UNHCR Innovation & ICT

1. UNHCR Innovation & ICT Overview January 2011 Jenny Bredin (Consultant) Terracotta mobile phones made by children in Darfur

2. Innovation? • Innovation ≠Invention (Innovation convert ideas into resources, while invention convert resources into ideas) • Invention or discovery is the introduction of something new. • Innovation is the process that renews something that exists. • Innovations can be seen as effective, useful applications of discoveries or inventions. • Innovation is about allowing transgression! Standards help the organization to be efficient but they also prevent it from change: • How encouraging experimentation without compromising consistency? • How experimentation can be capitalized at the organization level? • Innovation is about management. In terms of ICT, innovation is very linked with the development dilemma: “standardized and integrated solutions” versus “Best-of-breed specific applications”. • Innovation management is mitigating initiatives and ideas with the need of an organization-wide consistency • Innovation must be focused on goals (meeting needs) and not on means (technology)

3. Stock-taking Findings Conclusions Next steps Initiatives with a direct impact for PoC Emergency Care & maintenance Durable solutions Communication:PoC & the World • Mobile “Supply and demand” • Souktel (Job offers, Aid request) , Middle East • ITC Aragon (Business opportunities) , Benin Information Sharing - VozMob, USA Social Network - Refugees United, Uganda Communication:PoC and UNHCR Reporting/Aid request - Ayiti SMS SOS Call center - Jordan, Syria infoasaid Info by Web - Turkey, Syria Info by SMS - Jordan, Syria Improving the life of PoC Distance learning - CTA 32 sites, 13 countries mBanking - UNHCR, Jordan, Syria - M-PESA UNHCR initiatives exist External initiatives exist Non implemented concept ATM - UNHCR Kenya (Dadaab?)

4. Stock-taking Findings Conclusions Next steps Initiatives with an indirect impact for PoC Emergency Care & maintenance Durable solutions Data Collection • Mobile Data Collection • Smartphone Needs Assessment, DRC • - Health Information System, DRC • Mosquito Bed net, Kenya • Mobile Data Collection • Open Data Kit • RapidSMS • EpiSurveyor • Frontline SMS • … Information Management • Collaborative platforms • GeoPortal • Health Information System • IDP Project Tracking Database ,Iraq • Refugee Assistance Information System, Jordan • Collaborative platforms • - Sahana • Ushahidi Vehicle tracking system HUMA-NAV pilot : Uganda, Chad, Sudan UNHCR initiatives exist External initiatives exist Implementation status unknown Other Digital Radio communication

5. Stock-taking Findings Conclusions Next steps Innovation at UNICEF • UNICEF uses innovation & ICT in multiple sectors:Education, Health, Protection, Supply Management etc. • UNICEF has an “Innovation Unit” (that started its first activities four years ago) and two field based “innovation labs” • UNICEF collaborates with private sector and academia • Example of activities/tools • Mobile data collection tools • Track and trace applications for Supply Management • Collaborative and communication tools • Training and capacity building

6. Stock-taking Findings Conclusions Next steps Findings • ICT and innovation is not only a “gadget” within humanitarian operations, but widely used and at the point to be mainstreamed (that the United Nations Foundation has a solution “mobile technology” speaks for itself!). • ICT is constantly evolving and its role in the humanitarian space is rapidly changing! • UNHCR is quite behind some other humanitarian actors in using ICT. The stock-taking is not organizational wide (bureaus, to BO, to FO). The current focal point organization with current constraints could not assure this. • Many recent ICT initiatives have been triggered more by a provider pushing for a certain solution rather than UNHCR proactively having identified a clear need. Instead of being handled as a "contractor deal", those initiatives have been processed as donors’ grants.

7. Challenges Stock-taking Findings Conclusions Next steps Some of the main challenges for an organization like UNHCR when implementing “innovative solutions” are to: • Assure that solutions correspond to needs identified by PoC’s and/or “the field”; • Assure that field initiatives/experiments are capitalized at HQ level ; the goal being to support future implementations in similar contexts having similar needs; • Avoid that HQ standards or technology push becomes an obstructive factor when implementing “innovative solutions”; the overall goal, meeting identified needs, but also data models and open formats are more important than technological standards.

8. Stock-taking Findings Conclusions Next steps Recommendations • Define a strategy: • ICT should be integrated with and not isolated from the overall development strategy and policy. • ICT should be used and supported as a tool to achieve the objectives for different focal areas and cross-cutting themes and not as a priority sector in itself. • A UNHCR strategy for the use of innovative technology should be developed. • Innovation being a field of constant development implies that a strategy should include adaptation mechanism to constantly include new technologies and applications. • Future design and implementation: • High level and functional definition of ICT applications should be done by “Operations Support” with a close link to the operations needing them. • Design and implementation should be done by “functional” and “technical” experts in cooperation. • The term “innovation” is quite “hype”; a more neutral and all-encompassing term like “new technologies” could be used.

9. Stock-taking Findings Conclusions Next steps Recommendations • UNHCR should be the driving force for its own innovative solutions.In parallel with defining (or as a part of) an Innovation strategy: • UNHCR needs to take the lead in proposing innovative solutions based on PoCs’ and operational needs. • UNHCR should review the current relationships with external ICT partners; a change from seeing these partners as donors to consider them as technology partners is necessary. • Adding a group “Technology partners” to currently existing groups Donors, IPs and OPs would develop a better balance in the relationships between UNHCR and these actors in the field of ICT. • Activities supporting implementation of “innovative” solutions: • Constant monitoring of emerging technologies and new projects necessary! • UNHCR should participate actively in “innovation and ICT” forums. • UNHCR would benefit from cooperation with other UN agencies and other humanitarian actors to rapidly get up to speed. • Having resources working on “Innovation” would be beneficiary.

10. Stock-taking Findings Conclusions Next steps Proposed next steps • Define objectives • Led by “operations support” with support from field operations and other units • Formulate a strategy • Embracing the evaluative nature of innovation • Clarifying how innovation will help the organization • Identifying how the organization needs to adapt to make sure the use of innovative solutions will be successful. • Define priorities • Chose a few projects with high impact • Based on already existing and implemented solutions • Underline the importance of resolving already identified needs • Initiatives with a direct impact for PoC • Use mobile phone based technologies (SMS for PoC & Smartphone for Operations)

11. Stock-taking Findings Conclusions Next steps Proposed next steps • Put “Technology watch” (based on operational needs and not pushed by technology) in place. • Continuous monitoring of UNHCR “innovative” field projects • Continue external “technology and initiative watch” • Identify possible funding sources • Partnerships • Participation in working groups and other networks ( UNICEF’s innovation Unit) • Establish balanced agreement with “technology partners” • Network: find “innovation champions” to establish Focal Points for new technologies in every major operations • Support: HQ may specifically identify field projects proposal with potential for deployment of new technologies