Consultant: Novel Data Expert – ACAPS

Background
The INFORM Severity Index—jointly overseen by ACAPS with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC)— requires updates to address major disruptions in the global humanitarian data ecosystem resulting from U.S. funding cuts, UN80 reform, and broader limitations in humanitarian data collection. Traditional datasets used for crisis severity analysis have become increasingly scarce. To maintain a robust evidence base, the INFORM Severity Index team is exploring novel, alternative, and non-traditional data sources that can fill critical gaps in data-poor crisis contexts.

Scope of work
The purpose of this work is to identify, assess, and test the feasibility of novel data sources that can complement or partially replace disrupted humanitarian datasets that are used in the INFORM Severity Index. The service provider will produce prototype indicators aligned with the INFORM Severity Index framework that could function within the current Severity Index model.

This work is exploratory in nature; the service provider will assess potential options, but the INFORM team will retain responsibility for final methodological changes and long-term integration. This service provider will work closely with the Humanitarian Evaluation Service Provider and the Strategic Adaptation Service Provider as the key findings will inform the level of data gathering that is required outside of the humanitarian sector and which proxies are most needed per indicator.

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