Trailing the Tsunami

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Trailing the Tsunami

• Information Systems in the World Food Programme

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The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

• 0059 GMT Earthquake 9.3 Richter
• 26 November 2004, 150km from Sumatra
• 0130 GMT Indonesia
• 0230 GMT Thailand
• 0300 GMT Sri Lanka
• 0300-0700 GMT Other countries India,
  Myanmar, Maldives, East Africa

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Dead, injured and missing 239,189
Displaced and homeless 2,251,007
Total land inundated 41,509 sq km
Economic Impact (INS) 4.5bn (Various Government
Sources, April 2005)
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The Response

• The first responders local communities
• The next wave the local authorities, both
  military and civilian
  
• And, finally the international response,
  military and civilian

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Where are we now?
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Where are we now?

• Aceh is now the main focus of the international
  effort, with Sri Lanka a close second
  
• Continued seismic activity raises fears it could
  happen again - real risk shown by recent Nias
  earthquake
  
• Not just a natural disaster, but complicated by
  politics, given both INS and SLAs ongoing civil
  conflicts
  
• Large numbers of international agencies now
  working in the region
  
• Large amounts of funding for the emergency too
  much to absorb?
  
• Longer term funding difficult UN Flash Appeal
  is only 77 funded

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The World Food Programme Response

• The food aid agency of the United Nations, and
  the largest UN agency more than 50 of most
  appeal funding also provides common services
  including logistics (hosting UNJLC), ICT
  (FITTEST) and air transport (UNHAS).
• In response to the tsunami, WFP expects
• To support 1.6 million people over 6 months
• Supplying 132,000 MT of food assistance
• Fielding 328 international staff 1000s of
  national staff
  
• Using 1 dedicated vessel, 2 landing craft, 200
  trucks, 6 fixed-wing aircraft, 8 helicopters, 32
  storage tents, and 60 additional light vehicles
  
• At a cost of USD 189,917,787

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The Elements of WFP Response
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INDONESIA LOGISTICS PLAN
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What systemsare available?

• WINGS the overarching corporate system,
  including COMPAS
  
• WFPgo corporate administrative intranet,
  including StaffNet
  
• EPWeb corporate operational intranet, including
  Docustore
  
• VAM Vulnerability Analysis Mapping, including
  SIE (Spatial Information Environment)
  
• LotusNotes Corporate email and collaboration
• FoodSat Internal telecommunications

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So whats the problem?

• Most systems work on the assumption that more
  information better information, rather than
  offering information tools for the organisation
  
• Existing corporate systems are not responsive
  enough there is a clear need for systems that
  can be deployed quickly, and can be used easily
  by staff on short-term emergency deployment
• The corporate systems dont fit together
  comfortably meaning there are disconnects
  between key elements such as logistics and
  programming
• WFP is unable to break the pattern of sending
  information upwards and move to a situation of
  shared understanding throughout the organisation

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What does this mean?

• Different units working within WFP to improve
  existing systems and develop new systems
  
• ICT
• Early Warning, Preparedness and Response
• Monitoring Evaluation
• Logistics
• ODAP is negotiating with other units to create a
  service package of desktop applications that
  build a larger information system to be provided
  in emergency response

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What problems do we face?

• Political
• Lack of vision
• Lack of visibility
• Lack of funding
• Corporate inertia
• Corporate politics
• Inter-agency structures

• Functional
• How do we pilot new systems?
• How do we measure their success?
• How do we ensure buy-in?

Framework Question How do we balance agency needs
with inter-agency needs?
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How do we overcome these?

• Keep it simple, no grand visions modular,
  scaleable and interoperable, using
  standards-based approach
  
• Agile development be prepared to tear it up and
  start again
  
• Service-based approach, based on identifying high
  value information
  
• Give staff at every level incentives to use these
  systems by providing useful tools
  
• Deliver it simply using EPWeb as a one-stop
  shop for delivery, with alternatives for deep
  field

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The Elements of WFP Response
EPWEB Including GIS, graphic representation, docu
ment repository, etc
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What next?

• Use the tsunami to leverage further developments
  over longer-term
  
• 8 out of 10 of our initiatives will fail
• Be better next time around incremental
  improvements
  
• There are no real technical problems only
  management problems.
  
• Look to private sector, military and academia for
  lessons DeLorme, Cagliari University
  
• Leave systems behind where possible Sri Lanka
  National Food Aid Monitoring

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Finally

• Meeting the needs of the beneficiaries is the end
  goal anything that doesnt help them is
  worthless.
  

Paul Currion / Consultant / paul_at_currion.net