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Technology for Impact AUG 2018–JULY 2019 Annual Impact Report TECHNOLOGY FOR IMPACT This project has been made possible in part by a grant from the Cisco Fund, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Mercy Corps’ Technology for Development (T4D) team collaborates with field teams and external partners to unlock new possibilities and reach more people through the power of technology. OUR VISION A world of digital inclusion and opportunity where the ethical use of technology empowers secure, productive and just communities. 27 countries are now home to Technology for Impact Technology for Impact initiatives and/or Cisco Meraki networks installed Meraki Network as part of our partnership. Both GREECE ITALY SERBIA TAJIKISTAN INDONESIA TIMOR-LESTE NEPAL COLOMBIA EL SALVADOR GUATEMALA UNITED STATES AFGHANISTAN CENTRAL AFRICAN GAZA REPUBLIC GEORGIA D E MO C R AT I C IRAQ REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO JORDAN ETHIOPIA LEBANON KENYA LIBYA M A LI SYRIA N I G E R IA YEMEN UGANDA 2019 ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT The world continues to face unprecedented challenges, Thanks to support, technology, expertise and collaboration with some 70 million people displaced from their homes from Cisco, Mercy Corps’ Technology for Development team due to conflict and the effects of climate change—a 50 has been working closely with field teams in 17 countries percent increase in the last 5 years alone. Mercy Corps, a to implement innovative digital technology solutions. team of more than 5,500 humanitarians, works in over 40 We’re collaborating with Mercy Corps’ technical experts in countries around the world to help address these challenges areas such as peace and conflict, agriculture, and cash to and help people build better, stronger lives. We mobilize integrate relevant technology into their work. And, we’re a communities, collaborate with companies, and activate leading voice in the development of Libra, a cryptocurrency partner organizations and agencies to deliver breakthrough with the potential to bring millions of people into the global ideas that make a better world possible. financial system that has excluded them for generations. Partnerships have always been at the heart of Mercy Corps’ As we assess technology’s impact in our current programming, approach to humanitarian aid and development. The we’re keeping our eye on the bigger picture. We’re always challenges the world faces are simply too massive and looking for opportunities to expand successful projects, moving complex for any one organization to tackle alone. Our from specific implementations to larger, transformational five-year, industry-leading Technology for Impact systems that leverage technology’s full potential. At the same partnership with Cisco enables us to extend the impact time, we remain mindful of our responsibility to ensure ethical of existing programs and innovate with bold, new implementation of digital technologies, protecting the privacy, technology solutions to help improve lives in some of safety and dignity of the people we’re helping as we unlock new the world’s most vulnerable communities. We have reached opportunities in this increasingly digital world. more than 5 million individuals with our technology-based work in the first 2 years of this partnership. In this Year 2 Impact Report, you’ll find highlights from our efforts to move from ideas to real-world impact, forge new In Year 2, we built on ideas generated in Year 1 for how to partnerships and build sector capacity as we redefine what’s infuse technology into our programs. We moved those ideas possible at the intersection of technology and humanitarian forward, building connections across our organization, aid and development. developing relationships with some 32 local and global technology partners, and implementing new solutions—all with the goal of transforming aid and development through technology. Along the way, we’ve shared outcomes, best practices and lessons learned from our digital technology endeavors both internally and externally. We are grateful Alan Donald, Chief Technology Officer for the many opportunities to collaborate at industry events Mercy Corps and in smaller, more intimate settings. We will continue to share with, and learn from, others in our sector. Read the Year 1 report here. YEAR 2 HIGHLIGHTS PARTNER 5 MILLION 22 PROGRAMS 37 ORGANIZATIONS people have benefited from Technology are incorporating innovative, are now working with Mercy Corps on for Impact programming to date, including tech-enabled programming supported Technology for Impact programming, 3.7 million in Year 2 by the Technology for Impact partnership including 18 added in Year 2 3 TECHNOLOGY FOR IMPACT A YEAR TWO TECHNOLOGY FOR IMPACT INITIATIVES The Technology for Impact partnership is a 5-year collaboration between Mercy Corps and Cisco. Cisco has invested a total of $10 million to support seven specific initiatives aimed at accelerating digital solutions to build a better world. COMMUNICATION SECURITY AND DIGITAL COMMUNITIES A DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY A Providing reliable, actionable information to Exploring potential security gaps in Mercy communities through a safe, accessible digital Corps’ current communications and data ecosystem to help them engage more equitably protection models, tools, policies and procedures with community power holders, plan for so we can enhance security and ensure their futures and respond to changes in their regulatory compliance. environment. DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING FIELD TECHNOLOGY TESTING PROGRAM A AND ANALYTICS A Funding trials of new and emerging technologies Integrating multiple data sources into program to expand Mercy Corps’ capabilities and develop management and crisis analytics tools to innovative solutions to advance humanitarian generate more relevant, timely information aid and development around the world. and help Mercy Corps teams make more precise, effective decisions. SOLUTION DISSEMINATION A AND REPLICATION BENEFICIARY IDENTITY AND Building awareness of technology solutions A INFORMATION MANAGEMENT and replicating them internally and externally Bringing complementary technology to sustainably scale Technology for Impact components, capacity and procurement/ initiatives. inventory processes into a single ecosystem to enable faster, better beneficiary registration FIELD NETWORKING INFRASTRUCTURE and information management systems. A Deploying the latest, most secure connectivity hardware across our offices and field locations to enable centralized equipment management, reduce costs and ensure faster, more secure communications. 4 TECHNOLOGY FOR IMPACT A YEAR TWO AMPLIFYING OUR IMPACT In over 40 countries around the world, Mercy Corps THE RIGHT PEOPLE designs programs that not only save lives, but also improve them for the future. This requires a deep AND PARTNERS understanding of local challenges, expertise in a variety of fields and ongoing collaboration to ensure all the right pieces are in place. In Year 2 of the Technology for Impact partnership, we’ve dedicated time and effort to building the ecosystem of Mercy Corps internal experts and partners we need to make tech-driven transformation possible. This means equipping our field teams with technology to do their own jobs better, while building their capacity to use technology to deepen and scale their impact. HIGHLIGHTS 69 offices in 18 countries 197,000 + 153% increase can now communicate more effectively new users connected with resources and in team members reporting it was easy and reliably within our global organization information in Year 2 thanks to Wi-Fi sites to complete daily tasks with improved thanks to upgraded Wi-Fi with Cisco installed in Colombia, Italy, Uganda, connectivity Meraki networks Puerto Rico, Greece and Serbia 5 TECHNOLOGY FOR IMPACT A YEAR TWO Keeping our teams connected and secure CISCO MERAKI NETWORKS HELP MERCY CORPS TEAMS IN HARD-TO-REACH AREAS CONNECT, COLLABORATE AND WORK EFFICIENTLY IN THE FIELD In countries like Sudan, Somalia or Afghanistan, some of Faster and more secure internet access not only improves the greatest challenges Mercy Corps faces emerge before our ability to get our job done—it’s also crucial for inclusion we ever get out in the field. When the systems we rely on for efforts across Mercy Corps. When our global workforce day-to-day functions—such as electricity, internet access of more than 5,500 people can connect and communicate and transportation—fail or are inconsistent, we’re less easily, our teams have better access to a diverse pool of efficient, effective and able to focus on solutions for program talent, and all of our team members can take advantage participants. The Technology for Impact partnership includes of more opportunities for career growth. a $1.5 million in-kind donation of Cisco products to improve connectivity and security in Mercy Corps offices, and it’s Cisco Meraki networks are are also providing better already making a difference. visibility and control over internet traffic from Mercy Corps headquarters, giving our IT team the ability to prioritize Over the past year, the Mercy Corps IT team has been working essential sites and platforms in environments with limited to improve internet connectivity through a combination of bandwidth (email, internal platforms) while deprioritizing hardware, bandwidth and electrical infrastructure upgrades. less essential ones (YouTube, social media sites, etc.). These changes have resulted in significant improvements. “Our sector has struggled with poor connectivity for years, and An initial assessment
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