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The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology
of Disasters (CRED), a WHO Collaborating Center based in the School of
Public Health of the Université Catholique de Louvain in Brussels, has
been researching the human impact of natural disasters and complex emergencies
for over thirty years. In 2003 CRED began developing the Complex Emergencies
Database (CE-DAT) through funding provided by the U.S. Department of State/Bureau
of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). The CE-DAT database aims
to collect mortality, nutrition, and health indicators in a standardized
way in conflict and postconflict situations.
In order to obtain information for CE-DAT
that was specific to the experiences of refugees, CRED initiated collaboration
with UNHCR, who had just launched the Standards and Indicators Initiative
(S&I) as part of a Results-Based Management Strategy. The S&I Report
(SIR) collects, on a yearly basis, a set of quantifiable indicators on
various topics including mortality, nutrition, and health, used to assess
and compare the well-being of UNHCR's populations of concern. As part
of the collaboration, the relevant indicators were provided to CRED for
inclusion in the CE-DAT database. After the first submission of the SIR
by the camps, CRED worked closely with the Population and Geographic Data
Section (PGDS) from UNHCR to analyze the results of the data submitted.
Upon analysis it became clear that some of the data submitted by the camps
were unreliable and in some cases unrealistic.
At the same time, aware of the data
quality problems and the difficulties of collecting, managing, comparing
and analyzing baseline data and indicators at the field level, UNHCR launched
the Operational Data Management (ODM) project in 2005. This three-phased
project is aimed at improving data management, reporting procedures and
human resources competencies for UNHCR Field staff. The two first phases
of the project have already been completed and contributed to: (i) A document
outlining UNHCR's ODM requirements and strategy for the period 2005 to
2010 and; (ii) the development of competency requirements and a specific
ODM learning programme for UNHCR Field offices.