PREP1: User Requirements

Since February 2017, in collaboration with the Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC), we have been busy working with representatives from across the Red Cross Red Crescent network to gather their user requirements for a social media analysis tool for preparedness purposes. Here we provide a summary of the methods used for the study, as well as an overview of the key features and our next steps.

METHODOLOGY:

Primary research in the form of semi-structured interviews and a supplementary online survey was used to gather user requirements from those individuals involved in using social media across the Red Cross and Red Crescent network. Throughout the conduct of the primary research activities, researchers adhered to the ethical protocol designed for the project, thereby ensuring the informed, voluntary participation of all participants.

The interview and survey questions were developed based on the need to gather both domain and technical requirements. Domain requirements include user requirements linking to technical skills and the development of user scenarios for operational tasks (e.g., the need to schedule preparedness tweets). Alternatively, technical requirements include the various technical requirements of the tool concerning the User Interface (UI) design, User Experience (UX) design, information retrieval needs, information dissemination, hardware preferences and real-time communication requirements.

Although not originally envisaged in the design of the study, the small-scale online survey was used to validate further the high-level domain and technical requirements. In April 2017, the research team conducted eight semi-structured interviews, 1 participant chose to complete the interview guide in writing, and 10 participants completed the online survey (open from 13 April – 13 May 2017). Participants included representatives from Europe, Africa, North and South America, Asia and Australia.

For the interviews, researchers used snowball sampling to recruit participants, with a particular focus on recruiting representatives from across the globe, representing different cultures and experience in using social media and social media analysis tools. Representatives from Trilateral Research and the GDPC relied upon existing contacts across the RCRC network to recruit participants. Also, researchers undertook one interview with a humanitarian communications consultant with expertise in social media use for the Red Cross. Researchers shared information on participating in the short-survey via the IFRC Communication lead in Panama, as well as two MailChimp email campaigns and via Twitter.

To validate the findings of the study, Trilateral organised a virtual validation workshop with four participants who took part in the interviews and online survey, a further four representatives from the GDPC and Trilateral were present. Due to conflicting schedules, for those that could not attend, they received a copy of the presentation and were invited to discuss their feedback via phone or email. Participants were subsequently invited to complete a short prioritisation survey to provide their preferences for what features they felt were of greater urgency in the first iteration of the tool. Five participants completed the prioritisation survey.

Recognising the limitation of the sample size when using semi-structured interviews, it has meant that time was taken to gather further detail from those actively involved in the study to improve the validity of the results.

KEY FEATURES:

In keeping with the requirements expressed by those involved in the study, key features to be included are:

• Web-based platform, integrating analytics from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
• Automatic scheduling and customisation of posts
• Content validation capabilities
• Validation of social media performance
• Live monitoring and smart notifications
• Reporting, exporting and translation
• In-built security protocols
• Adhering to principles of Privacy by design

NEXT STEPS:

The research team has developed a full-cost budget for the development stage. Trilateral Research will seek to gain funding to develop and pilot a first iteration of the PREP1 tool. In the coming months, representatives from Trilateral will attend academic conferences to drive awareness of the study and its findings.