This document discusses implementing a data portal for the WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) cluster in South Sudan to improve data discovery, quality, and use among decision makers. It outlines goals of providing a structured format for limited internet contributors to store data online, strengthening review processes, and promoting data sharing. Challenges include internet access limitations and ensuring all data is understood in context before being added. Potential solutions are discussed, including using open source or commercial off-the-shelf options, or creating a custom modular application using public toolkits.

1. WASH Data
Portal
Challenge
Implementing a system for heightening data discovery
among decision makers
December 2018
Ben Harvey, UNHCR
Max Malynowsky, REACH

2. Goal: Promote collection & use of more & better data
- Provide contributors with limited internet and capacity a structured
format to store data online
- Strengthen existing data review process to produce higher quality
outputs
- Promote publishing of data from sources who have not yet been
actively sharing in a systematic way
- Familiarize decision makers with all relevant WASH information and
minimizing the chance that outdated information is used in planning
- Integrate with existing data distribution networks to spread content
to the widest audience outside of the South Sudan WASH cluster

3. Challenge: Data quality
Drinking from the data firehose
Carefully sipping from the
data trickle
through a thorough filter
Communication before automation
- All data in South Sudan has big limitations that need to be understood and contextualized
- Before adding new data sources to a system, lots of training and reviews must occur

4. Challenge: Adequate internet & Offline accessibility
Internet SouthSudanTM
Connect 60+ devices Unknown
Monthly usage
4 Mbps***
Download speed: up to
$1,000+/mo***

5. Background: Storing WASH data in South Sudan
- Google Drive: primary service used by information management
officers for storing data. Data can be deleted or moved by accident.
- HR.info: OCHA resource provided globally for better organizing
data. Primarily used for linking to files in the Google Drive.
- ReliefWeb & HDX: OCHA resources provided as a common
platform for documents and datasets. Used in the past for WASH
data, but information is now outdated.

6. Background: Using WASH data in South Sudan
Humanitarian Needs Overview / Response Plan 2019

7. Background: Using WASH data in South Sudan
People in Need 2019

8. Outsourced
to external
contractor
Solutions: Different Approaches
Commercial
off-the-shelf
Open source
off-the-shelf
Modular
application
using toolkits
+

9. - Easy to install
- Capacity to maintain
- Free non-profit license
- Already in use by REACH as
an internal wiki
Solutions: Commercial off-the-shelf
Pros
- Although excellent as a
knowledge repository, not
designed for document
management workflows
- Additional non-profit licenses
may be difficult to obtain
- Servers can be costly to
operate due to requirements
Cons

10. - Easy to install
- Capacity to maintain
- Free open source license
- Planned for use by REACH
as a resource centre
Solutions: Open source off-the-shelf
Pros
- Although excellent as a
blogging platform, requires
extensive modifications for
document management
workflows
- Popular plugin are frequently
commercial and require
annual subscriptions
Cons

11. - Does not require
development time from
REACH staff
Solutions: Outsourced to external contractor
Pros
- Difficult to install due to
specialized requirements and
lack of documentation
- Difficult to maintain due to
use of in-house frameworks
instead of public ones
- Extremely internet intensive,
up to 1 ½ hours for first page
load in South Sudan
Cons

12. - Only approach that can be
optimized for low-bandwidth
- Separate application can be
used for offline visualizations
- Uses publicly available
toolkits with good
documentation
- Starter kits available that can
be modified to fit the exact
need
Solutions: Modular application using toolkits
Pros
- Requires some development
capacity to make feature
changes to application
Cons

13. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION