Background
The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) is a partnership of the World Bank, United Nations, major donors and recipient countries under the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) system to support the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). Launched in September 2006, GFDRR provides technical and financial assistance to help disaster-prone countries decrease their vulnerability and adapt to climate change. GFDRR works closely with UN agencies, client governments, World Bank regional offices, and other partners.
To meet the needs of a rapidly changing world, the GFDRR Innovation Lab supports the use of science, technology, and open data in promoting new ideas and the development of original tools to empower decision-makers in vulnerable countries to strengthen their resilience. Recent innovations in the field have enabled better access to disaster and climate risk information and a greater capacity to create, manage, and use this information. Innovation Lab activities are designed and implemented in partnership with government institutions and key international and local partners, ensuring that all activities add value in planning, operational, and recovery activities.
In 2011, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) launched the Open Data for Resilience Initiative (OpenDRI) to apply the concepts of the global open data movement to the challenges of reducing vulnerability to natural hazards and the impacts of climate change. OpenDRI supports World Bank Regional Disaster Risk Management Teams to build capacity and long-term ownership of open data projects with client countries that are tailored to meet specific needs and goals of stakeholders. OpenDRI is guided by nine core principles, and engages with client governments in three main areas:
Sharing data (through open data platforms): To increase public access to risk information, OpenDRI engages in dialogue with governments on the value of open data through working groups, pilot projects that evolve into long-term locally-owned open data projects. OpenDRI provides technical solutions and assistance for the project implementation through GeoNode, a free and open source data sharing platform.
Collecting data (through community mapping and crowdsourcing): To engage communities in the creation of accurate and timely data about the rapidly evolving urban and rural environments in the place they live, OpenDRI works with governments and local communities to utilize simple, collaborative, crowdsourcing mapping tools such as OpenStreetMap (OSM). OpenDRI has also created and is supervising the Open Cities Project that facilitates community-mapping activities.
Using data (through risk visualization and communication): To communicate risk more effectively to decision-makers in planning, preparedness and response activities, OpenDRI works with governments and partners to develop risk communication activities, including development of the InaSAFE software, an OpenDRI Serious Game, and contribution to the Code for Resilience project. Past and ongoing attempts to launch work in the area of risk data visualization also fall into this area.
The OpenDRI team, in partnership with international and national agencies, has developed this suite of complementary tools to improve risk information through better access to data. These tools have global developer and user communities, all of whom contribute to the ongoing use and development of the tools all of which are aimed at providing better information for decision makers at all levels to take action to reduce, prepare for, and recover from disaster risks. While engaging with government to leverage the usage of these tools, OpenDRI also strives to create local communities of user and developers involving government agencies, universities, NGOs, and innovation hubs to create sustainable capacity.
Previous activities
Over the past several years, the OpenDRI team has conducted various research and released a number of publications that codify lessons learned and establish thought leadership in the areas of work in the first two pillars of our work program: Sharing Data and Collecting Data. These include the OpenDRI Field Guide, The Guide to Planning an Open Cities Mapping Project, Crowdsourced Geographic Information in Government, and recent research on institutional investment in open source software using GeoNode as a case study.
Project Objectives
This project seeks to document the third pillar of the work program, Using Data, similar to how OpenDRI has documented its first two pillars through the above publications. This pillar brings together ideas and efforts from the fields of risk communication, user-centered design, and civic technology to ensure that investments in generating, collecting and sharing data contribute to evidence-based and risk-informed policies, ideally causing change in policy and behavior. Further, the third pillar seeks to inform the ways in which OpenDRI designs projects falling under the first two pillars.
This third pillar is by far the least mature, and thus there is significant room for growth and guidance as to how to expand this practice effectively into World Bank and OpenDRI partner projects. The purpose of this consultancy is, therefore, to:
1. More clearly articulate how these projects relate under a coherent strategy for improving and increasing use of risk information by OpenDRI project partners.
2. Draw more fully upon the areas that this pillar is based on (risk communication, user-centered design, civic technology) to inspire new approaches beyond what OpenDRI is already doing.
3. Promote effective and innovative approaches to working with risk information within GFDRR partners in country government and development agencies.
Scope of Work
The chosen firm or individual will work in close partnership with GFDRRs Innovation Lab to research and write a publication that can be used for internal and external purposes. The firm or individual is expected to:
Design and implement a research process that will provide or capture, at minimum:
A literature review in fields relevant to this pillar (risk communication and visualization, user-centered design, and civic technology)
Develops an intellectual framework for communicating these ideas within the international development and disaster risk management (DRM) space.
Discusses the current OpenDRI and Innovation Lab third pillar-related projects based on the framework developed in the research process
Draws upon other case studies or examples of relevant projects that both illustrate key ideas and establish credibility of the ideas
Highlights best practices gleaned from both relevant literature and real world projects (potentially from the health and safety risk communication field as well)
Documents important challenges and lessons learned
Produce a report (no more than 60 pages including graphics)
Qualification Criteria
- 1. Demonstrated experience conducting research and writing related to risk communication and user-centered design; experience in disaster-related risk communication is a plus, but not required.
- 2. Knowledge of various risk communication projects in a variety of fields including: natural hazard-related disasters, health, safety, climate change, environmental issues. These will help inform the case studies selected in conjunction with case study recommendations from OpenDRI.
- 3. Experience designing and developing content for diverse audiences.
- 4. In-house technical expertise necessary to produce high-quality materials for publication
View the Terms of Reference.
Please send your expression of interest (1-2 pages) by March 1 to opendri@understandrisk.org.
Organization: GFDRR
Deadline to Apply: March 1, 2017