The IFRC represents local action with global reach. In this briefing we presented new and forthcoming ways in which GO provides the platform for our network to prepare, respond and learn from emergencies, at all scales and in all locations.
This Q2 2024 briefing is part of a quarterly series of sessions organised to inform our users of new and upcoming features and resources available through GO. Read on for a summary, the slides and an edited recording from the two sessions held to provide convenient options across the world.
Local action, on the map
The power of the Red Cross Red Crescent network is its global network of local branches, staff and volunteers. These branch offices, or local units, whether small and humble or slickly professional, are equally relied upon for vital health and disaster response services by the communities they serve. They can be safe havens in times of emergency and conflict, often providing a first and last line of protection.
We were proud to unveil a video which explains a little more about the role of these local units, and how GO now provides a system to access data on their location, and the services they offer. The collection, organisation and surfacing of this data on GO is the result of collaboration between PMER, Health and IM teams, supported financially by Norwegian Red Cross and British Red Cross. You can read more in a recent blog here.
On the briefing, we shared more about the history of the initiative, including efforts undertaken in emergencies and for data preparedness, which gathered the data we are now able to serve on the platform. We explained as well the current functionality to view, add and edit local units, enabling responsible data ownership for our network. We also described ongoing and future work to add more data and, crucially, use for improved geospatial analysis. Finally, we explained how we will help the network to maintain the data.
How National Societies are using the Montandon
Over the past quarter, we facilitated two workshops with National Societies in the Asia Pacific and Americas region to discuss and share ways in which they can, and in some cases already are, use the Montandon Global Crisis Data Bank (more info on the initiative here), funded by USAID BHA.
The respective IFRC Regional Office IM Coordinators provided context for each of the workshops, reflecting on the great collaboration, feedback and ideas that flowed freely during the events. They shared some reflections but for more detail, please take a look at the reports (in English and Spanish) here.
We were joined by two experts from National Societies who each described their use of this unique evidence base. Mr. Musharaf Hussain, Assistant Director for Disaster Risk Reduction described the Pakistan Red Crescent’s engagement with government agencies to share real-time data with the Montandon. Diego Araya Donoso, Anticipatory Action coordinator for Cruz Roja Chilena explained the approach he and his colleagues take to the use of such data to support planning and anticipatory action. He demonstrated the use of the prototype ‘Monty’ dashboard for identification of hazards, and how this was used during the recent workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
GO Advisory Group insights on reporting through GO
The GO Advisory Groups for the Secretariat and Membership met earlier in July to discuss options and prioritise solutions for some of the reporting challenges across the IFRC. GO is often seen as a solution, beyond its initial scope, and so these discussions were of great value to help us determine how GO could and should evolve. The insights will be used to reframe some key priorities in the rolling GO workplan.
Specifically, the key insight provided by both groups was that GO should, in the near term at least, stick primarily to what it currently does best — providing the core platform for emergency information collection, analysis and visualisation, for operations supported by the IFRC. This is in line with our current workplan, and provides additional prioritisation and urgency to focus on completing some workflows to allow GO to become more fully embedded in the processes and practices of our network.
Listening to our users — GO Study 2024
Every two years we launch a detailed survey which is aimed at ‘taking the temperature’ of our users — we ask them to rate the platform overall as well as provide more detailed feedback on specific features or functionality. Two years ago, the GO Study 2022 went further, by introducing more user-centred design elements specifically to help improve the navigation on the site, as well as to identify blockers to use.
We framed the insights within the GO Study 2022 report, and the three areas of a) focussing on National Societies, b) improving the operational usefulness, and c) positioning GO as a single source of truth for IFRC emergency data have helped to prioritise our actions in the couple of years since. We reflected on the progress made, and work still to do, during the briefing.
For the next iteration, we will go a few steps further towards testing certain hypotheses through a survey, some detailed interviews, as well as some exploratory user-testing of different features and scenarios. We’re excited to hear what the community thinks, and invite you to have your say on the future for GO.
Finally, we provided a brief overview of the GO workplan, which provides timeframes for the deliverables we have committed to for the platform in the next 18 months. Please get in touch if you are keen to contribute or collaborate on any of these features.
90% of GO development is funded directly by our National Societies, and we depend on their continued support to deliver on these plans. If you would like to hear more about our work, or offer financial or material support, please contact im@ifrc.org.
We listened to ‘Going to a Go-Go’ by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles before and, to mark the Local Units release, ‘Maps’ by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs after the briefing.
