Timely warning to minimise casualties

December 11, 2011, 6:58 pm , The Island


Welcome

Welcome to the sixty eighth edition of this regular column. Here, we discuss a wide range of topics around Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), many aspects of Business, SME Development, Agriculture, Education, Entrepreneurship, Creativity, Innovation and the Society at large.

ICT and Weather Reporting

Gale force winds and storms destroyed property and many human lives in Galle and Matara districts in Sri Lanka a couple of weeks ago. What was sad was that there was no proper warning from the Sri Lanka Meteorological Department which could have minimised the number of casualties. I checked the news the night before just to double check and it didn’t sound any alarms at all.

Due to these sorts of events, people’s confidence in the Sri Lankan Meteorology Department will be lost. One thing that I have noticed at times is that ‘weather reports’ are worded somewhat vaguely so that it almost appears as if the reports try to cover all possible bases. Secondly there is no feel of cutting edge technology being used. Not just for the forecasting aspects but also for distributing the information.

The technology aspect is more apparent by the fact that the Met Department website at http://www.meteo.gov.lk/ is in a pathetic state. And I thought it’s worth discussing using it as a case study for the general benefit of improving ourselves.

The Met Department website has not been updated since 2011.10.21. And for an ever changing phenomenon like the weather, that is pretty unacceptable. There is a section on the website called ‘Warnings’, but it is not linked to anything at the time I checked.

The state of the website indicates that probably even the other technologies are weak. Usually web and ICT (information and Communications Technology) should be a part and parcel of the rest of the infrastructure rather than a separate disconnected entity. Things like SMS alerts, email notifications to key audiences, news, organisational information etc should be connected. This is what we call as an Information Architecture in an organisation. In that architecture, a website is only one part but has to be well integrated with the rest of the information architecture components.

Features of a good web facility are that it has to be clear, easy to navigate, provides correct information and very importantly the information has to be relevant, timely and accurate.

The world is in fact moving (or has moved) towards a web 2.0 society.

What is web 2.0?

Web 2.0 is considered as the second generation of the internet or World Wide Web (WWW). It is focused on the ability of people to collaborate and share information online through internet media. Web 2.0 basically refers to the transition from static web pages to more dynamic websites and facilities that are more organized. It has a key component in serving the users using various Web applications. Other improved functionality of Web 2.0 includes open communication with an emphasis on Web-based communities of users, and more open sharing of information. Blogs, Social Media, wikis, and Web services are all seen as components of Web 2.0.

The concept of Web as a participation platform captures many of these characteristics. Bart Decrem, a founder and former CEO of Flock, calls Web 2.0 the "participatory Web".

You will notice by the applications that have become popular in recent times such as Facebook are more participatory. Many websites today allow users to contribute with information, knowledge and comments. Users today are not just about consuming knowledge but they are also about contributing knowledge. So, the web facilities should be flexible to that level.

So, it is not about just having a website for an organisation. But it is about having a relevant, flexible and informative website that provides timely, relevant and accurate information. To do that, it can’t be a disconnected entity from the rest that is maintained by some disconnected set of people, but has to be a well integrated part of the organisation’s information strategy.

That is the only way to make a website attractive and popular and that is only when people will continue to visit it regularly and more importantly, that is only when it will be useful.

Content Management System

Content is the heart of today’s websites. The content has to be rich and a rich level of content can be managed by using a system that is called as a Content Management System which should be closely linked to the web facility. That is where all the data and information that is to be displayed on the website are stored and managed.

Eventually key elements of an effective website are things like appearance, content, functionality and usability. Content and functionality alludes to relevant, timely, accurate as well as participatory features that we discussed before.

A Comparison

Although I am not about advocating everything that other countries do, it’s not a bad idea to borrow good things from them and tailor it to our needs, after all there is no point in re-inventing the wheel. At least it will improve our standards.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology web homepage provides the Australian community with access to weather forecasts, severe weather warnings and all other relevant information. The website is at www.bom.gov.au. The site is clean, clearly separated into each state as well as the main cities. It gives the high level weather detail in the home page and when you click on a specific area, all the current weather details are provided. Importantly it is updated very frequently, for example the current temperature is updated every half an hour, and if there are extreme weather conditions then the frequency of updates would be about every 15 minutes. The good thing is that people actually go by the forecasts given. Whether they need to take an umbrella and how they choose cloths (due to heat/cold situations) are well guided by the weather forecasts and what’s provided in TV/Radio and website are consistent.

Then for those who make a livelihood at the mercy of the elements such as fishermen, the warnings become a life saver. It also provides emergency workers such as fire fighters and rescue workers time to plan and be ready for any extreme weather events. On their website there is a warnings section and that is well up to date. Graphical map viewers of forecasting temperature, rainfall, weather, wind, waves and more are provided, and people can understand it for themselves. Radar and Satellite pictures are also available on the web, meaning it’s integrated to the rest of the organisation’s technology. During bushfire seasons, regular updates on the situation are provided. It even has a section about water storage so people know what level of water they have in storage for the community.

Now compare that with a website that has the last weather details from October 21st when we are now in December! A website that doesn’t have any page linked to ‘warnings’! So many other broken links with no pictures etcetera.

I think Sri Lankan Met Department has a long way to go. Web, other ICT tools, mobiles applications, SMSs etc are novel, quick and cheap ways of interacting and communicating with people. These have to be embraced and utilised effectively. It’s not about having a website to tell people about ‘About Us’. It’s about providing what really matters to them in a way they understand.

ICT For Modern Day Diplomacy

Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS - http://www.kadirgamarinstitute.lk/) is a ‘think tank’ in the area of international affairs and it functions under the Ministry of External Affairs. They are organising a Discussion Forum on ICT for Modern Day Diplomacy.

The forum will discuss how ICT can be utilised to make Sri Lankan Foreign Relations better. It will discuss aspects such as ICT Strategy for foreign relations, ICT for communication, information dissemination, social media and legal aspects. The speakers at the forum are Chanuka Wattegama, Kithsiri Gunasekara, Vasana Wickramasena and myself.

It will be held on 15th Dec (Thursday) at 3pm at the Kadirgamar Institute at 24, Horton Place, Colombo-07. I invite those who are interested to attend this session.

Get in Touch

If you have any feedback, please drop a note to yva@lankabpoacademy.lk

See you next week!



The Columnist

Yasas Vishuddhi Abeywickrama is a professional with significant experiences. In 2011 he was recognised as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) in Sri Lanka. Yasas has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from University of Colombo and a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Swinburne University in Australia. He has worked in the USA, UK, Sri Lanka & Australia and being trained in the USA & Malaysia. He is currently involved in the training organisation, Lanka BPO Academy (www.lankabpoacademy.lk). Apart from this column, he is a regular resource person for ‘Ape Gama’ program of FM Derana (Sunday 3-5pm). Yasas is happy to answer your relevant questions – email him at yva@lankabpoacademy.lk .