March 9, 2006 | Read Time: 2 minutes
The need for better coordination among relief charities is a constant refrain during times of crisis. The Microsoft Corporation thinks technology could play an important part in solving the problem, and has made a large gift to help international aid and development organizations improve their ability to communicate and collaborate during disasters.
The Redmond, Wash., company has donated $1-million in cash to the Interagency Working Group on Emergency Capacity Building Project, and $40-million in software to 17 relief organizations.
The groups are all members of NetHope, an organization through which technology officers at relief organizations share information and the approaches that they have found most effective.
The Emergency Capacity Building Project is an effort by seven large relief organizations — CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, the International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam Great Britain, Save the Children USA, and World Vision International — to work on common challenges that they face in preparing for and responding to disasters.
The project plans to focus on improving efforts to recruit and retain skilled workers, improve accountability and standards, promote disaster preparedness, and make better use of technology.
“One of the things that you see in disasters, especially major ones, is that there is often need for very immediate action to save lives,” says Gregory Brady, project director for the capacity-building coalition. “But at the same time, we obviously don’t want to duplicate our efforts. We want to be effective and efficient and make sure that our resources are used in the right places at the right time.”
To that end, the capacity-building project is working on Internet tools that will allow organizations to communicate with one another and share information in the wake of a disaster.
The project also is conducting an in-depth technology assessment of the seven organizations, which will draw on interviews with employees working in an array of roles in the charities.
In addition, the project plans to create an online training center that will help relief workers find answers to technology problems they encounter in their work, such as how to set up a satellite phone.
By bringing together NetHope with the capacity-building project, Microsoft hopes that its gift will not only foster improved coordination among relief charities, but also improve coordination within individual relief organizations.
“The chief information officers working closely with the program managers is what’s going to really create the difference in ensuring that when people are out in the field — not just at headquarters — they really can maximize the use of this technology,” says Pamela S. Passman, the company’s vice president of global corporate affairs.
