General
10. The Incident Management System establishes rapid deployment mechanisms appropriate to the emergency to ensure WHO has the immediate response capacity to meet urgent needs. OSL works with the Information Management and Technology Department (IMT) to develop, deploy and set up all necessary ICT means for the response and the response team (usually the IMT). Implementing and setting up ICT systems as part of a health emergency response operation requires simple and standard procedures. OSL supports personnel in health emergency response operations to follow the appropriate steps for installing a field office internet network and implementing other IT equipment required.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Principles
20. Emergency ICT Definition: The Information and Communication Technology design and setup does not intend to replace the existing WCO ICT capacities but to reinforce them in the emergency context and applies to emergencies that are officially graded by the Director General (Grade 1, 2 or 3) through the grading exercise under WHO's Emergency Response Framework protocols. This process applies to goods and services immediately required to ensure ICT capacities to the deployed emergency response teams.
30. Emergency ICT Principles::
- Immediate and reliable Information and Communication Technology means on the ground.
- Secured and safe for confidential information and communications.
- Cost-effective in a given context
- Pre-set and pre-configured to allow a simple and quick installation.
40. Simplified ICT implementation Process: The key principle for emergency ICT is rapid deployment and quick system installation. Therefore, predefined and simplified ICT emergency requirements for goods and process ensures communications with the frontline teams, providing the critical commodities and avoiding any delay in the overall emergency response operation. This is also in line with WHO's "No Regrets" policy.
OSL & Information Management and Technology (IMT) Coordination
50. OSL ICT Responsibilities: OSL is responsible for the overall implementation of the end-to-end Field Emergency ICT infrastructure, which includes different kits and modules deployment and installation and sourcing external communication services to meet operational requests. Specifically, for the deployment process, OSL has a functional role in coordinating with Information Management and Technology (IMT) on specific device configuration requests, activation sim cards, and, in some cases, facilitating local services assessment.
60. IMT ICT Responsibilities: IMT is responsible for the corporate ICT policy and cyber security standards within WHO, including firewall configuration policy and corporate agreements with ICT service providers. From a functional perspective, the IMT team may participate with OSL to support the emergency operation and provide technical support expertise and advice to OSL when dealing with significant and complex setups.
70. ICT Interface: The interface between OSL and IMT occurs between the governance of the ICT and the autonomy of the OSL deployment process within the emergency response operations. Therefore, it is vital that there is a proactive and close relationship between OSL and IMT to facilitate the interface requirements.
80. Regional/International ICT: Regional and international ICT standards will be regulated by the corporate WHO ICT policies, interfacing with OSL for ICT kit definition and configuration, ensuring corporative standards within emergency response operations.
90. Local ICT: Responsibility for local ICT design and implementation is handled by the OSL - IMT team supported by the WCO function (if present).
100. ICT Experts: Upon request, specific ICT Experts are available to provide setup and system implementation advice to emergency operations, including "ad hoc" solutions and ICT configurations beyond the corporate-defined standards.
110. Reporting: All ICT activities implemented during the emergency response procedure must be reported (supported by technical reports and timeframe estimation) to the IMS as they may have significant financial/operational implications.
Emergency ICT Deployments
120. The WHO corporate standard within the ICT processes, as defined in the IMT, is also applied to the emergency ICT design and implementation. However, the requirements in each step may be adapted to suit the emergency and/or have specific time limits placed on them.
130. ICT Kits definition: OSL and IMT together have designed and developed a flexible and modular ICT kitting structure allowing to cover a wide range of emergency deployment scenarios, assuring quality, compatibility and with a high capacity of adaptability, based on "plug and play" concept, to ensure ICT capacities for the response teams.
140. Evaluation: ICT infrastructures implemented during emergency deployments must be regularly evaluated, adapting them to the operational needs and evolving with them, thus moving from a basic ICT infrastructure in the acute phase to a most complex one in the protracted situation.
150. Quality: Despite the context and the complexity of the ICT infrastructure, provided either from HQ or locally, the technical ICT elements must ensure and comply with the minimal operational standards.
160. Direct/indirect ICT operational costs associated: Whatever ICT infrastructure would be in place, coming from OSL-deployed kits or local acquisitions, direct and indirect operating costs will be incurred for purchase and transport and contracting voice/data service providers. Support from OSL & IMT may help to estimate and guarantee cost-effectiveness.
