Senior research fellow International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) beaverton, Oregon, United States
A pilot project, directed by UN Global Pulse, tested the implementation and sustainability of new information technologies to strengthen the operation of humanitarian programs managed by a number of different UN agencies. The technologies included: analyzing radio call-in programs to identify potential sources of local conflicts, particularly affecting refugee populations; social media analysis to identify hate speech and fake news; using phone company call data to assess the integration of refugees into the host country; and using satellite images to monitor and predict the growth of refugee settlements. While the evaluation found significant benefits from all the pilot projects, the process of implementation was often disruptive (in both negative and positive ways). Negative disruptions included: political sensitivities, limited technical capacity of partner agencies and resistance to unfamiliar technologies, ensuring the sustainability of the pilot programs, data privacy and data security, and issues relating to data quality. Positive disruptions will also be highlighted.
