The Standby Volunteer Task Force was activated by the UN to collect secondary data from the internet to help inform their response to emergencies in South Sudan. Volunteers curated over 1700 records containing 15,000 pieces of information related to population, displacement, security incidents and other issues. This data was then mapped using tools like ArcGIS to support UN OCHA's operations and aid decisions in South Sudan.

1. The Standby Volunteer Task Force
Data Curation for South Sudan
Svend-Jonas Schelhorn
Student @ University of Heidelberg/ Germany
shornjonas@googlemail.com
@shornjonas
Geographer, Crisis Mapper

2. Background
● Launched at the ICCM 2010 in Boston
● Online Community for Live Crisis Mapping and
crowdsourced data collection
● Nearly 900 members from all over the world
● Decentralized horizontal network of volunteers
acting on the base of a code of conduct
● Working with Open and Volunteered Data
● Partner with Ushahidi, Tomnod, Crisistracker
● Part of Digital Humanitarian Network
Svend Schelhorn @shornjonas || Data Curation for South Sudan - SBTF || ISCRAM Summerschool 2012 || 22-08-2012

3. The Task
***Official: Immediate UN Activation of SBTF for South Sudan!***
03.07.2012
● OCHA is deploying a team to South Sudan
● Need of data so they can make informed decisions during their field
mission
● Analyze the impact of emergencies on the population of South Sudan
● Collect secondary data (ie, information obtainable from the Internet)
which is essential to provide the team with targeted and effective
assistance to those in need.
Svend Schelhorn @shornjonas || Data Curation for South Sudan - SBTF || ISCRAM Summerschool 2012 || 22-08-2012

4. The Task
Key Questions:
● Population ● Searching pre-selected
● Displacement sources
● Returnees
● Search the Internet
● Refugees
● Security incidents ● Consider date and source of
● Schools publication
● Water sources ● Search for data regarding key
● Health facilities question and State
● Economic constraints
Svend Schelhorn @shornjonas || Data Curation for South Sudan - SBTF || ISCRAM Summerschool 2012 || 22-08-2012

5. Data Curation for Disaster Preparedness
Data Curation Mapping the Data
● 1767 unique rows of data
● 15,271 unique pieces of
information records
Svend Schelhorn @shornjonas || Data Curation for South Sudan - SBTF || ISCRAM Summerschool 2012 || 22-08-2012

6. Data Curation for Disaster Preparedness
Data Curation Mapping the Data
m
.co
ce
or
kf
as
yt
db
an
.st
og
bl
w.
w
● 1767 unique rows of data
w
● 15,271 unique pieces of
information records
Svend Schelhorn @shornjonas || Data Curation for South Sudan - SBTF || ISCRAM Summerschool 2012 || 22-08-2012

7. Mapping the Data - Approach
Phase I: Search for mapping-options in data-entries
Phase II: Create geodata and geodatabase
Phase III: Mapping, Spatio-temporal analysis, graphs, ...
Training for SBTF - Volunteers
Supporting UN OCHA in South Sudan
Svend Schelhorn @shornjonas || Data Curation for South Sudan - SBTF || ISCRAM Summerschool 2012 || 22-08-2012

8. Mapping the Data - Tools
For Coordination For Mapping
● Skype ● Googledocs
● Googledocs ● ArcGIS
● SBTF Ning Page ● Quantum GIS
● Online-Mapping-Tools
Svend Schelhorn @shornjonas || Data Curation for South Sudan - SBTF || ISCRAM Summerschool 2012 || 22-08-2012

9. Conclusions & Pending Tasks
● Volunteers created > 400 data entries
● Keep it short and simple
● Meeting the Customer's needs?
● Evaluation of volunteer activities
● Building geodatabase and Mapping the data
Svend Schelhorn @shornjonas || Data Curation for South Sudan - SBTF || ISCRAM Summerschool 2012 || 22-08-2012

10. Ongoing and Upcoming Activities
● Data curation for South Sudan
●
Crisis Tracker test run (September 7-14th)
Svend Schelhorn @shornjonas || Data Curation for South Sudan - SBTF || ISCRAM Summerschool 2012 || 22-08-2012

11. The Standby Volunteer Task Force
Our answer?
STANDBY TASK FORCE
To become a member apply at
http://blog.standbytaskforce.com
or contact join@standbytaskforce.com
And follow us on Twitter: @SBTaskForce
Svend Schelhorn @shornjonas || Data Curation for South Sudan - SBTF || ISCRAM Summerschool 2012 || 22-08-2012