Research on Information Management in Humanitarian Operations

Glenn Fjeld Eriksson, a member of the Crisis Response Lab, has conducted an exploratory study on the use of information systems support for information management (IM) in humanitarian operations.

The study focus on field-based personnel responsible for information management and indicates that there is a significant lack of IM-routines and the system support is a fragmented toolbox.

These two significant challenges suggest that further work is necessary in order to improve the processes and tools for efficient IM in humanitarian operations.

Next step:
Our work on IM for Humanitarian Operations will as a next step consist of a study that includes a large selection of organizations in this field.

Report:
Glenn Fjeld Eriksson (2010) System Support for Information Management in Humanitarian Operations. Unpublished Manuscript, Crisis Response Lab, Dept of Applied IT, University of Gothenburg [Download : PDF]

Abstract:
This paper aims to uncover some of the problems of gathering consolidated data in humanitarian aid projects and crises. The focus is on routines and tools used in information management. Based on the insights from four professional information managers, key problems of information management in fieldwork has been identified and analysed. The paper outlines implications for design for future tools striving to better support information management. These implications are based on the need for improved standardisation on information exchange and better interoperability between tools and applications.