Championing Digital Community Connections in Georgia

The Red Cross is there to help. To this end, it is vital that information on how to access assistance is easy to find for affected communities. In an increasingly digital world, effective communication across multiple platforms is crucial for humanitarian organizations that rely on strong connections with their communities. The Georgia Red Cross Society recognized this need and turned to the Netherlands Red Cross’ data and digital team, 510, to streamline its communication channels by implementing the Digital Engagement Hub (DEH). By merging multiple communication channels into a single, unified system, DEH has revolutionized how the National Society interacts with the communities it serves, getting help to those who need it much faster.

What is DEH?

A collaborative effort by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Netherlands Red Cross and several National Societies, DEH is a standardized tool to enhance multi-channel communication. As such, the tool has been meticulously developed by a team of humanitarians who can uniquely relate to the challenges that fellow humanitarians face when engaging with their communities. DEH boosts local, scalable community engagement and accountability by connecting humanitarian organizations with individuals impacted by crises. In doing so, DEH delivers actionable insights from the feedback of those affected, enabling National Societies to tailor their response to community needs.

Streamlining communication, enhancing collaboration

The Georgia Red Cross Society manages its digital communication through Facebook, phone calls, and WhatsApp Messenger, each channel having been handled by separate customer service teams in the past. The treatment of messages and calls as distinct entities, without a database to collect information, led to fragmented coordination and scattered data, making it difficult to track interactions and manage the increasing volume of inquiries. Implementing DEH tackled this challenge by centralizing all incoming messages from these channels into a single platform. With all communication channels neatly integrated into one system, the Georgia Red Cross Society can now easily track the number of people reaching out and understand the reasons behind each inquiry, allowing them to respond to community needs more quickly and accurately.

“If a project manager was curious about the number of messages and calls from social media and the hotline, they had to refer to separate persons responsible for social media and the hotline, which was a big challenge. DEH has made this much easier because we can observe referrals and have the history of different people affected all in one place.”

Ana Lomtatidze, CEA Focal Point at the Georgia Red Cross Society

One of the most significant benefits of the DEH implementation has been the unification of the previously separate customer service teams. By bringing together the teams responsible for managing Facebook and phone call inquiries, DEH has created a more collaborative and efficient work environment. Instead of navigating different systems, team members can now share information and respond to requests in a coordinated manner, making their daily lives easier and allowing them to focus on what matters most – supporting their communities.

“Step-by-step, we adapt and resolve technical issues to make it more comfortable and user-friendly for people affected because this is our priority. The system is very adaptable, which is a big plus because we can adjust to arising issues.”

Giorgi Kobiashvili, IT Manager at the Georgia Red Cross Society

Leveraging communication industry trends

DEH is not just about centralizing existing communication channels; it is also about staying ahead of trends in the communications industry. The platform’s ability to easily incorporate new channels and adapt to emerging technologies is one of its key strengths. For example, DEH has identified the growing importance of chatbots in community engagement. As these channels become increasingly popular, DEH is equipped to embed them seamlessly, ensuring that National Societies can continue to meet evolving community needs. By continually improving and filling gaps in its operations, DEH ensures its readiness to connect with people in the most effective way, signalling its commitment to make it easy for people affected to access the support they need.

A new era of connectivity

The implementation of DEH has marked a new era of connectivity for the Georgia Red Cross Society by centralizing communication channels and promoting teamwork, ensuring a smoother user experience and more efficient support to people affected. Its adaptability to new communication trends positions DEH as a leader in digital community engagement. As the hub continues to evolve, it promises to further simplify and enhance the way humanitarian organizations connect with the communities they serve, making a lasting impact on the lives of many.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that the Arabic, French and Spanish versions of this article were automatically generated using Artificial Intelligence. We cannot guarantee full accuracy of these versions.