RDA / CODATA Data Systems, Tools, and Services for Crisis Situations WG

The RDA/CODATA Data Systems, Tools, and Services for Crisis Situations Working Group (DSTS_CS-WG) arises out of a widespread set of activities and interests in RDA and CODATA that have developed through close interaction with leading international, regional, and national organisations playing prominent roles in crisis preparedness and response, and rebuilding architecture, crisis governance, and the management of crisis situations.

Vision

The vision of the DSTS_CS-WG is to contribute to a mapping and understanding of the scientificand the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) characteristics of data systems, innovativetools, and comprehensive services that contribute to reliable and resilient preparation, response,and recovery to crisis situations.

Mission

The mission of the DSTS_CS-WG is to elucidate scientific and ELSI features of data systems,tools, and services in relationship to the needs of scientists, policy/decision-makers, emergencyresponders, media, and affected communities by providing an overview of those characteristicsand how they are expressed in the architecture, design, interoperability standards, and applicationof digital infrastructures to crisis situations worldwide.

Objectives

The principal objective of DSTS_CS-WG is to create a listing of the specific data-related needsand challenges arising during crisis situations mapped to data systems, tools, and services (DSTSs) indicating their applicability, interoperability, and utility, with reference to the data value chain.

The following specific objectives will be pursued by the DSTS_CS-WG:

1. Identifying the digital tool needs and challenges by first responders, field workers, scientists,lab personnel, policymakers, national authorities, and communities during crises, focusing onthe data that is needed in the immediate crisis situation, and for immediate decision making.This should also provide insight into what is necessary at other stages of a crisis situation, e.g.,in the stages of preparation, mitigation, recovery, rebuilding.
2. Identifying the DSTSs requirements to achieve interoperable, high-quality data, and easy tocommunicate information for crisis management;
3. Identifying DSTSs characteristics and attributes needed in their design, development, anddeployment in crisis situations for the reliable and effective collection, analysis, anddissemination of information with reference to the data value chain;
4. Mapping these to the more general characteristics for Research Commons as provided by e.g.the RDA GORC IG and FAIRSharing; and
5. Developing a recommendation specifying the characteristics of DSTSs required to meet theneeds and address the challenges in crisis situations.