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Tao Bo, & Bartel A. Van De Walle. (2013). Meeting the sphere standards: An analysis of earthquake response in China. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 517–525). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: As a country which frequently suffers from natural disasters, especially earthquakes, China has implemented its own disaster management system to respond to them. The Chinese government gained practical experiences on how to respond to severe earthquakes after the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake and 2010 Yushu Earthquake. Although China has done a lot to improve its response operations, challenges remain. This paper analyses what these challenges are by using the Sphere Standard as a benchmark to measure the Chinese response operations. The Sphere project was launched in 1997 by Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It framed a Humanitarian Charter and established the Minimum Standards for response which emphasize meeting the urgent survival needs of people in the affected regions, while asserting their basic human right to a life with dignity. Based on this analysis, suggestions are provided to improve China's earthquake response operations.
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Jennifer L Chan, Robert Colombo, & Altaf Musani. (2012). Mapping libyan health facilities – A collaboration between crisis mappers and the world health organization. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: This practitioner report describes a recent example of the growing opportunities between humanitarian health organizations and the crisis mapping community. The World Health Organization (WHO) partnered with volunteer crisis mappers to quickly collect information and map over 600 health facilities after the 2011 Libya Crisis. This new collaboration between WHO staff, volunteers, technologists, GIS specialists, health cluster partners and a researcher helped provide health and geographic information to support the planning phases of an in-depth countrywide health facility assessment. Outcomes of this collaboration will also aid recovery and reconstructions efforts for the Libyan health system. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Jörn Franke, Adam Widera, François Charoy, Bernd Hellingrath, & Cédric Ulmer. (2011). Reference process models and systems for inter-organizational ad-hoc coordination – Supply chain management in humanitarian operations. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In this work we present a general framework for process-oriented coordination and collaboration in humanitarian operations. Process management has been proven useful in many business domains, but humanitarian operations and disaster response management in general require different process management approaches. Related work has only recently introduced traditional process management approaches for emergency management. These traditional approaches have several limitations with respect to the domain of humanitarian operations and disaster management. Our approach points to design, run-time and monitoring of inter-organizational humanitarian logistics processes. It consists of two parts: A reference model for humanitarian logistics tasks and a system for ad-hoc process management of these tasks. We discuss how they can be integrated to provide additional benefits.
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Jörn Franke, François Charoy, & Cédric Ulmer. (2010). A model for temporal coordination of disaster response activities. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: One problem for public safety organizations in a disaster is the management of response activities and their dependencies on an intra-and inter-organizational level. Our interviews with end users have shown that current solutions for managing activities are complicated to use in the crisis by teams in the field and also in operation centers, when facing continuous unexpected events and cross-organizational activities. We propose an activity centric system for managing crisis response activities for such situations. We give an example how this system is used in a crisis within one organization and cross-organizations. Afterwards, we explain the evaluation of the solution. This research contributes not only to the crisis management domain, but also to the business process management domain by providing an alternative view on activities in highly dynamic scenarios.
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Terence D. Gibson. (2010). It's not just the data: Participatory monitoring and the most significant change. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Overlaying the technical aspects of participative communications and network design is the question 'how they can secure social change?' Social change is a political act. How can transnational networks gain political influence for local groupings at the national and international level? The Global Network for Disaster Reduction has undertaken a large scale 'participatory monitoring' project with the intended aim of using an activist 'social network' to create 'social demand': influencing policy and implementation within the UN.s framework for disaster reduction. While the project achieved its intended goals, the unintended impacts of the project are argued to be at least as significant; revealing ways that networks can create 'political space' at the local level which can influence policy and access to resources at the national and international level. This paper is presented from a practitioner perspective, linking practice to theoretical work on transnational social movements and participative communications.
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Bernd Hellingrath, & Adam Widera. (2011). Survey on major challenges in humanitarian logistics. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In this work we present the results of a survey on major challenges in humanitarian logistics. The survey was conducted among logistics managers of relief organizations, logistic service providers, and universities investigating in humanitarian logistics. The following issue areas were consulted: (1) Information and Technology, (2) Processes, Organization, Coordination, (3) Infrastructure, (4) Politics, Government. The results in the first issue area focus mainly on needs for action in the context of the transparency, compatibility, and functionality of IT-systems for humanitarian logistics. The transferability of classical and the establishment of specific concepts of logistics and supply chain management were identified as an important challenge in the second issue area. The need for an improved information situation was noticed within the areas “Infrastructure” and “Politics, Government”. Additionally, it can be highlighted that the assessments of the three questioned groups differ in important points, although a common ground for further research was identified.
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Soumia Ichoua. (2010). Humanitarian logistics network design for an effective disaster response. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In this paper we address the problem of pre-positioning emergency supplies prior to a disaster onset. The goal is to ensure a fast and effective response when the disaster strikes. Pre-positioning of emergency supplies is a strategic decision aimed at determining the number and location of local distribution centers as well as their inventory levels for emergency supplies. These decisions must be made in a highly disruption-prone environment where a timely response is vital and resources are scarce. We present and discuss a scenario-based model that integrates location, inventory and routing decisions.
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Satria Hutomo Jihan, & Aviv Segev. (2013). Context ontology for humanitarian assistance in crisis response. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 526–535). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Massive crisis open data is not fully utilized to identify humanitarian needs because most of it is not in a structured format, thus hindering machines to interpret it automatically and process it in a short time into useful information for decision makers. To address these problems, the paper presents a method which merges ontologies and logic rules to represent the humanitarian needs and recommend appropriate humanitarian responses. The main advantage of the method is to identify humanitarian needs and to prioritize humanitarian responses automatically so that the decision makers are not overwhelmed with massive and unrelated information and can focus more on implementing the solutions. The method is implemented on real data from the Hurricane Wilma crisis. The use of the method in the hurricane Wilma crisis shows the potential abilities to identify the humanitarian needs in specific places and to prioritize humanitarian responses in real time.
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Carleen Maitland, Andrea H. Tapia, Louis-Marie Ngamassi Tchouakeu, Kang Zhao, & Edgar Maldonado. (2010). Sectoral coordination in humanitarian information management: The implications of professionalization. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Sector wide collaboration in humanitarian information management will occur in a context defined by professionalization of information management more generally as well as evolving needs for data within the humanitarian relief sector. By accounting for these broader trends this research contributes to our understanding of collaboration in the humanitarian relief sector. In particular, the research analyzes the desire for greater standardization within the sector as a function of both the process of professionalization for information management as well as greater specialization in information technology that is a response to technological change. Based on these insights, recommendations for future actions for the community are made.
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Kenny Meesters, & Bartel A. Van De Walle. (2013). Towards an impact evaluation framework for the collaborative information supply chain in humanitarian crisis response. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 536–545). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Emerging technologies provide opportunities for the humanitarian responders' community to enhance the effectiveness of their response to crisis situations. A part of this development can be contributed to a new type of information supply chains -driven by collaboration with digital, online communities- enabling organizations to make better informed decisions. However, how exactly and to what extend this collaboration impacts the decision making process is unknown. To improve these new information exchanges and the corresponding systems, an evaluation method is needed to assess the performance of these processes and systems. This paper builds on existing evaluation methods for information systems and design principles to propose such an impact evaluation framework. The proposed framework has been applied in a case study to demonstrate its potential to identify areas for further improvement in the (online) collaboration between information suppliers and users.
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Willem J. Muhren, Damir Durbic, & Bartel A. Van De Walle. (2010). Exploring decision-relevant information pooling by humanitarian disaster response teams. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: It is a well-known fact that a lack of information will lead to suboptimal decisions. But even when actors jointly have all the information they need to make a well-informed decision, they may fail to find a superior alternative. This hidden profile paradigm would cause misrepresentations of crisis situations and lead to ineffective response. In this research-in-progress paper, we present the first stage of our experimental study on group decision making in humanitarian disaster response, in which we want to find out how teams can be supported to share more information, make better sense, and ultimately avoid such misrepresentations of crisis situations. First results reveal that humanitarian disaster response teams are able to share significantly more information if they would make use of more advanced information and communication systems. However, none of the teams in the experimental setup managed to find the optimal decision.
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Martijn Neef, Kees Van Dongen, & Marijn Rijken. (2013). Community-based comprehensive recovery: Closing collaboration gaps in urban disaster recovery. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 546–550). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Disaster recovery in urban environments is a complex process. Because of high population densities and the presence of many societal and infrastructural dependencies, urban areas are prone to severe loss of self-reliance in case of a disaster. Rebuilding such areas to a self-sustaining state is a daunting task, and requires a high degree of community effort and comprehensive knowledge about the affected environment. All too often, these requirements are not properly met, leading to a long recovery trajectory and misalignments between recovery efforts and community needs. We suggest that most issues in disaster recovery stem from 'collaboration gaps': Flawed organisational structures between stakeholder parties that exist between levels of operation and between phases in the recovery process. We introduce two innovation pathways to close these gaps, and present the COBACORE project that will explore these pathways, and create a collaborative platform for effective community-based comprehensive disaster recovery.
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Gisli Olafsson. (2012). Humanitarian response in the age of mass collaboration and networked intelligence. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: The current humanitarian system is based on institutions created during the Industrial Age. It was built when connectivity was a very scarce resource and information sharing was something that only happened during meetings. The increased resiliency of mobile communication networks and the proliferation of satellite based network connectivity have lead to information being much easier to share. At the same time the rise of social networks and the explosive growth of mobile ownership amongst the affected communities has lead to a new way of communicating. Furthermore the large institutional humanitarian response organizations are no longer the only responders, with multiple smaller organizations responding. This paper looks at the opportunities new technologies have provided in rethinking the humanitarian response system and how new approaches may address some of the key issues faced in large-scale disasters in recent years. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Gisli Rafn Olafsson. (2010). Effective coordination of disaster response – The international perspective. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Humanitarian situations have gotten more and more complex. Climate change is increasing the intensity, the increased involvement of NGOs and the revolution of social media has changed disaster response. This paper starts with a discussion of the changes that have happened in the last 10 years and then discusses how technology plays an increasing role in solving some of the more complex issues that disaster coordinators face.
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Esther Sangiamkul, & Jos Van Hillegersberg. (2011). Research directions in information systems for humanitarian logistics. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This article systematically reviews the literature on using IT (Information Technology) in humanitarian logistics focusing on disaster relief operations. We first discuss problems in humanitarian relief logistics. We then identify the stage and disaster type for each article as well as the article's research methodology and research contribution. Finally, we identify potential future research directions.
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Olivier Sarrat, & Véronique De Geoffroy. (2011). Sigmah free software for humanitarian project management. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Sigmah is free software for the integrated management of humanitarian projects. It provides international aid organization with the following software features:-Monitoring project progress and funding;-Creating, sharing, analysing and mapping indicators, for monitoring and assessment;-Centralising project documents;-Improving schedule management and early-warning alarms for events;-Implementing a quality assurance approach, by defining criteria and critical points linked to projects. The Sigmah project is led by a group of humanitarian organizations, which has, at the time of writing, 12 members: Action Against Hunger (France), Aide Médicale Internationale, Comité dAide Médicale, Comité de Secours Internationaux, French Red Cross, Groupe Urgence Réhabilitation Développement (Groupe URD), Handicap International (France), Islamic Relief (France), Médecins du Monde, Première Urgence, Solidarités International and Triangle Génération Humanitaire. Sigmah is developed as free software because it aims to be available to the humanitarian community as a whole.
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Andrea H. Tapia, Kartikeya Bajpai, Bernard J. Jansen, & John Yen. (2011). Seeking the trustworthy tweet: Can microblogged data fit the information needs of disaster response and humanitarian relief organizations. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Message data has, as yet, not been adopted by large-scale, international humanitarian relief organizations in an instrumental fashion. While the largest of these organizations have adopted messaging as part of their Public Relations functions, few have used any form of message data originating in the field, at the time of disaster. The message data being contributed by bystanders and those affected by a disaster, as it is happening, has largely been deemed as unverifiable and untrustworthy, and thus construed as unsuitable for incorporation into established mechanisms for organizational decision-making. In this paper, we describe the discursive barriers to the use of microblogged data by Humanitarian NGOs during times of disaster. We present data and findings from a study involving representatives from thirteen humanitarian organizations. Our analysis suggests that the organizational barriers, both in terms of function and structure, and the data itself, form barriers to organizational use of microblogged data. We propose three socio-technical solutions to surpassing adoption bottlenecks, namely bounded microblogging, microblogged data as contextual data, and/or use of computational solutions.
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Louis-Marie Ngamassi Tchouakeu, Carleen Maitland, Andrea H. Tapia, Kang Zhao, & Kartikeya Bajpai. (2010). Assessing humanitarian inter-organizational network effectiveness: The case of GlobalSympoNet. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This paper reports on research in progress. The objective of the study is to assess the effectiveness of multidimensional humanitarian inter-organizational networks. Especially, it investigates how organizational characteristics and network structure properties impact network effectiveness. To this end, the research develops a model of network effectiveness in the humanitarian field, using the case of GlobalSympoNet, a network of organizations/agencies engaged in humanitarian information management and exchange. Data for the research come from a series of three surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted among organizations/agencies members of GlobalSympoNet. Social network analyses are done using UCINET (Borgatti et al., 1999). Some preliminary results are presented here.
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Louis-Marie Ngamassi Tchouakeu, Carleen Maitland, Andrea H. Tapia, & Kartikeya Bajpai. (2011). Humanitarian organizational collaboration: Information technologies as necessary but not sufficient. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Organizations in the humanitarian relief field increasingly need to look outside their own boundaries and engage in a significant level of inter-organizational collaboration. In studying collaborative processes in the nonprofit context, researchers have used different theoretical approaches to investigate the motivations behind why organizations collaborate. Although these studies have contributed to shed some lights on these collaborative mechanisms, little is still known about the main factors that influence the decision of humanitarian organizations to engage into collaboration especially with regards to the implications of information technologies. In this paper, we explore factors for collaboration among members of the GlobalSympoNet, a network of organizations engaged in humanitarian information management. We analyze data collected through nineteen semi-structured interviews. We identified seven factors that could be grouped into three categories including structural, behavioral and organizational. Our findings also suggest that information technologies alone are not enough to motivate and maintain long lasting collaboration.
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Rebecca Walton, Robin E. Mays, & Mark P. Haselkorn. (2011). Defining fast: Factors affecting the experience of speed in humanitarian logistics. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Speed is a central value for emergency logistics stakeholders. Emergency response literature makes a compelling case for rapid logistics processes to provide goods and services in humanitarian emergencies. However, speed is not well-defined concept. While situational demand contributes to the need for speed, an important factor is the perception of speed given the experience of the response stakeholders. Unfortunately, the literature lacks complex, situated pictures of how logistics stakeholders experience speed (i.e., what does it mean for a logistics process to be “fast”? What factors affect whether stakeholders perceive a logistics experience as fast?) To address this gap, we explored how logistics stakeholders in a large international humanitarian organization experience and perceive speed of operations. Our findings suggest that (1) the experience of speed is often comparative, not solely objective; (2) close communication between internal clients (field requestors) and service providers (logistics team) can make clients more likely to experience the logistics process as fast; and (3) feeling in control of decision-making can make both clients and service providers more likely to experience the logistics process as fast.
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