IOM trains Municipal Emergency Committee of Upala, Costa Rica on data collection and analysis

 
Costa Rica
7 May, 2019

 

Using its experience in data collection and analysis, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) held a training on April 30 for the Municipal Emergency Committee of Upala, Costa Rica to teach them to use the multiplatform software “KoBo,” which is a free, open-source tool for data collection and processing.

IOM put on the training in response to a need identified by the United Nations Emergency Technical Team (UNETT) in Costa Rica and to the request of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The main objective was to train Emergency Committee to use KoBo Toolbox and KoBo Collect for collecting data during emergencies and sending it to committees which will prepare reports that accurately reflect the state of the canton in times of crisis.

“This issue is gaining force in the National Emergency Commission. For IOM, it represents an opportunity to include the variable of migration in the discussion of emergencies at the national level, seeking to ensure a comprehensive approach in crisis contexts,” emphasized Isis Orozco, National Coordinator of the Regional Migration Program for Costa Rica. Upala has historically been an area connected to international migration, particularly from Nicaragua, and has also been affected itself by disasters such as hurricanes.

IOM participates actively in the region through preparation, response, and recovery actions in crisis and emergency contexts. Actually, one of the components of the Regional Migration Program is emergency and crisis response. “Having up-to-date data is essential for governments and organizations to be able to make better decisions when responding to emergencies and crises,” added Karla Picado, Information Management Coordinator for the Program.

This activity was made possible by financing from the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) of the Department of State of the United States, within the framework of the Regional Migration Program: Mesoamerica-The Caribbean.

For more information, contact Karla Picado, email: kpicado@iom.int