Public Intelligence Blog

Workshop report explores use of mass collaboration in disaster management

The growing use of social media and other mass collaboration technologies is opening up new opportunities in disaster management efforts, but is also creating new challenges for policymakers looking to incorporate these tools into existing frameworks, according to a new report from the Commons Lab at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

The Commons Lab, part of the Wilson Center’s Science & Technology Innovation Program, hosted a September 2012 workshop bringing together emergency responders, crisis mappers, researchers, and software programmers to discuss issues surrounding the adoption of these new technologies.

The Commons Lab is pleased to announce the release of “Connecting Grassroots to Government for Disaster Management: Workshop Summary,” a report discussing the key findings, policy suggestions, and success stories that emerged during the workshop. The report’s release coincides with the tenth annual Disaster Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Department of Homeland Security to help educate the public about preparing for emergencies.

The workshop charted new territory for the field by prioritizing academic and applied research opportunities and challenges. The report points to best practices, useful tools, and practical approaches for integrating crowdsourced data with more traditional data sources.

Continue reading “Jean Lievens: Workshop Report on Use of Mass Collaboraiton in Disaster Management”