Information Management Overview

Managing timely, reliable and accurate information during a humanitarian emergency is critical to the coordination of humanitarian response efforts. In recent years, the humanitarian community, including OCHA, has come to recognize the critical role that information management plays in making humanitarian assistance more efficient and effective. In this section you will find an introduction to information management within the humanitarian context and background about OCHA’s information management activities.

The

Guidelines for OCHA Field Information Management version1.1, April 2006, provides guidance for managing information in OCHA Information Management Units (IMU) and Humanitarian Information Centres (HICs). In addition to describing general principles of information management, the Guidelines are largely intended to direct the information management activities of both OCHA Field Offices and HICs.

The

OCHA Field Information Management (FIM) Strategy outlines OCHA's commitment to nformation management for humanitarian action.
These documents are "must" reads for all HIC and IMU staff

What is Information Management?

“The term information management covers the various stages of information processing from production to storage and retrieval to dissemination towards the better working of an organization; information can be from internal and external sources and in any format.” Association for Information Management, 2005.

Collection – for an HIC or IMU this may include advocacy for inter-agency and/or multi-sectoral collect efforts and/or the coordination of partners in such a data collection or information-gathering exercise. An OCHA Office or HIC will usually work with other agencies undertaking data collection efforts to ensure compatibility through data standards and ensuring that proper location data is collected.
(see sections on PCode, GPS and Assessments).

Processing - consists of primarily technical processes that transform raw data (i.e. numbers) into a format that can be easily manipulated or combined with other data in preparation for further analysis. This includes activities such as ‘cleaning’, compiling from various sources, and using established storage and archiving structures.

Analysis - is the process by which data or information is aggregated and summarised for presentation. Analysis is carried out at two levels. The first level involves basic statistical or spatial analysis using graphs, charts or maps to display the basic information. Adding background, context or technical (subject) expertise is the second level of analysis. An IMU or HIC will normally be involved in the first level of analysis while contextual or technical analysis might be carried out by OCHA Humanitarian Affairs Officers, experts from implementing agencies or policy specialists. (see sections on GIS and 3W)

Dissemination - the last step of the chain, puts information products into the hands of policy-makers and planners at various levels. Dissemination may be to a general audience or a targeted group of key decision-makers, in a variety of formats and through a range of mechanisms. As with collection, dissemination is generally the task of all OCHA program staff.

Background Documents

OCHA and IM

Information Management: Whose Job is it?

Providing information products and services to the humanitarian community is an important part of OCHA’s coordination role in both emergency operations and in protracted crises. Depending on the nature and scale of the humanitarian situation, these products and services may be provided through the information management unit (IMU) of an OCHA office or through the establishment of a Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC).

With the implementation of OCHA Information Management Units (IMUs) and the introduction of the toolbox of standardised information management tools with which we are all becoming familiar, the question has arisen within OCHA: Exactly whose role is it to perform these IM tasks? More than once, the reflexive response has been: the Information Management Officer.

Please consider this analogy: the primary output of WFP is the delivery of metric tonnes of food to beneficiaries. Every WFP staff member is involved one way or another with that objective. OCHA as we all know, does not deliver food or perform a specific operational function. However, we do deliver 'metric tonnes' of coordination and coordination related information products. To that effect all OCHA staff have a role to play in ensuring that data and information are collected, processed, analysed and disseminated effectively. The IMU - acting as a service provider versus a content provider - can effectively support the OCHA field office by ensuring that information products are produced in a standardised manner. The IMU (or the IMO) also provides the office with the IM support, guidance or training as required.

So. Whose job is IM? In order for OCHA to deliver timely, accurate and effective coordination products to the humanitarian community, every OCHA staff member has a critical role in information management.

What is an HIC?
A Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) is an entity established in a large-scale complex emergency or natural disaster to provide information products and services to the humanitarian community. As a United Nations Humanitarian Common Service, it is established under the stewardship of OCHA, which provides administrative and operational support including the deployment of personnel and equipment. The Manager of the HIC reports directly to the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC), although oversight of the HIC is normally delegated by the HC to the OCHA Head of Office. While in some cases co-located with an OCHA office, the HIC normally provides products and services directly to a wide range of humanitarian actors through ‘storefront’ or kiosk facilities.

What is an IMU?
An Information Management Unit is a functional business unit within an OCHA office, much like an administrative, coordination or reporting unit. The main objective of the IMU is to provide information management support to OCHA’s coordination role through both internal and external information management activities. For example, the IMU oversees the office’s internal document management systems while also maintaining the OCHA website and producing information products for the humanitarian community. Depending on the size of the office, the “unit” may range in size from one staff member to multiple international and national staff.

For more information read:

What is a HIC

Background Note for HIC and IMU, 2006

Guidelines for OCHA Field Information Management, 2006

IASC Endorsed HIC Concept Paper, 2004

HIC Deployment Guidelines, 2006

Guidance for OCHA Staff on what is an HIC, 2006

Scope of work for an IMU, 2005

Regional Information Management Strategy, 2006 (Draft)

Sample IMU Work Plans and Reports:

Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 2006

Regional Office for West Africa, 2006

Information Management Unit, OCHA Sudan, 2005

Reference Documents

		Symposium on Humanitarian Information Exchange, 2002 Statement on Best Practices In Humanitarian Information Management and Exchange, p.23 to 29
		General Assembly Economic and Social Council Resolution A/60/87, 2005 Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance.
		General Assembly Resolution A/46/182,1991 Provides the legal mandate for OCHA.
		Information Management for Development Organizations, by M. Powell 2003 This book introduces tools to analyze how information is used in an organization and discusses both strategic and practical options for improvements.
		Information Sharing in Complex Emergencies by US Institute of Peace, 2002 This report is based on a conference exploring the role of information sharing between humanitarian and military actors in complex emergencies, which aimed to deepen the understanding of realities and conditions of collaboration between civilian and military entities and offer specific areas for sharing information among them.