Observation of Katrina/Rita Observation of Katrina/Rita Groove Deployment: Groove Deployment: Addressing Social and Addressing Social and

Communication Challenges of Communication Challenges of Ephemeral GroupsEphemeral Groups

Shelly Farnham, Ph.D.Shelly Farnham, Ph.D.

ISCRAM 06ISCRAM 06

AgendaAgenda

BackgroundBackground Context of DeploymentContext of Deployment Observed Social and Communication ChallengesObserved Social and Communication Challenges Groove Groove

OverviewOverview Observed usage and deployment challengesObserved usage and deployment challenges

Recommendations for next generation crisis Recommendations for next generation crisis management collaboration technologiesmanagement collaboration technologies

BackgroundBackground Microsoft recently acquired GrooveMicrosoft recently acquired Groove

Peer to peer collaboration technology: Peer to peer collaboration technology: communication, file sharing, & coordination communication, file sharing, & coordination for groupsfor groups

Forming new Humanitarian Systems Forming new Humanitarian Systems GroupGroup Learn about the use of collaborative technologies Learn about the use of collaborative technologies

in the public sector in the public sector Based on Groove’s humanitarian systems teamBased on Groove’s humanitarian systems team

As Researcher in Microsoft’s Social As Researcher in Microsoft’s Social Computing Group, had opportunity to Computing Group, had opportunity to observe deployment of Groove in field observe deployment of Groove in field following Katrinafollowing Katrina What are communication/collaboration What are communication/collaboration

challenges in crisis situations?challenges in crisis situations? What are deployment challenges in crisis What are deployment challenges in crisis

situations?situations?

Trip OverviewTrip OverviewActivity LogActivity Log

Mon 9/19Mon 9/19 Arrive at Baton Rouge, drive through New OrleansArrive at Baton Rouge, drive through New Orleans Cisco mobile communication unit at Pearlington Elementary Cisco mobile communication unit at Pearlington Elementary

School distribution centerSchool distribution center Navy Post Graduate School mobile communication unit at Navy Post Graduate School mobile communication unit at

Hancock Medical CenterHancock Medical CenterTue 9/20Tue 9/20 Hancock County EOCHancock County EOC Joint forces military command & control: DJC2, JFMCC at Bell Joint forces military command & control: DJC2, JFMCC at Bell

ChasseChasseWed 9/21Wed 9/21 DJC2, JFMCCDJC2, JFMCC New Orleans EOC New Orleans EOC Thu, Fri, Sat 9/22 – 9/24Thu, Fri, Sat 9/22 – 9/24 Rita “Hunker down” at JFMCCRita “Hunker down” at JFMCCSun, 9/25Sun, 9/25 FEMA’s “Katrina Interagency Support” base station at Stennis FEMA’s “Katrina Interagency Support” base station at Stennis

Space CenterSpace Center World Shelters World Shelters Mon 9/26Mon 9/26 World SheltersWorld Shelters Waveland beachWaveland beachTue 9/27Tue 9/27 Hancock Medical CenterHancock Medical Center Mercy CorpsMercy CorpsWed 9/28Wed 9/28 Hancock joint forces military communication centerHancock joint forces military communication center Hancock Medical Center, mobile medical unitHancock Medical Center, mobile medical unit Waveland distribution centerWaveland distribution centerThu 9/29Thu 9/29 -- depart -- depart

Nine days, visiting various Nine days, visiting various groups in New Orleans, groups in New Orleans, Hancock County, Waveland Hancock County, Waveland BeachBeach

In-depth discussions with In-depth discussions with members of Groove teammembers of Groove team

Assisted Groove Assisted Groove deployment and training, deployment and training, with Robert Kirkpatrickwith Robert Kirkpatrick

Informal conversations with Informal conversations with relief workersrelief workers

Direct observationDirect observation

Context of DeploymentContext of Deployment

Economy at a stand Economy at a stand still, largely evacuatedstill, largely evacuated

Few stores open, often Few stores open, often shelves emptyshelves empty

Inspectors going Inspectors going through housesthrough houses

People eating at People eating at distribution centersdistribution centers

Many neighborhoods Many neighborhoods still without electricitystill without electricity

““Permissive” Permissive” environmentenvironment

Waveland BeachWaveland Beach

Hunkering down for Rita with JFMCCHunkering down for Rita with JFMCC

Social & Communication ChallengesSocial & Communication Challenges

Much of existing social and technical Much of existing social and technical infrastructure erased, but immediate response infrastructure erased, but immediate response requiredrequired

5% problem of deploying technology, 95% 5% problem of deploying technology, 95% problem of “change management”problem of “change management” Many organizations mobilize for relief effort (military, Many organizations mobilize for relief effort (military,

gov’t, NGO, ephemeral, local)gov’t, NGO, ephemeral, local) Demands coordination in the context of new, Demands coordination in the context of new,

emerging organizational, social, leadership structuresemerging organizational, social, leadership structures

Restoring Communication InfrastructureRestoring Communication Infrastructure

Time to restore technical Time to restore technical infrastructure:infrastructure:

cell towers – 5 days cell towers – 5 days electricity – 2 weeks electricity – 2 weeks Internet ? Internet ?

Cell phone primary form of Cell phone primary form of communicationcommunication No cell phone directoryNo cell phone directory Unstable connectionsUnstable connections Difficult to get through, Difficult to get through,

high demandhigh demand

Mobile Communication UnitsMobile Communication Units

Cisco

“Cats and Dogs” on the Edge

Set up WiFi at Pearlington Point of Distribution

Navy post graduate school presenceAt Hancock Medical Center

MobileWi-fiHotspot

Military Military Communication CenterCommunication Center

DJC2DJC2 Research project, Research project,

setting up setting up command and command and control center in control center in 48 hours48 hours

Setting up communication at World Shelters

Finding People and ResourcesFinding People and Resources

Web sites for listings of Web sites for listings of people and resourcespeople and resources

Distribution Centers (POD, Distribution Centers (POD, Point of Distribution)Point of Distribution)

Relief workers: dependency Relief workers: dependency on face to face meetingon face to face meeting Emergency Operation Emergency Operation

Centers (EOC)Centers (EOC)

Tapping social Tapping social network/social capitolnetwork/social capitol

People finding Each OtherPeople finding Each Other

Developing Situational Awareness and Developing Situational Awareness and Common Operational PerspectiveCommon Operational Perspective

Difficult to develop adequate Difficult to develop adequate awareness of situationawareness of situation Identifying aid requirementsIdentifying aid requirements what organizations are presentwhat organizations are present figuring out gapsfiguring out gaps

People very mobile, high rotation of People very mobile, high rotation of volunteers, information quickly out of volunteers, information quickly out of datedate

Information sources: face to face at Information sources: face to face at EOCs, personal cell phones, emailsEOCs, personal cell phones, emails Laptop with

GPS in car

GIS at EOCs

MercyCorps Mobile Field OfficeMercyCorps Mobile Field Office

No addressNo address MovesMoves Use of Use of

personal cell personal cell phones (rely phones (rely on word of on word of mouth to get mouth to get #)#)

Verizon card Verizon card in one laptopin one laptop

At EOC, literally knocking on RV door to find

Developing leadership and decision-Developing leadership and decision-making structuresmaking structures

Independent groupsIndependent groups No single point of authorityNo single point of authority Differences in expectations Differences in expectations

about decision-making about decision-making hierarchieshierarchies

Cross-organizational distrustCross-organizational distrust Sharing potentially sensitive Sharing potentially sensitive

informationinformation Coordinating to fill niches in Coordinating to fill niches in

aid affected by considerations aid affected by considerations of economic outcomes, status, of economic outcomes, status, competencycompetency

from militaryto ephemeralgroups

Balancing Opportunities Balancing Opportunities for Aid and Abusefor Aid and Abuse

““Permissive environment”, Permissive environment”, opportunities for abuse:opportunities for abuse: Looting, selling contaminated Looting, selling contaminated

water, price gaugingwater, price gauging

Policing measuresPolicing measures Curfews, restricted access to Curfews, restricted access to

neighborhoods, identification neighborhoods, identification cardscards

Increased difficulty for ad Increased difficulty for ad hoc, ephemeral groups to hoc, ephemeral groups to provide aidprovide aid

GrooveGroove

Group communication, file sharing, coordination, Group communication, file sharing, coordination, data synchronization data synchronization

Secure, peer to peer collaborationSecure, peer to peer collaboration No centralized server, increases cross organizational trustNo centralized server, increases cross organizational trust Enables sharing and synchronization across locations, while mobile, with Enables sharing and synchronization across locations, while mobile, with

intermittent Internet accessintermittent Internet access

Moment to moment notifications of updated Moment to moment notifications of updated contentcontent

Ideal for ad hoc, cross organizational Ideal for ad hoc, cross organizational collaborationcollaboration

GrooveGrooveWorkgroups

contacts

discussion

File sharing notifications of new content

data synchronization

meetings

AlertsAlerts

Observed Groove UsageObserved Groove Usage

Communication across locations and across groups “Virtual Communication across locations and across groups “Virtual EOC”EOC” EOCs, POD, Mobile Communication Centers, Military bases, EOCs, POD, Mobile Communication Centers, Military bases,

ships, hospitalsships, hospitals Data synchronizationData synchronization

Registration of evacuees across sheltersRegistration of evacuees across shelters Moment to moment, time-pressured updated informationMoment to moment, time-pressured updated information

JFMCC “battle watch”JFMCC “battle watch” Patient trackingPatient tracking

Hancock mobile medical center, awareness of patient status Hancock mobile medical center, awareness of patient status from arrival to departurefrom arrival to departure

Field to base situation reportsField to base situation reports MercyCorpsMercyCorps

Groove Deployment ChallengesGroove Deployment Challenges Deployment: Deployment:

For crisis situation, should optimize for For crisis situation, should optimize for rapidrapid proliferation of application through both formal and proliferation of application through both formal and informal social networksinformal social networks

Barriers to rapid deployment:Barriers to rapid deployment: Training required for most effective useTraining required for most effective use

Change of default settings, importing contacts, invitation to Change of default settings, importing contacts, invitation to workspacesworkspaces

Specialized knowledge required for use of formsSpecialized knowledge required for use of forms Distributed as single use application, should have “host” Distributed as single use application, should have “host”

license: host role very important, sponsoring new license: host role very important, sponsoring new relationships across organizations through workspacesrelationships across organizations through workspaces

Deployment Challenges Cont’dDeployment Challenges Cont’d

Downloading difficultDownloading difficult Need laptop/desktopNeed laptop/desktop Both invitee and inviter must be online for confirmations, Both invitee and inviter must be online for confirmations,

and for space to downloadand for space to download downloads entire workspace, takes too much time, should downloads entire workspace, takes too much time, should

download just the past weekdownload just the past week ““Managed” identity and activation accountsManaged” identity and activation accounts

False impression need someone to help activate, inhibits False impression need someone to help activate, inhibits people from inviting otherspeople from inviting others

Cannot change identity information in some situationsCannot change identity information in some situations Some organizations require IT buy-in for downloading and Some organizations require IT buy-in for downloading and

identity activationidentity activation

Prototyping RecommendationsPrototyping Recommendations Groove “Light”Groove “Light”

Optimize for rapid proliferation through network (formal & informal)Optimize for rapid proliferation through network (formal & informal) Optimize for mobility of contacts: associated with cell phone, across Optimize for mobility of contacts: associated with cell phone, across

machinesmachines Refine new user experience to minimize any training required, rely on host Refine new user experience to minimize any training required, rely on host

role for supportrole for support Mobile applicationMobile application

Ad hoc group communication Ad hoc group communication Peer to peer mobilePeer to peer mobile

Universal, persistent identity systems for mobile relief workers and recipientsUniversal, persistent identity systems for mobile relief workers and recipients Unified storeUnified store Associated with personal cell phone, automatic publish for emergency Associated with personal cell phone, automatic publish for emergency

situationsituation Identity controlled by individuals, not organizationsIdentity controlled by individuals, not organizations Integration with mobile: sending text message status reports (“I am alive!!”)Integration with mobile: sending text message status reports (“I am alive!!”)

Location awarenessLocation awareness Reputation system for individuals and organizations providing aidReputation system for individuals and organizations providing aid

Future DirectionsFuture Directions

Enabling complex information sharing and trust Enabling complex information sharing and trust development across organizations and across social development across organizations and across social hierarchieshierarchies

How to best support both informal and formal How to best support both informal and formal communication channels across organizationscommunication channels across organizations

Role of social hierarchy inhibiting/enabling cross group Role of social hierarchy inhibiting/enabling cross group collaborationcollaboration

Role of personal relationships (trusted host) in Role of personal relationships (trusted host) in developing across organizational collaborationdeveloping across organizational collaboration