Category:3W

An extreme event is disruptive to normal activities. In order to act with some level of knowledge and predictability, local populations and responders alike seek to know the 3Ws - Who, What, and Where - of the current state of affairs. This can also be called “situational awareness,” and it’s something digital responders are in a prime position to create and maintain.

Overall Goal: Provide timely and accurate information in an easy-to-find location to crisis-affected communities and responders working on the ground in an emergency situation, also ensuring that the information and data released adhere to the ‘do no harm' principle.

Types of digital distributed response action:

• Process a wide range of data (highly dependent upon the situation).
• Amplify accurate media for local and extended attention.
• List information/resources/contacts available for response needs.
• Monitor, tag, and geo-locate relevant social media, SMS and satellite-captured content.

If you think a new 3W of ongoing efforts is required to facilitate digital response efforts, these are the steps you should go through before making any plan. Please use this handy 3W ReadMe and 3W Template.