Lessons from COVID-19 Response: The Importance of Using Community-based Data in Emergency Response

"...concrete examples and inspiration for actors across the spectrum of humanitarian and public health crises on the benefits of collective approaches to community engagement and how they can contribute to faster, more accountable and effective responses."

On May 19 2022, the International Association of Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection (PHAP) and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) held a webinar as part of the 2022 Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks series on accountability to affected populations (AAP). Drawing from the experience of the Collective Service for Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), the session shared examples of how a collective approach to community engagement coordination can make a difference in the response in communities facing multiple threats and where partners respond simultaneously to public health, humanitarian, and other emergencies.

After introductory remarks by Senior Policy Advisor at PHAP Manisha Thomas, the speakers discussed experiences with how social data has contributed (or not) to informing and shaping epidemics response, with focus on the response to COVID-19 and Ebola, emphasising lessons that can benefit humanitarian responses in the future. In addition, they explored how investments in data systems contribute to more effective preparedness programming strengthening of community resilience through better preparation, response, and learning.

Specifically, speakers included:

• Silvia Magnoni, Global Coordinator, Collective Service, who explained what the Collective Service is and why its approach is critical in ensuring AAP, alongside other AAP initiatives.
• Gibstar Makangila, Executive Director, Circle of Hope, provided specific examples of how community-based data are used in programming in Zambia. He noted lessons on community engagement to the COVID-19 response, such as ensuring early response, listening to the community, decentralising response, and ensuring proper customer care.
• Joren Raymenants, MD, PHD researcher, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, shared lessons from the COVID-19 response among KU students in Belgium. He spoke on how data and community information can be used to improve contact tracing and build trust. Lessons such as decentralising data collection, having peers collect data, and linking data collection to service delivery are among the takeaways from the COVID-19 response.
• Simone Carter, Lead, Integrated Outbreak Analytics (IOA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Public Health Emergencies and Manager, Cellule d'Analyse Intégrée (CAI), provided a different perspective - from the Ebola response in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which was further complicated by the COVID-19 response. She highlighted the effectiveness of the IOA, which keeps users and decision makers in mind from the onset of the analysis.
• Ombretta Baggio, Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) Senior Advisor, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), described IFRC's research in the DRC using community feedback for decision-making and collective action. She discussed how (and why) community feedback can be included in decision-making processes during outbreak response.
• Ngoni Nyambawaro, Inter-Agency Country Support Officer, Eastern and Southern Africa, Collective Service, spoke on the Collective Service's experience in the Eastern and Southern Africa region. He briefed participants on how social data can be meaningfully used to shape the response during epidemics or other humanitarian crises.

Some of the main lessons highlighted from community engagement related to COVID-19 for accountability of humanitarian response in general include:

• It is necessary to tailor and adapt the humanitarian response based on the specific contexts.
• There is much more capacity in communities than we normally expect. However, it is a mistake to think in terms of single "community" engagement. Communities are not homogeneous, and this fact must be taken into account.
• We need to be ready for any situation. Different people have different needs, so timely assessments are important.
• More coordinated support across sectors is needed to strengthen the sense of engagement by community key influencers and community leaders.
• Engaging with the grassroots level early on, using a phone or internet access, is key; don't become a vector yourself when visiting and working in communities. Explain why you use preventive methods even though others may not do so or see it as unnecessary.
• Rumour harvesting and rumour busting - understanding and addressing myths - is key and relevant to many sectors.
• It is always good to keep in touch with the communities to request their feedback in real time for better and quicker response targeted to their needs. This feedback can help to structure and personalise responses, such as setting up a real discussion that addresses different questions, concerns, fears, and perceptions. Have standby options ready for getting community feedback during emergencies.
• We need to close the loop on feedback received from communities.
• Accountability and responsibility is best done in a localised manner - e.g., through a fully empowered health network.
• Quick response time is essential; real-time risk communication has to be in place.
• The community wants inclusive collaboration on the humanitarian response.
• Understand the context and culture of different communities in order to adapt responses.
• Lack of access to remote communities, whether due to lockdowns, conflict, or natural disaster, means that "easy-to-access" communities, often in capital cities, have a much greater voice than remote communities, resulting in lack of accountability to them.
• The best solutions are with the community.
• Humanitarian workers have to be familiar with the culture of the people being reached. The hesitancy from communities is mainly because they don't trust outsiders who come in with preconceived notions.
• It's important to have the local personnel of an organisation lead RCCE for COVID-19 response. In some cases, the presence of international personnel was seen as intrusive.