The GSMA and Souktel, a Palestinian based digital solutions provider, have launched the first ever partnering guidelines for aid providers and mobile network operators.
When disaster strikes the ability to reach victims quickly and at scale is key to saving lives. Yet in most crisis zones the reality is frustrating. The key players are in place but often they’re just not talking to each other.
At one end of the table sit aid agencies with significant knowledge and experience but often lacking robust outreach channels. On the other side sit mobile networks who can reach almost every corner of a country, even after a hurricane or explosion, but who lack a deep understanding of crisis response. In the absence of good guidelines for working together these groups often don’t and the ability to save millions of people is put at risk.
To bridge this gap GSMA Disaster Response and Souktel have unveiled an ambitious new guide. Called “Building Effective Partnerships In Complex Environments” it is the first resource ever produced to help mobile network operators join forces with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) more rapidly and effectively.
The guide begins by breaking down myths about the aid and telecoms sectors such as “the private sector are all the same” and “NGOs take ages to get anything done”. Mobile networks are as diverse as the countries where they operate and many have specific teams dedicated to crisis response. NGOs often have rapid-response funds and processes which let them move quickly after a disaster.
The guide offers a real-world checklist of best practices gathered from consultations with mobile operators like Ooredoo, hardware leaders like Ericsson and non-profits like Internews. This is a hands-on resource not abstract analysis.
The guide includes ready-to-use Partnership Agreement templates and a printable summary of the “Ten Commandments” for effective partnering. Three practical case studies round out the picture, showing concretely how NGOs and mobile networks have worked together on short notice in crises with tangible results.
This guide should become a “must-have” resource rather than something that sits on e-shelves and gather dust. According to Souktel, whether it does depends on the willingness of mobile networks and aid providers to abandon the status quo and take a risky leap of faith. By forging partnerships ahead of recurring crises such as seasonal cyclones or by coming together quickly after sudden earthquakes, the multiplier effect of joint efforts can be dramatic.
To download the full guide go to http://tinyurl.com/gm4gm94.
