A pilot project called Adaptive Response Messaging (ARM) led by the Response Innovation Lab launched in Yemen between World Vision, Save the Children, and Oxfam on August 2020 to support coordinated preventative messaging across Yemeni social media platforms on COVID-19. The intent is a singular message being pushed by key NGO, Ministry, and local stakeholders with lifesaving information on household and community actions to prevent COVID-19 transmission. The pilot in Yemen is scaled off the ARM model established in Somalia in early 2020 in their COVID-19 response (which was able to reach large scale and endorsements across the Somali speaking region)

The Response Innovation Lab is an initiative led by World Vision globally, with Save the Children and Oxfam to support the integration of humanitarian innovation (global and local) into protracted and early onset emergencies worldwide. The Somali Response Innovation Lab is hosted by World Vision, under the SomRep Consortium (an association of NGOs operating in the response). The activities undertaken in Yemen are conducted as a pop-up lab in support of specific activities and led by the Somali Response Innovation Lab.

The ARM pilot in Yemen utilized two Somali media innovators to support the development of the videos based on their work with the Somali Response Innovation Lab around COVID-19 messaging. The Phase II of the ARM project in Yemen will localize the media content providers and establish a localized network to conduct ARM in further communication outreaches around COVID-19 and beyond.

As of December 2020, just three of the four videos had reached the eyes of over 108,000 + viewers. The Sana'a and Aden Governorates were having the most extensive viewership, but others stretch across Yemen.

To date, the following videos have been published:

• Personal Protective Equipment needed to combat COVID-19 and other illnesses

• Leila & Latif, is a child-focused puppet mini-series about two Superhero siblings that become protectors of their community against COVID-19 and other illnesses. Click to see the videos in Colloquial Yemeni Arabic / Classical Arabic)

• Handwashing short video targeted to kids

• Nutrition and Dietary Diversity, which touches on COVID-19, but is much broader around nutrition to prevent illness

• Physical Distancing (Arabic)

>>> Click to see the full repository

Response Innovation Lab worked with Save the Children’s Migration and Displacement Initiative (MDI) and their Predictive Displacement Project to host local Convener events - in Iraq and Jordan - around the development of a predictive analytics tool that will anticipate the scale and duration of conflict-driven displacement crises. At present, the lack of good data on the eventual scale and duration of forced displacement crises makes it difficult for humanitarian actors to efficiently and sustainably plan for early-stage interventions. Lack of demographical data also limits the efficiency and effectiveness with which they can plan for the specific needs of vulnerable groups within displaced populations. MDI seeks to use historical and contemporary data and machine learning to predict these characteristics of displacement, enabling better responses.

The use of predictive analytics in displacement work in the humanitarian sector has grown significantly amongst international organizations. However limited involvement or consultation has happened with field-level stakeholders. The convening events held with the Response Innovation Lab in Iraq and Jordan focus on identifying and gathering the perspectives and input of other potential end-users and other relevant stakeholders of predictive analytics tools, with Save the Children’s displacement model as an initial reference.

Particularly, the interest is in actors not well represented in typical discussions around predictive analytics in the humanitarian sector, such as

1. National and sub-national level actors working on displacement issues

2. Local and regional research and policy centers

3. Commercial actors with a stake in predicting population movements

The input of these actors will help shape the thinking for the third, external-facing phase of the project, and be a network through which to rollout other predictive tools. Learnings from the exercise will be shared with other humanitarian actors to similarly inform their work.

>>> Click to learn more.

The Puerto Rico RIL has fulfilled its initial mandate and closeout all Hurricane Maria activities. Working with our local host entity - The Puerto Rico Science Trust (PRST) - we have determined the same need and output of the RIL wouldn't be needed, especially as other activities within the PRST are filling current gaps. As of June 2020, we have sunset the Puerto Rico lab, which is a RIL success!

A principal of the RIL isn't to be around forever, but rather to fill a gap in the response ecosystem and build local capacity to respond. As we continue to expand with additional labs and pop-ups, we are thrilled to have worked through our first lab transition and exit strategy. We are excited to see PRST build on RIL activities, advance humanitarian innovation locally, and continue looking for ways to support their efforts across Puerto Rico.

>>> Click to see a full recap of the lab’s activities.