled for migration.
The Humanitarian ID project is gaining momentum, with early tests completed and technical
development to start next week. Wire frames are completed for the mobile page and research
is ongoing on how this can be best integrated into Humanitarianresponse.info. Testers have
been identified/volunteered from a broad spectrum of profiles, including NGOs, clusters, the
Canadian military and individuals from non-humanitarian backgrounds. The next step is to
market the application to various potential consumers, for which OCHA will be seeking
support from the IMWG members. For more information contact Andrej Verity
(verity@un.org).
5)
Briefing on the humanitarian profile by Marcus Elten, OCHA
An inter-agency working group is examining how best to improve the methodology in
defining the humanitarian caseload for a response. Initially, a small survey analysed how field
teams determine figures and what processes are in place to support them. The conclusion
from the survey is that there is no definitive approach in collecting, processing or clearing
data, terminology is contradictory or vague and there is a lack of guidance on liaising with
governments on establishing the caseload.
The working group will release its preliminary report soon and will participate in a workshop
(or a series of workshops) to clearly establish conventions around the terminology, data
collection and processing and liaison with government for the Humanitarian Profile. For more
information contact Marcus Elten (elten@un.org).
6)
Overview of IM component of UN Mission for Emergency Ebola Response
(UNMEER)
Christina Goodness from the UN in NY is currently heading up UNMEER’s IM component
but was unable to join the meeting. OCHA provided an overview of what it knew to date:
UNMEER has deployed advance teams to Accra, Ghana which will serve as its operational
base, as well as the three most affected countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The
mission will be led by David Nabarro and Anthony Banbury with approximately 260 staff
seconded from across the UN system.
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UNMEER is described as a ‘unified’ mission, and is designed to streamline operations and
cut down on bureaucratic delays. It is mandated to direct the work of UN agencies, not just
coordinate them. Thematic areas not already part of the established cluster/sector system may
be deemed as ‘non-clusters’ to offer ‘one stop shop’ operational services, in areas such
aviation, training or procurement.
UNMEER has begun engaging with a number of UN and other humanitarian actors on IM
issues and are promoting an open data policy. Emergency Operations Centres will be
established in the three most affected countries as well as Ghana, to manage and serve out of
information products and data to responders.
Currently metrics are being drafted on key indicators for monitoring, based on the STEPP
strategy (Stop the outbreak, Treat the infected, Ensure essential services, Preserve stability,
Prevent outbreaks in countries currently unaffected). These draft metrics will be shared
widely with humanitarian partners for feedback and can also guide actors on what data sets
they can feed into the system and what information is missing.
As there are large gaps in critical data sets the priority is to establish protocols, such as which
datasets do not exist and may require proxies or which data sets need to be taken apart to the
smallest administrative level of detail. It is hoped that technical volunteers can be tasked to
mine for data that is not readily accessible.
UNMEER will use IM and reporting products that already exist where relevant and have
identified three key audiences: internal/senior management, operational partners and the
public. The World Bank have offered to host the Ebola data repository with OCHA offering
its humanitarian data exchange (DHX) to serve out public data.
7)
Any other business
a.
Gavin Wood from UNICEF traveled to South Sudan to examine the alignment and
sequencing of the SRP and monitoring, including data preparedness. The Juba office is
considering HXL, ActivityInfo and other platforms as way to better manage data. Gavin
encouraged agencies to contribute to the work in South Sudan as a way to get a good-practice
on information within the HPC, and will return to Juba on 7th October for a related workshop.
8)
Action points
None
9)
Next meeting: The next meeting is tentatively scheduled from 15:00 to 17:00 on
Thursday 30 October at UNICEF in Geneva.
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Attending in-person:
Dialing-in:
Alexandra Bilak (IDMC)
Andrej Verity (OCHA)
Andrew Thow (OCHA)
Beau (IOM)
Craig Williams (OCHA)
Helen Campbell (Map Action)
Javed Khan (OCHA)
Joel Myhre (WHO)
Justin Ginnetti (IDMC)
Kelly O’Connor (IOM)
Kelly Ryan (UNHCR)
Kristina Mackinnon (OCHA)
Lauren Burns (Education Cluster)
Liz Hughes (Map Action)
May Orchison (SBP Training Secretariat)
Mohammed Rizki (IOM)
Patrice Chataigner
Samuel Patragallo (WHO)
Yaelle Link (OCHA)
Armin Wilhelm (WFP)
Chiara Argenti (Logistics Cluster)
David Megginson (OCHA)
Gisli Olafsson (Net Hope)
Janet O’Callaghan (OCHA)
Javier Teran (OCHA)
Kaisa Antikainen (Food Security Cluster)
Kelly Ryan (UNHCR)
Matthew Wencel (REACH)
Scott Pendergast (WHO)
Stepahane Savarimuthu (UNHCR)
Craig Williams
Chief, OCHA Field Information Services Section (FIS)
Chair, Information Management Working Group (IMWG)
1 September 2014
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Inter-Agency Information Management Working Group, 28 August 2014