This document summarizes the rise of volunteer technology communities for crisis response and global development. It discusses how communities like CrisisCamp and Random Hacks of Kindness have helped respond to crises by harnessing volunteers with technical skills. The document outlines key events from 2009-2011 that increased acceptance of these communities. It proposes that CrisisCommons can further build capacity by formally connecting volunteer communities, humanitarian organizations, the private sector, and academia to facilitate resource sharing and innovative solutions.

1. Harnessing Volunteer Technology Communities to Build
Capacity in Crisis Response and Global Development
January 31, 2011
Presented by
Heather Blanchard
Chief Evangelist, Co-Founder
CrisisCommons

2. 2000 2005 2009
Rise of Mobile 109.5M 207.9M 285.M
(US Figures, CTIA) 38% 69% 91%
(SMS Not Recorded) (81 Billion SMS) (1.56 Trillion SMS)
Tools
Communities
Hurricane Ike Haiti Earthquake
Cyclone Nargis Chile Earthquake
Mumbai Attacks
Events 9/11 FL Hurricanes
Indian OceanTsunami
Oil Spill
Pakistan Floods
Kenyan Elections
Katrina
VA Tech Shooting
Iranian Election Protests
Crisis-Related
Volunteer
Technology
Communities
98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

3. From Idea to Community
Evolution of an Idea Catalyst for Partnerships
• January 2009 - Transparency Camp • June - First Ignite Session at the World
Bank; Interest in Building Capacity
• March 2009 - Gov 2.0 Camp
• August - USAID Afghanistan Election
• June 2009 - CrisisCamp DC Monitoring
• Participants: MIT Media Labs, GWU, • September - Google, Yahoo and
Google,Yahoo, Microsoft, UN Microsoft form informal partnership
Foundation, Sunlight Foundation, Apps called Random Hacks of Kindness
for Democracy, Homeland Security,
DoD, World Bank, Development Seed, • October - CrisisCamp Philadelphia
GeoCommons, Open Street Map,
Sahana, Ushahidi, CrisisMappers • November - Random Hacks of Kindness
hosts first Hackathon

4. Video

5. CrisisCamp Haiti Columbia
• Call to action; global footprint
• Low barrier to entry; replicable
• Recognized by CROs and VTCs
• 50 events, 10 countries United Kingdom
• 1,500+ highly skilled volunteers
• Focus on mapping, missing
persons, language and search Canada
France

6. Highlights
Innovation - Problem Solving - Mapping
• Tradui Mobile
Translation App
• Long Distance Wi-Fi
• OpenStreetMap

7. CrisisCommons
• Convener of communities across
competition and organizational
challenges
• Leverages collaborative systems, open
environments
• Translates needs from CROs to the
VTCs and the public
• Provides technical assistance and
opportunity for creative problem solving Diversified Global Network
• Catalyst for a new knowledge base
based on captured lessons learned
• Leverages partnerships and networks

8. Sloan
Investment
• Convening of the First
International CrisisCongress
• Convening of stakeholder
roundtables
• Expert engagement
• Development and validation
of the problem definition
• Full time support

9. CrisisCamp Feedback

10. What We Learned
• Pervasive competition within all
stakeholder groups
• Vendor based technology
relationships
• Inadequate technology infrastructure
and digital literacy
• Lack of formal coordination role
• Need for long term relationships,
and project management
• Little understanding of technology
ecosystem; tools

11. What is Needed?
• Objective technical assistance,
support for creative problem solving
• Long term support for CrisisCamp and
VTCs, including project management
• Amplification of grassroots innovation,
collaborative systems
• Translation of needs; development of
lessons learned and research-based
approaches
• Stewardship of the new knowledge base,
translate into research opportunities
• Formal partnerships and resources
• Legal protection; Security and Privacy

12. Evolution of the
Environment
• August 2009: Camp Roberts Engages VTCs for its Bi-Annual Demonstration
• August 2009: U.S. AID Adoption of Crowdsourcing information for Afghanistan Elections
• October 2009: Homeland Security Secretary and FEMA Admin. Craig Fugate Visit Facebook;
TechNet Dedicates to Working With Industry to Engage in Crisis Response
• October 2009: CrisisMappers Host First Conference
• October 2009: Temple University Center for Disability Preparedness hosts 2nd CrisisCamp
• November 2009: Random Hacks of Kindness Hackathon; FEMA Admin. Craig Fugate Keynotes
• January 2010: UN OCHA Uses “Unverified Data” (OSM) to Lead SAR
• February 2010: McKinsey Conducts VTC Study for the World Bank
• February 2010: Government of Haiti Requests OpenStreetMap Data
• June 2010: FEMA Hires Director of Digital Strategy
• June 2010: U.S. DoD Hosts QuickNets event for open source crowdsourcing apps for
situational awareness
• June 2010: White House Calls For Public to Help Oil Spill Via CrisisCommons
• July 2010: World Bank Launches Innovation Center to include VTC Liaison
• July 2010: FEMA Hosts CrisisCommons; Requests Input from the Commons
• August 2010: American Red Cross Hosts First Crisis Data Summit
• August 2010: UK Guardian Launches Multi-Media and Crowdsourcing Team

13. Potential Competition
Key Competition Capability: One to Many
Requirement CrisisCrowd

14. Our Role
We Leverage Expertise, Communities and Resources
VTCs
CROs CrisisCommons The Public
Affiliated Affiliated Responder Un-Affiliated Response
Response Connectivity to Resources Spontaneous Effort
Source of Affiliated Requirements New Efforts
Leverage Under Utilized; Unknown Resources Unknown Resources
Research Based Approach; Recognized Knowledge Base
Academia
Private Sector
Under-Leveraged Resources

15. What We Propose
Connecting and Leveraging the Ecosystem to Build Capacity
Through a Commons-Based Approach
CrisisCommons
VTC Tools;
Behavior
Community Proactive, Non-Market
Development Researched Based Mapping VTC
Academic
Private Sector Proactive, Non-Market Data
Resource Pool From Incubation CRO Loaned
Language
Crisis After Action Reactive, Partnership Executives
Lessons Learned Based Academia
Volunteers
Innovation Challenge Reactive, Multiple Incubator Private Sector
CRO Prototype
Community Projects Lab Council Fellows

16. 2011
Laying the Foundation
• Facilitate development of the Commons
Council with four stakeholder workgroups
• Develop formal relationships and buy-in Requirement Requirement
with the CROs, VTCs, private sector and Development Development
academic communities
Location/ Stakeholder
• Facilitate requirements to build the Partner Buy-In
Commons lab to include consumer, academic Web Tools Selection
and private sector R&D approaches; Develop Gatherings
innovation approach/methodology
• Convene the VTC Community; Host the Community Lab Council
Second Annual International CrisisCongress
Incremental Approach

17. Looking to 2011
• CROs have asked for our help
• New acceptance of collaborative tools
• Growing VTC communities, predictable
Crisis Crowd
• Public has capability, desire to assist
• Capability to matrix private sector and
academia resources

18. Path Ahead
• Transform goodwill to formal
relationships
• Facilitate needs from
stakeholders to inform
development of CrisisCommons
• Facilitate research agenda
• Continued support of
CrisisCamp; ongoing crises
• Evaluate and report on the
continuing evolution of the
ecosystem

19. 2012+ Blue Sky
Silicon Valley - Washington DC - Geneva - South America - Sydney
Global Presence

20. Need Your Help
• SMEM Camp
• Missing Persons
• Situational Assessment
• After Action Reports
• Case Studies