In order to ensure that Strata will be fit-for-purpose, the platform is being developed through a strong user-centric co-design approach with international and local stakeholders from within and outside the UN system. The project adopted such an approach to ensure the tool is informed by end-users’ needs and, in particular, incorporates their feedback on the framework, indicators and datasets used.
Prior to technical development work, UNEP held consultations with 89 experts from 48 different international organisations, including the UN, Member States, academia, NGOs and private companies. Based on the consultations, it was decided that Strata’s prototype will be developed for Somalia, because of its long history of experiencing climate-related security stresses, and because of easy communication with stakeholders and potential users in international organisations and civil society organisations through UNEP’s advisor to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).
Subsequently, the Somalia co-design process comprised:
- an initial survey with target users and subject matter experts,
- follow-up semi-structured interviews identifying what types of decisions are typically made that could use the support of spatial data (March–April 2021),
- five co-design workshops to collect input and feedback on the design and content of the platform, the choice of method, and the user interface (May–June 2021).
We would like to sincerely thank all people that engaged in this co-design process for their time and insights. Next up: technical development sprints to get the platform up and running accordingly.
