"humanitarian twitter"

Interesting innovation from the WFP - CipCip is "humanitarian twitter" -
a micro-blogging service used within the WFP.

http://talksahana.com/2009/05/26/cipcip-the-humanitarian-twitter/

According to the WFP's DELIVER project:

"Already we have had our first user 'Ciping' from Maputo, Mozambique. We
have live streamed meetings so that we could remain working our desks
while one of our team 'Cip'd' updates."

source:
http://wfpdelivers.blogspot.com/2009/05/cipcip-it-is-not-what-you-do-but-who.html



Long gone are the times where you put a knowledgeable person somewhere and she or he could do the job. Our work has become so complex, time-critical and crucial to saving lives that "collaboration" with others has become a must. Not only with external parties like donors, government counterparts and other NGOs/UN agencies but also internally within the organisation.

"Information" is a key part of the collaboration. Accessing and sharing information a must.

And data is everywhere. From corporate servers, to Access databases in field offices, to Excel spreadsheets somewhere on individual computers. There is not one bit of information that exists, which is not in a digital form, apart from the feeling of the sand between your toes on a romantic summer evening.

The data exists. But is hardly made accessible let alone shared.

With the DELIVER project we aim to make the information, essential for moving 4.7 million tons of food annually, available to all those who need it. And more.

One of the key goals of DELIVER is the collection, analysis, storage and dispatch of time critical information, generated by systems, people or by public sources.

Imagine you are in a security constrained emergency operation, let's take Goma 6 months go. You need to monitor the constantly changing environment. In one hour:

* a crowd is amassing by your warehouse, blocking trucks to leave. Riots possible.
* the rebels are rumoured to have attacked an MSF truck on the route to Bukavu
* 550 new IDPs arrive at the border of town, news reported by a CARE driver
* retreating government troops are confiscating cars and motorbikes
* the port captain has fled, and people looted his office, making the facilities unusable
* UNHCR dispatches the latest IDP figures.
* 10 trucks are waiting at the Rwanda border, apparently some paperwork went astray
* the Belgian government told the press they will fly in a C130 with relief goods, but it seems HQ is not aware yet.

This stream of information comes from HQ, the Goma radio room, the press, the security office, and your counterparts in other NGOs. It comes by Email, telephone, satphone, and VHF radio. Oh and add CNN, BBC and the rumour mill for a good mix.

How about if we could funnel all of that information into one big information pipe with just short messages and with links where to find the full information? What if the system could split up that stream of information, and dispatch it - dependent on the subject - to different audiences (logistics, security, programme, etc...) either via SMS or a real time display on computer - like Skype messages?

Well, we might just have done that.

Please welcome CipCip (pronounce "TJEEP-TJEEP", Italian for Twitter) to the DELIVER family. CipCip is a joint effort by an underground team of information management people, who wish to remain unanimous. ;-) OK, you can call us "Geeks".

CipCip, is like Twitter, but internal to our organisation. Access is restricted, and new users are added by invite-only at this time.

When we talk about Twitter, everyone rolls their eyes, and thinks of a 13-year old getting up in the morning and Tweeting "I need a new hair-cut".

We are thinking more in terms of:

* "!pakistan Gov. of PAK now estimates total number of IDPs in SWAT to reach 2.5 million (press conference)"
* "!news ICRC releases press release stating they get no access to refugees in North Sri Lanka"
* "!earlywarning Who has the link to the latest OCHA report on DRC?"