Data Protection Note: The ACCESS Consortium Nexus Tracker (NexT)
This data protection note is designed to complement the existing data protection policies and guidelines of the ACCESS Consortium partners and does not in any way affect or replace obligations contained in applicable legal, regulatory, or specific project protocols.
The Nexus Tracker (NexT) is a data analysis and visualization tool designed to gather and make information on hazards, conflicts, and displacement incidents available for humanitarian response coordination and planning within the ACCESS Consortium, a project funded by ECHO. This note has been developed in line with guidance from the IASC Operational Guidance for Data Responsibility in Humanitarian Action, ensuring the ethical management of Philippines Disaster and Displacement Data, and following the principles of data privacy, protection, and ethics.
Application of Key Principles for the Nexus Tracker
1. Accountability
This note acknowledges our accountability to the affected populations whose data informs this tool, and to the consortium partners who contribute and utilize the data. Accountability is enacted through the data management and protection policies of the lead agencies, the specific mitigation measures outlined in this document, and adherence to donor requirements.
2. Defined Purpose, Necessity, and Proportionality
The purpose of the Nexus Tracker is strictly defined: to monitor and analyze hazards, conflicts, and displacement incidents to inform humanitarian programming; to forecast the potential impact of disasters to enable anticipatory action; to monitor the collective response of the consortium to ensure timeliness and effectiveness; and to enhance coordination by visualizing partner presence and activities. All data collected and processed is limited to what is necessary and proportionate to achieve these specific, legitimate humanitarian purposes.
3. Fairness and Legitimacy
The development and use of the Nexus Tracker is a legitimate activity under the humanitarian mandate of the ACCESS Consortium. Data is collected and used to improve the quality, timeliness, and targeting of assistance to vulnerable communities, ensuring fairness in the delivery of aid.
4. Confidentiality
The Nexus Tracker implements organizational safeguards and procedures to protect sensitive data. While much of the data is aggregated, we recognize that location-specific information about conflicts or displacement can be highly sensitive. Data is presented in aggregated forms (e.g., charts, maps, KPIs) wherever possible to reduce the risk of identifying specific individuals or small groups. Access to the raw, underlying datasets is restricted to authorized MEAL and Information Management personnel.
5. Human Rights-Based Approach
The Nexus Tracker is designed to uphold a human rights-based approach. The data is used to promote the principles of equality and non-discrimination by helping to identify and prioritize assistance for the most vulnerable populations, including those with disabilities, as explicitly detailed in the Potential Impact Dashboard.
6. Personal Data Protection
The Nexus Tracker is designed to avoid the collection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). The tool aggregates data as counts of individuals, households, or incidents. No names, contact details, or other direct personal identifiers are collected or stored within the system. Should any program activity linked to the tracker require PII, it will be handled separately under the strict personal data protection policies of the collecting partner organization.
7. Data Security
The tracker applies robust organizational and technical safeguards to prevent, mitigate, and respond to security breaches. The tool is built on Microsoft Power BI and embedded within a secure Microsoft 365 SharePoint environment. This ecosystem includes strong password-protected access, encryption of data at rest and in transit, and other industry-standard security measures. Users are granted the minimum level of access required to perform their duties.
8. Data Sharing
The primary purpose of the Nexus Tracker is to facilitate data sharing among ACCESS Consortium partners. All data within the dashboard is accessible to authorized users from all 14 partners to promote transparency and coordination. Sharing data with external actors will be strictly controlled. Only aggregated, anonymized data may be shared externally, and any such request will be subject to approval by the consortium's governing body.
9. Data Quality, Retention, and Destruction
Data quality is maintained by the MEAL teams of the partner organizations, with validation and cleaning processes managed by the central Information Management team. Data will be retained for the duration of the project lifecycle, in line with ECHO's and the lead agency's data retention policies. Upon the conclusion of the required retention period, the data will be securely and permanently destroyed according to established protocols.
Nexus Tracker (NexT) User Guide: Philippines Disaster and Displacement Data
The Nexus Tracker (NexT) is developed by ACCORD for the ACCESS Consortium, aiming to create a comprehensive system for reporting, monitoring, and analyzing hazards, conflicts, and displacement incidents. This tool utilizes data analytics and mapping to provide accurate Philippines Disaster and Displacement Data to support informed decision-making and data-driven programming within the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus.
1. Introduction
Who Can Use This Guide: This guide is designed for the public. It can be used by humanitarian actors, local government units, academe, researchers, and anyone who needs to understand humanitarian trends and make informed decisions using accurate Philippines Disaster and Displacement Data.
Accessing Nexus Tracker: Access the public dashboard directly via the portal. Navigate through the dashboard using the available tabs to explore different datasets and insights.
2. Dashboard Overview
The updated Nexus Tracker provides an integrated platform divided into two primary sections, each designed to answer a different set of critical questions regarding Philippines Disaster and Displacement Data:
- Gaining Insight (Conflict, Hazards, and Displacement): Answers, "What has happened?"
- Developing Foresight (Potential Impact): Answers, "What might happen?"
From the main landing page, you can select which dashboard you want to view by clicking on the respective buttons. A navigation bar is typically available at the bottom of the dashboard to help you switch between different pages (e.g., Home, Snapshot, Trend, Partners).
3. Gaining Insight: Conflict, Hazards, and Displacement Dashboard
Core Question: "What is the current and historical situation regarding incidents and displacement?"
This is your primary tool for understanding recorded events. Use it for situational analysis, reporting, and identifying trends. It contains the following main views:
- A. Snapshot View: Headline numbers including Total Incident Count, Affected Individuals/Households, and Displaced Individuals/Households. Includes interactive map and charts showing regional breakdowns.
- B. Trend View: Helps you see the bigger picture by revealing seasonality, frequency, and long-term changes in disaster events.
- C. Partners View: Displays organizational information for all members of the ACCESS Consortium.
4. Developing Foresight: Potential Impact Dashboard
Core Question: "A hazard is coming. What will the humanitarian impact be?"
This is a specialized forecasting tool for anticipatory action. It uses demographic and vulnerability data to estimate the impact of incoming hazards:
- A. Tropical Cyclones View: Allows you to select areas under specific wind signals (TCWS) to forecast vulnerable households, weak structures, and contaminated water sources.
- B. Earthquakes View: Assesses vulnerability and potential impact from seismic events. Includes detailed Washington Group Questions (WGQ) tables breaking down populations with functional difficulties.
5. General Tips & Best Practices
- The Filter Funnel: Always start with a broad view, then apply filters one by one to narrow focus.
- Reset Slicers: Clear your previous selections before starting a new filter path to avoid cross-filtering conflicts.
- Hover for Details: Hover over charts and maps to view exact statistics in tooltips.
ANNEX A: Data Definitions for Incident Categorization
| Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| Conflict Horizontal | Refers to conflicts between non-state actors, such as families, clans, communities, or private armed groups (e.g., Rido, Crime and Violence, Politics-related). |
| Conflict Vertical | Refers to armed confrontations involving state security forces (e.g., AFP/PNP vs NPA, MILF, ASG, BIFF). |
| Natural Hazards | Events caused by natural processes that negatively impact communities (e.g., Tropical Cyclone, Flooding, Earthquake, Drought). |
| Other Human-induced Hazards | Hazards caused by human action, negligence, or error (e.g., Fire, Oil Spill, Industrial Accidents). |
Nexus Tracker Data Request & Feedback
Submit data request tickets, bug reports, and feedback directly to the MEAL & Information Management team.