2012 Pacific OperationalScience & Technology Conference

March 19-23

Dr. Steve Gale

Senior Adviser for Strategic Opportunities

USAID Office of Science & Technology

USAID is the United States’ principal international development agency, devoted to easing suffering, spreading prosperity and increasing security in the developing world.

What is USAID?

Where We WorkWe provide assistance in five regions of the world: Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin American & the Caribbean, Europe & Eurasia and the Middle East.

New USAID Missions since 2000

AfghanistanIraqSudanSouth SudanYemenDjiboutiCyprusPakistanEast TimorThailand (Regional)

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Our Top Priorities

• Disaster Relief/Crisis Response

• Economic Growth

• Global Health

• Food Security

• Democracy & Governance

• Climate Change

S&T: One of USAID’s Highest Priorities

• Development: Science and technology (S&T) are vital for sustainable/lasting success.

• High S+T Priority: Recognized by President Obama (PPD-6), Secretary of State Clinton (QDDR), and Secretaries of Defense (QDR).

• Our Goal: Work with DOD to explore dual-use technologies, expand partnerships, and build new ones.

Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA)

Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA)

FAST FACTS

Number of OFDA disaster responses

7

Number of countries that received OFDA disaster support

56

OFDA’s total budget $1.307 billion

OFDA percentage of USAID budget

5.8%

Most frequent disaster Floods

Most funded sector Logistics and Relief Supplies

Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA)

LARGEST RESPONSES

Haiti Earthquake $367.6 million

Pakistan Floods $115.0 million

Sudan Complex Emergency

$92.9 million

Iraq Complex Emergency

$41.0 million

Afghanistan Complex Emergency

$29.9 million

Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA)

Emerging HA/DR Challenges

INFORMATION COLLECTION

Diversity of information collection/gathering tools from mobile/smart phones, to laptops/tablets, to SMS messages.

Increasing number of non-traditional crisis-information nodes

from volunteers, to technical communities, to disaster impacted

inhabitants, to worldwide citizens.

Shift away from document-centric and situation reports to real-time, continuously updated information.

Emerging HA/DR Challenges

ANALYSIS

Dramatic increase in the volume and velocity of incoming data flows and raising expectations by decision makers.

Continuing shift away from single, non-layered, data sets to composite, multiple visualizations.

Increasing levels/sophistication of analysis within silos, but only modest improvement in sharing and interoperability.

Emerging HA/DR Challenges

COMMUNICATIONS

Lack of formal communication protocols with new players on emergency/crisis issues (volunteers, technical community, etc.)

Crowd-sourcing of data requires broader language and cultural skills to form a unified team.

Issues of information security/classification versus open source unclassified information sharing.

QUESTIONS?

USAID S+T Office: Dr. Steve Gale, Sgale@usaid.gov