#Bridgetown, July 10th, 2019 – Barbados – Representatives from participating states of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and staff of the CDEMA Coordinating Unit are benefiting from an Information Management & Assessment Workshop being held in Barbados, July 8-10, 2019.  The workshop, which is being implemented under the project “Strengthen integrated and cohesive preparedness capacity at a regional, national and community level in the Caribbean”, is being facilitated by theUnited Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA).

Following the 2019 Lessons Learned and Operational Readiness workshop, which was held with CDEMA’s sub-regional focal points in March in Barbados, needs assessments and information management continue to be highlighted as fundamental elements in delivering targeted response to an affected population. While progress has been made in these topics, there is still the need to reexamine assessment formats and information flows to ensure effective coordination and information sharing.

Programme Manager, Preparedness and Response at CDEMA, Joanne Persad said, “The Assessment and Information Management Workshop aims to advance the skills sets learnt during the previous workshops with UNOCHA. This training reinforces the approaches for enhanced Information Management and Assessments particularly during operations as well as strengthening the partnerships at the regional and international levels”. 

Participants at this workshop, representing the national disaster organisations in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, are being exposed to tools for data collection, analysis and distribution, reviewing assessment methodologies and creating visualizations to speed up analysis and improve decision-making based on evidence.

“Coordinated data sharing and collaboration are critical to ensure we are prepared for emergencies and allow for streamlined efforts”, said Brenda Eriksen, Information Management Officer, UNOCHA.

Support for this workshop is made possible by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DIPECHO) funding.

Release: CDEMA

Photo Caption: Participants at the Information Management and Assessment Workshop during a session on Gender in Information Management in Emergencies.