Even in the initial stage of an emergency, a large amount of secondary data is usually available: pre-crisis water point databases, rapid assessment report, reports and database about previous crisis etc. This information was generally produced in an uncoordinated or disharmonised way, and is hardly usable as such to get a general overview of the needs and plan possible response. Implement a Secondary Data Review consists in gathering this information, summarizing it into small, relevant pieces, systematically entering and organizing those small pieces into a single location, and then interpreting and drawing meaning from the compiled information to inform decision making. This relevant information can be organized in the form of datasets, reports, assessments, emails, phone calls, meeting minutes, media and even conversations. Due to the large volume of information collected, having a single location that serves as a structured bank or database of information makes the subsequent analysis of this information much easier. Ongoing analysis of your secondary data can initially support most of your coordination-related activities: developing Cluster strategies, understanding needs, determining caseloads, etc. Furthermore, SDRs will help determining information gaps, whether primary data needs to be collected, what questions to ask when collecting it, what geographic locations to visit, etc. An SDR usually follows the below steps: |