OREANDA-NEWS. December 11, 2012. Save the Children has identified the need for mobile technology in emergency response as an important tool in achieving its goal of reaching 10m children a year by 2015 and has commissioned research – funded by the Vodafone Foundation - to understand the options for future collaboration with mobile operators.

Justin Forsyth, Chief Executive, Save the Children, will say today (10 December) at the Vodafone Foundation and London Business School’s Mobile for Good Summit that the organisation will pilot new solutions using mobile in emergency situations and will require the support of mobile operators to harness the power of this technology.

The research by development specialist Jigsaw Consult has found that the use of mobile in emergency response is hampered by a lack of collaboration between humanitarian agencies, mobile network operators and governments. The research discusses the modelling of new collaboration between NGOs and mobile operators.

Jigsaw Consult says there is “a widespread lack of awareness regarding how mobile phones can be used in emergency response,” mainly because of a lack of training for humanitarian staff, a lack of preparedness and the limited opportunity to innovate in the high-pressure environment of an unfolding emergency.

It mentions the development of new technology to provide rapid help when there is infrastructure damage, such as Vodafone’s Instant Network, a portable GSM network designed for use in emergency situations where regular mobile phone networks have been damaged. The Instant Network packs in to three suitcases, weighs less than 100kg and can be taken on commercial flights. Once on location a network can be established in 40 minutes.

However, the consultancy says the ‘humanitarian sector is lagging considerably behind the mobile innovation curve’, adding that the use of mobile in emergency response is hampered by lack of collaboration and knowledge sharing between humanitarian agencies, mobile operators and governments.

In order for the humanitarian sector to realise the transformative potential of mobile phones more fully, Jigsaw Consult recommends that:
NGOs: Introduce and prioritise mobile-based services throughout emergency preparedness, contingency planning and response, such as rapid needs assessments, large scale two-way communication and ‘feedback and complaints’ systems.
Mobile operators: Prioritise increasing network coverage for the most remote areas in emergencies and develop a training programme, including simulation exercises that can help humanitarian agencies learn about the range of different uses of mobile technology and how these can be applied in emergencies.
Governments: Recognise the need to incorporate emergency support for communications as an essential component of response efforts: the restoration of mobile networks should be regarded as a life-saving humanitarian priority. Work to improve national regulatory environments to facilitate effective emergency mobile-based interventions and allow data sharing for humanitarian purposes.