Source：Sahana Situation Room
From SahanaTW Project Manager Hsiaojan Liu:
On November 25th, 2010, a field exercise and simulation was held in Pingtung County, Taiwan where SahanaTW introduced Sahana software to over thirty participants from the government Labour and Social Affairs Department, the Pingtung County Family Support Center, the Southern District Office of the Eden Foundation and other local NPOs (non-profit organizations). The county experienced many challenges in managing resources and volunteers following Typhoon Morakat last year, and this was the reason behind their planning a simulation at this time.
Most of the participants were not use to using digital tools in their daily work, but their feedback from the practice of using Sahana during the simulation was that it was a good experience for them. During the simulation, Sahana’s capabilities for mapping, volunteers and project management, materials and warehouse management, donations and demand management were used. Participants were encouraged to implement IT solutions like Sahana for their daily operations and also for disaster management preparedness. While the participants understood the value of IT solutions, their customary working habits will be a main obstacle to adoption. However, their willingness to participate can be taken as a sign of their taking the first steps toward using IT solutions, both for their daily business operations and for disaster relief work.
One learning point from the simulation was that the “very clear instructions” prepared did not work as well as expected. To help participants understand the logic of the software themselves will reinforce the learning and they will remember what they have learned for a longer time. It is a challenge to find the right boundary between providing enough instruction and giving too much.
Photos of the simulation:
