Depending on the type of emergency, a WASH sector operational website can be hosted by OCHA or UNHCR, or both. This website will contain all relevant WASH sector response information such as assessments, maps, reports, meeting information etc. The IMO can be given permission to upload Cluster information on the OCHA (https://humanitarianresponse.info) site, which is the recommended approach. On top of the GWC guidance, See https://humanitarianresponse.info/help for comprehensive instructions on how to upload information to Hr.info. In addition, the IMO can work closely with the UNHCR IMO to upload information on the UNHCR site if applicable for that situation (http://data.unhcr.org). TipsAdd a link to the operational website to your email signature.Register on the website to receive alerts to certain content (assessments, maps etc.).If possible, use the contact tool to keep contacts up to date, in this way the master contact list can remain on the site without duplications and partners can register ‘in’ and ‘out’ of the emergency.Be aware of making all information public (consult with Cluster Coordinator and IMWG before uploading data that may be of a sensitive nature)Well-known platforms include DropBox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, etc. and well-managed information repositories can be essential during emergencies. They can serve to: - Facilitate file management and internal information access across the coordination team
- Share information with partners that is not appropriate for the public website (e.g. contact details)
- Maintain response documentation and facilitate handovers
When directly sharing folders with team members / partner, always keep files as small as posible to not overload individual’s folders (e.g. in the case of DropBox). Try to keep separate (view only) folders for larger reference collections, and/or publish completed documents to the website. Another critical consideration when maintaining information repositories, particularly those with multiple contributors, is the file-naming convention. This will help you keep track of which is the latest version of the document. Using specific document categories will also help someone search for specific documents / examples across the repository. Humanitarian Library (http://www.humanitarianlibrary.org/) is an online technical repository maintained in some countries. This might provide a neutral platform to collect contextual lessons learnt and best practices. |