This week saw us launch the Speed Evidence Portal publicly. It was an exciting time for us as it was the culmination of a year of building and testing in countries like Philippines, Somalia, Iraq, Lebanon, and the UK.

The Speed Portal is an information management portal originally designed to assist humanitarian agencies responding to large-scale, rapid-onset disasters like earthquakes and Typhoons. Information overload is standard operating procedure in the 21st century, but even more so in the aftermath of disasters where time is of essence and the information is continually evolving. Humanitarian professionals in any location around the globe need 24/7 access to an online portal with current information regarding assessments of damage, number of people affected, needs and logistics capabilities. This information must continually update as newly completed surveys, done via smart phones or other technology, are almost instantly available on the portal. Information should be geo-tagged on a dynamic, digital map to make it easy for frontline staff and decision makers to determine what is required and meet urgent needs rapidly.

The Speed Portal brings together social media, RSS, SMS, and digital survey data all in one place and geo-locates the information on a map. We have built a working prototype of the portal, which is available to download for free at speedevidence.com – please let us know what you think.