Establish & maintain contact management system
Maintaining contact lists during emergencies can be difficult. One single ‘Master’ contact list should be maintained and shared between the WASH sector/cluster IMO and Coordinator. Depending on security issues, the contact list might also be shared on the operational website (public or password-protected access). Depending on the context, the contact list:
- can be shared by email
- sit within an online document repository (e.g. Drop Box)
- sit in a cloud (e.g. Google Docs, MailChimp, HID).
Note that online tools will require good internet connectivity and possibly licenses.
Some apps can help you to collect and manage contact information. A smartphone with a camera and suitable app can scan a business card and instantly update the information to a phone contact list. In addition, individual QR codes on stickers can be generated for Cluster members to stick on the back of phones so others can scan the QR code to get an instant upload of the contact to the phone (see more on QR Codes later in the Reporting & dissemination section).
Key external web links