The Anguilla Statistics Department, through the Damage and Need Assessment (DANA) working group of the Strategic Planning subcommittee of the National Disaster Management Committee held its annual training and recruitment drive on Friday July 30, 2021.
Approximately, 25 people gathered in the Ministry of Finance Conference Room from 9:00a.m to 12:00p.m. to undertake training in DANA. The training was delivered in seven (7) segments, after the opening remarks and objectives of DANA were presented by the Permanent Secretary, Economic Development, Investment, Commerce, Information Technology and Natural Resources (EDICITNR) Mrs. Chanelle Petty-Barrett.
The training segments included:
- Overview and National Disaster Management Committee
- Professionalism, Manner and Approach in DANA
- Process and Phases of DANA
- Organisation to undertake DANA
- Data Gathering and Processing in DANA
- Analysing, Interpreting and Reporting Damage and Needs
- Articulating Needs & Establishing Priorities
If officials responsible for organizing post disaster relief operations are to make effective decisions about deploying resources or requesting international aid, it is essential that they be properly informed. They must have appropriate and timely data about; what has happened, what needs to be done and what resources are available. Well-organized responses will also help to build confidence and enhance credibility.
The gathering of effective and accurate information/data in a timely manner, immediately after the impact of any disaster continues to be extremely vital to the recovery of small states like Anguilla. Some of the data is already available in the form of baseline data (maps, population statistics etc.), which must be accessible, but this baseline data must be supplemented by real-time data after the event.
The Anguilla Statistics Department would like to thank Mr. Calvin Samuel, Mr. Sanford Richardson and Mrs. Anthea Ipinson-Connor for their assistance in presenting segments of the training; Overview and National Disaster Management Committee Professionalism, Manner and Approach in DANA and Articulating Needs & Establishing Priorities respectively. All other segments were presented by the staff of the ASD who will lead the DANA teams in the event that any disaster strikes.
For further information on DANA or should you be interested in being a first responder, please contact the Chief Statistician, Mrs. Lori-Rae Alleyne-Franklin at 497-5731 or email statistics@gov.ai