Improving information management in disaster services

When a disaster hits, coordination of on-the-ground partners and volunteers for relief is a massive and complex undertaking. It involves dealing with thousands of small entities, as well as major institutions like the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The American Red Cross engaged the Capstone team to identify best practices for improving the speed and quality of information sharing with all those involved, ensuring that the Red Cross is prepared to collect and distribute information efficiently. The team conducted a literature review and in-depth case studies of comparably-sized institutions and their complex information management systems. After an analysis of its findings, the team made recommendations for the improvement of information sharing, developed in the context of best practices.