IASC briefing on “The Joint System-wide Operational Guidance on Data Responsibility and challenges during the COVID-19 response”
Miss the webinar? View the presentation slides here!
Data responsibility—the safe, ethical, and effective management of data—is a critical issue for the humanitarian sector to address and the stakes are high. Humanitarian organizations collect and share increasingly large volumes of data. This trend will continue as more systems, sensors and people come online in crisis settings. The management of data in humanitarian action can enable more effective and efficient response. However, as organizations process increasingly large volumes of data, they also face more complex challenges. Ensuring we ‘do no harm’ while maximizing the benefits of humanitarian data management requires collective action that extended across the humanitarian system.
This briefing provided an overview of progress to-date on the development of joint, system-wide operational guidance on data responsibility, a process that was initiated by IASC Results Group 1 on Operational Response in January 2020. In order to promote consistency and uphold a high standard in different operating environments, humanitarians need normative, system-wide guidance to inform individual and collective action on data responsibility. This operational guidance aims to meet this need. Alongside this sector-wide operational guidance, Results Group 1 has also developed an FAQ on Data Responsibility in the COVID-19 Response to support field colleagues in navigating the challenges and opportunities related to data in the ongoing response. This work is being led by the OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and involves 20 different humanitarian organizations.
The briefing also provided a discussion on some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the humanitarian community vis-a-vis the management of data in the COVID-19 response and beyond.
Moderator:
- Ms. Mervat Shelbaya, Head, Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) secretariat
Speakers:
- Ms. Kim Roberson, Chief of Field Information and Coordination Support Section, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- Mr. Stuart Campo, Team Lead for Data Policy, OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data
- Mr. Robert Trigwell, Global Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Support Team, International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Ms. Kimberly Roberson
Kimberly Roberson works within UNHCR’ Global Data Service, recently established to further develop UNHCR’s approach to data and information management, including its registration, biometrics and data protection concerns, as well as ensure the rollout of UNHC’s Data Transformation Strategy. She is currently leading the development of norms and standards (‘the UNHCR Data Rule Book’) for UNHCR’s data related activities to deliver more predictable, effective and responsible data for protection and operational activities. She has been part of inter-agency team leading the development and adoption of the first set of international standards for refugee and IDP statistics and data, recently adopted by UN member states with the engagement of over UN and other agencies. She is committed to collaborative efforts to improve the use of data for evidence-informed decision making, having co-lead other inter-agency efforts such as the Protection Information Management Initiative, the establishment of the Joint IDP Profiling Service, and other IASC data related engagements including joint assessment guidance and establishment of the Common Operational Data Sets. She has over 30 years of experience with UNHCR in variety of functions and locations. She studied at University of California Berkeley and has a BA in Chemistry and MA in Geographical Information Systems and International Development.
Mr. Stuart Campo
Stuart Campo is the Team Lead for Data Responsibility at the OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data in The Hague. He is currently co-leading the IASC Sub-Group on Data Responsibility. He has over twelve years of experience working in the humanitarian and development sectors, with a focus on the safe, ethical, and effective use of technology and data. Stuart has worked in over 35 countries, including extended field postings in Kenya, Madagascar, South Sudan, and Uganda. Prior to joining OCHA, Stuart served as a Researcher on Standards and Ethics with the Signal Program on Human Security and Technology at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and in a variety of global and country-level roles related to technology and innovation management with UNICEF. Stuart studied Politics at Princeton University and is based in The Netherlands.
Mr. Robert Trigwell
Rob Trigwell has a humanitarian relief background, having worked with NGOs and the UN across the Middle East, East Africa and Asia. Rob currently works within the Global Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) team, where he coordinates the Analytical, Knowledge and Output (AKO) quality Unit, a recently established research unit part of the Global DTM team based in London. The role of the unit is to enhance engagement with academic institutions to expand DTMs knowledge, enhance its analytical capacities and harness the use of its wealth of data.
Background links:
- FAQ on Data Responsibility in the COVID-19 Response (IASC Results Group 1 Sub-Group on Data Responsibility, April 2020)
- Survey Results On Priorities For Data Responsibility In Humanitarian Action (IASC Results Group 1 Sub-Group on Data Responsibility, April 2020)