UNICEF provides data collection app to Ministry of National Mobilisation

OFFICERS IN the Ministry of National Mobilisation, Social Development, Gender, Family, Youth, Housing and Informal Human Settlement, Persons with Disabilities and other stakeholders recently completed a week long disaster-related training course to boost capacity in obtaining data using the Rapid Pro Application.

Technical support was provided by a team from UNICEF to aid in the humanitarian response, a release from the Agency for Public Information said.

This application was used to obtain information from the internally displaced population, specifically after the eruptions of La Soufriere Volcano in April 2021. The Official handing over was done on Friday, March 11.

Minister of National Mobilisation, Orando Brewster speaking at the handing over ceremony said that through a collaborated effort between the Ministry of National Mobilisation, the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO), NGOs and other entities they were able to respond to the aftermath of the violent eruptions of the volcano in April 2021. Minister Brewster said that the Ministry was faced with a range of challenges, one of which was the availability of specific data to provide guidance in the type of responses.

He expressed appreciation to UNICEF for its technical support since the Ministry is now able to be more strategic in responding through the use of the Rapid Pro App. The Minister said that in addition to the collection of data, other areas of service delivery within the Ministry of National Mobilisation can be addressed in the event of a disaster or an emergency. Minister Brewster expressed delight and thanks to UNICEF for the donation and the continued support that the organisation will provide.

And the permanent secretary in that Ministry, Katherine DeFreitas said the UNICEF team examined the knowledge gaps and experiences of Rapid Pro by the key stakeholders.

“The Ministry of National Mobilisation will continue to develop this process in the best way possible to not only collect information but to respond more efficiently to the public,”DeFreitass said.

She thanked participants from the Ministries of Education and Health, NEMO, staff of the Ministry of National Mobilisation and UNICEF and pledged commitment for its continued use as long as it’s technically possible. Head of the UNICEF technical team, Patrice Bosso revealed that the application was deployed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in response to the need for data. Bosso added that at the end of the training, it is recommended that staff maintains the application not only in response to the volcano crisis but to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season. The Head of the Technical Team identified the need to improve communication and interaction with beneficiaries, noting that Rapid Pro can be an excellent solution to improve such interaction.

Bosso also took the opportunity to confirm UNICEF’s continued technical and financial support in sustaining the operations of Rapid Pro locally.

The other members of the UNICEF team which provided technical support to local stakeholders were Massambo Sow and Maurice Beckles.