QRCS holds Humanitarian Information Analysis Course
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QRCS holds Humanitarian Information Analysis Course

12/8/2019

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has concluded a training Humanitarian Information Analysis Course. Held in cooperation with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the five-day event was attended by 30 QRCS relief workers and staff. It is part of the disaster management capacity-building activities and training conducted by the recently inaugurated Disaster Information Management Center (DIMC). The course covered many topics and skills required for field relief professionals. The participants knew about the latest methodological humanitarian information analysis techniques and relevant skills such as assessment, planning, exploration, description, interpretation, summarization, and comparison. It also discussed strategic decision-making in emergency, the fundamental concepts related to demographic figures, calculation and processing techniques, the definition and purpose of humanitarian analysis frameworks, and secondary data review. Special focus was given to the skills to design a good and reliable analysis, by addressing the basic analysis questions, analysis fabric, and task. Among the skills acquired by the trainees were: data collection plans, exploration, description, aggregation, filtration, summarization, comparison, information gaps, and analysis categories. They learnt about the components of interpretation in terms of intensity and assessment technique, priorities, categorization techniques, evidence force and reliability, and response analysis. Each day would start with a warm-up and end with a practice to apply the information taught throughout the day, including methodological analytical techniques, analysis framework, secondary data, and description. Dr. Mohamed Salah Ibrahim, Executive Director of Relief and International Development Division of QRCS, said, “In complex, often large-scale humanitarian emergencies, decision-makers are challenged in using available information to make the best possible informed decisions. In many situations, there is simply more information and noise than anyone can handle. Information available is often of varying quality, coverage, timeliness, and accuracy, challenging even further our ability to make sense of the data at hand”. “It is important to be trained in analysis as a human process that requires the application of cognitive functions, the use of targeted analytical approaches, and an inquisitive mindset. By combining both theoretical and practical dimensions, this interactive course is aimed at introducing assessment coordinators and information analysts to the basic skills, knowledge, tools, and techniques required to answer strategic and relevant questions and make sense of available information in humanitarian emergencies,” he added.