Crisis Analytics: Big Data Driven Crisis Response

Disasters have long been a scourge for humanity. With the advances in technology (in terms of computing, communications, and the ability to process and analyze big data), our ability to respond to disasters is at an inflection point. There is great optimism that big data tools can be leveraged to process the large amounts of crisis-related data (in the form of user generated data in addition to the traditional humanitarian data) to provide an insight into the fast-changing situation and help drive an effective disaster response. This article introduces the history and the future of big crisis data analytics, along with a discussion on its promise, challenges, and pitfalls

Technology for Good: Innovative Use of Technology by Charities

Technology for Good identifies ten technologies being used by charitable organizations in innovative ways. The report briefly introduces each technology and provides examples of how those technologies are being used.Examples are drawn from a broad spectrum of organizations working on widely varied issues around the globe. This makes Technology for Good a unique repository of inspiration for the public and private sectors, funders, and other change makers who support the creation and use of technology for social good

Using crowdsourced geospatial data to aid in nuclear proliferation monitoring

In 2014, a Defense Science Board Task Force was convened in order to assess and explore new technologies that would aid in nuclear proliferation monitoring. One of their recommendations was for the director of National Intelligence to explore ways that crowdsourced geospatial imagery technologies could aid existing governmental efforts. Our research builds directly on this recommendation and provides feedback on some of the most successful examples of crowdsourced geospatial data (CGD). As of 2016, Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has assumed the new role of becoming the primary U.S. agency responsible for counter-proliferation. Historically, this institution has always been reliant upon other organizations for the execution of its myriad of mission sets. SOCOM's unique ability to build relationships makes it particularly suited to the task of harnessing CGD technologies and employing them in the capacity that our research recommends. Furthermore, CGD is a low cost, high impact tool that is already being employed by commercial companies and non-profit groups around the world. By employing CGD, a wider whole-of-government effort can be created that provides a long term, cohesive engagement plan for facilitating a multi-faceted nuclear proliferation monitoring process.http://archive.org/details/usingcrowdsource1094551570Major, United States ArmyMajor, United States ArmyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

21ST CENTURY OPEN-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT UTILIZATION

American law enforcement relies heavily on open-source intelligence (OSINT) to effectively protect the citizens and communities that they serve. Because of technological advancements, this form of intelligence has rapidly evolved, making it difficult for law enforcement to efficiently collect, analyze, and disseminate this information. This thesis reviews current law enforcement use of open-source intelligence and conducts a case study on the use of open-source intelligence prior to and during the initial Ukraine invasion by Russian military forces. The research identifies social media open-source intelligence as the most heavily relied-upon form and a lack of collection standards, low public sentiment, and law enforcement culture as obstacles to its full potential use. Unprecedented crowdsourcing and high positive public sentiment toward Ukraine during the invasion were highlighted as key factors to success in defending against invading Russian forces. Forming a national OSINT standards committee, improving public sentiment to encourage public crowdsourcing, and forming a national OSINT database would increase law enforcement open-source intelligence effectiveness.Civilian, Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police DepartmentApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Social Media Role in Relieving the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis

This research explores the possibilities and limitations associated with utilizing new media technologies in relieving humanitarian crises by focusing on the Rohingyan case. The main interest is to approach a conceptual communication framework based on the current Rohingya refugees’ perceptions about social media networks and mobile apps and the potential suggestions to optimize its usefulness in relieving their crisis. Addressing the obstructive challenges that interrupt the new media technologies functionality is another objective of the study. The mixed methodology interlaces the qualitative findings of the questionnaire with the qualitative outcomes of the semi-structured interviews to reach an inclusive investigation to the research questions. An examination to the significance of relationships between Rohingya demographic attributes and their preferences and perceptions toward social media platforms and mobile apps is substantial to explore the dominant factors that may influence the relationship between the Rohingya and different media platforms. Keywords: social media, mixed methods, Rohingya, humanitarian crises DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/87-04 Publication date: January 31st 202

Task Assignment with Autonomous and Controlled Agents

We analyse assignment problems in which not all agents are controlled by the central planner. The autonomous agents search for vacant tasks guided by their own preference orders defined over subsets of the available tasks. The goal of the central planner is to maximise the total value of the assignment, taking into account the behaviour of the uncontrolled agents. This setting can be found in numerous real-world situations, ranging from organisational economics to "crowdsourcing" and disaster response. We introduce the Disjunctively Constrained Knapsack Game and show that its unique Nash equilibrium reveals the optimal assignment for the controlled agents. This result allows us to find the solution of the problem using mathematical programming techniques.

Leveraging Crowdsourcing and Crowdsensing Data for HADR Operations in a Smart City Environment

The future of the world's population concentration lies within the bounds of urban cities. Citizens, or humans, are the most important tangible resources in a smart city environment, and they need to be served as well as protected. The concept of smart cities is trying to accomplish the idea of serving the citizens by leveraging the potential of information and communications technology assets. Citizens have access to smart technologies and applications, and thus they form an indispensable component to complement and supplement a smart city's operation. Especially in humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery (HADR) operations, where a smart city's core infrastructure might be compromised, the assets of citizens can be put to use. This article aims to describe the current state of affairs for safety in cities and humanitarian assistance in emergency situations, which require leveraging situational awareness data. We discuss and propose mechanisms for connecting to and utilizing crowdsourcing and crowdsensing data in a smart city environment, which can assist in efficient HADR operations