The FALCON SDI project is a regional business transformation initiative with the objective of reducing losses due to disasters in countries through the provision of an innovative Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) governance and leadership capacity as well as a technical cooperation and support mechanism.  FALCON will cover disaster risk reduction and disaster management with a focus on preparedness, response, and recovery.  The project’s components will include a critical systems review, a regional stakeholder analysis, an SDI gap analysis, and the publication of a road map.  FALCON will be focused on the MENA (Middle East-North Africa) region and will involve a range of international partners and stakeholders.

3.2       The FALCON SDI Project Plan

3.2.1    Obligations of AAG under the FALCON SDI Project

a)     The FALCON SDI Project implementation would cover:

  • Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) – identify, assess and reduce the risks of disaster
  • Disaster Management (DM):
    • Preparedness – maintain and improve disaster organization readiness
    • Response – deliver timely and effective relief aid in disaster zones
    • Recovery – rebuild and revitalize disaster impacted communities

b)     More precisely, the FALCON SDI Project aims at addressing needs such as:

  • Data Access: accessing the right information and data at the time of a crisis
  • Data Coordination: Duplication of efforts as well as limited coordination among stakeholders and resources when it comes to the production and maintenance of  key disaster data layers
  • Best Practices: Lack of a knowledge hub that allows the DRR/DM community to be aware of what is happening in the SDI sphere and  to access materials (documents, guidelines, expertise directory, training opportunities) and capacities that help them develop their own SDI
  • SDI Governance: Lack of a stakeholder forum by which donors, regional, national and local DM communities, NGOs, the private sector, and UN agencies can discuss SDI governance, implementation methods, and technical cooperation as well as exchange challenges, experiences, ideas, and solutions.

c)     Reaching this objective requires the implementation of activities at the following level:

  • Regional SDI Capacity Building: At the Regional (and International) level ensure the involvement of key stakeholders in the development and sustainability of the SDI governance and leadership capacity as well as technical cooperation and support. These activities are grouped under the umbrella of the FALCON SDI Leadership component.

3.2.2    Implementation Schedule

3.2.2.1 Implementation of the FALCON SDI Project under its Phase 1, which is funded hereunder by EAD, will be started as part of activities included in this Agreement (Phase 1 as listed below).  Additional activities (Phases 2 and 3) may occur as follow-on activities as a result of networking efforts to be carried out by AAG and its partners for the project.

  • Phase 1: Engage FALCON Stakeholders in SDI capacity building activities.  AGEDI seed funding will be used to implement an approach to improve regional stakeholder SDI DM capacity initially within the MENA Region.  EAD shall fund Phase 1 activities as further described in clause 3.4 below.
  • Phase 2: Create FALCON Reference Architecture and Resources.  Phase 1 outcomes inform development of an Ideal FALCON Architectural model, assessment criteria, and capacity building tools for use by regional, national, and local stakeholders.
  • Phase 3: Implement Global Process Maturity Model Improvements.  Extend FALCON model and architecture for capacity building worldwide.

3.2.3    Responsibility/Activity Owner under the FALCON SDI Project: 

  • AAG as lead in collaboration with subcontractors as necessary.

3.2.4    Scope of Work under Phase 1 of the FALCON SDI Project to be implemented by AAG for the Eye on Disaster Management Special Initiative, covering broad areas of cooperation comprises the following three (3) tasks:

Task 1 – Project Management:

1.1  Project Management – AAG manages tasks on behalf of EAD.

1.2  Eye on Earth Project Review – Second stakeholders meeting to review work progress to date, report to the secretariat, make potential framework adjustments, present FALCON Regional RoadMap. (November, 2014).

1.3  Final Report – Incorporate Stakeholders and Eye on Earth Secretariat comments in Roadmap, publish final Phase 1 report.

Task 2 – Stakeholder Engagement:

This task identifies and engages regional project stakeholders in the work plan:

2.1  Conduct Stakeholder Survey – collect stakeholder input regarding current SDI development; determine overlaps and mandates. Develop a who’s who database of key regional DM/SDI stakeholders. (ongoing and updated as needed).

2.2  Project Portal – design and publish a Disaster Management SDI Content Management System to inform and communicate with project stakeholders. The Portal will primarily act as a global SDI resource portal that will archive and display SDI documentation, standards, Architectures, best practices, case studies, framework tools and SDI links.  The portal will also contain the project documentation such as workshop findings and road map recommendations, and may contain latter phase architecture, tools, and data sets for ongoing use by FALCON stakeholders. (3rd Quarter, 2014).

2.3  Select and Engage Regional Stakeholder Participants – invite key stakeholder organizations to participate in project activities, including the stakeholder workshop; develop memorandum of understanding outlining SDI strategic planning activities and implementation tasks.

2.4  Initial Consultation – kick off meeting to set project scope, finalize implementation plan, approve budget, and orient stakeholders with project objectives, methods, and deliverables. Initial needs analysis conducted concurrently. (November, 2013, or as soon thereafter as possible).

2.5  FALCON Stakeholder Workshop – select stakeholder participants; convene a stakeholder needs analysis workshop during to identify regional and national DM needs.  Determine usefulness and current state of SDI implementation, outreach, and assessment models.   Facilitators will conduct the workshop as an appreciative inquiry, utilizing moderated small group discussion, fact prioritization, and group report-out to gather and weigh stakeholder input regarding the current state of regional SDI implementation. (Current target data:  April, 2014).

2.6  Publish Workshop Findings – facilitators and SI members evaluate and summarize workshop input, then publish workshop findings for stakeholder and Eye On Earth Secretariat review. (Current target date:  June/July, 2014).

Task 3 – FALCON Regional SDI Capacity Building:

This task outlines the scope of work to improve regional governance and leadership capacity for developing and delivering regional SDI to member states and sub-regional networks.

3.1 Conduct Critical Systems Review – literature review of known SDI systems, resources, standards, criteria, assessment tools; determine the status and alignment of existing SDI development and knowledge available to the targeted geographic region, and globally.  Facilitators will also determine the high level scope and relevance of World Bank, donor, UN and NGO SDI practice relating to regional SDI capacity building. (December 2013 through 3rd Quarter of 2014).

3.2 Regional Stakeholder Analysis – following the stakeholder workshop, analyze selected regional organization DM SDI practices and develop strategic recommendations to implement a pilot SDI with a selected regional organization (member nation or DM agency network).  Findings and recommendations for SDI development will be included in the project Roadmap.  Create social network analysis and graph(s) that depict regional DM stakeholder networks and relationships.  Graphs will be designed to facilitate selecting project stakeholder participants, define possible gaps and overlaps in service, and improve operational DRR and DM coordination and services to vulnerable populations. Network relationships may be assessed in collaboration with the Global Network of Networks Eye On Earth SI (Initiate November 2013 and update as needed).

3.3 Conduct SDI Gap Analysis – assess gaps in regional SDI implementation with the selected regional stakeholder group. Submit to stakeholders for review and feedback.

3.4 Evaluate FALCON Disaster Resource Team Feasibility – explore what would be required to create a DRT whose members can respond, advise, assist, and coordinate with regional Stakeholder organizations to implement FALCON SDI best practices during and following international disaster events.  Emergency resource providers would interact with global relief agency stakeholders, donors, field staff, and first responders to help build emergency SDI capacity during times of severe regional humanitarian need.

3.5 Publish FALCON RoadMap – Using the results of the Critical System Review, Stakeholder Survey, Stakeholder workshop, regional assessment, and preliminary results of SIIEM, facilitators will create and publish a FALCON RoadMap to assist regional stakeholder organizations implement SDI improvements within their member organizations and with member sub-networks.  The Road Map will include strategic recommendations, an action plan for implementing regional capacity building, and a schedule with milestones and success indicators.  This RoadMap will be presented and discussed at the 2014 Eye on Earth Summit.

3.2.5    The expected outcomes of the FALCON Project for 2014 Eye On Earth Summit: 

  1. Critical Systems Review.
  2. Workshop findings.
  3. DM/SDI capacity building and resource portal.
  4. MENA DM/SDI stakeholder social network graph.
  5. FALCON Disaster Resource Team recommendations.
  6. FALCON RoadMap.