DigiCap

Across humanitarian operations, digital tools are increasingly used for programme delivery, coordination, service mapping, referrals, monitoring, feedback and reporting. Yet the capacity to design, govern and connect these tools is uneven. Many organisations, particularly local and medium-sized organisations, face difficulties in assessing technology options, negotiating with vendors, setting up responsible data-sharing practices, or ensuring that digital systems remain practical in field conditions.

This creates a growing need for advisory capacity that is both technically competent and grounded in humanitarian realities. Digital challenges are rarely only technical. They often involve questions of trust, governance, accountability, consent, data protection, institutional mandates and coordination between actors.

DigiCap responds to this gap by making specialised digital advisory support available to humanitarian actors facing shared operational and coordination challenges.

DigiCap starts with the problem rather than a predefined deployment model. The scope, expertise and duration of support are determined by the nature of the challenge and the decisions that need to be supported.

DigiCap can support humanitarian actors where digital challenges affect more than one organisation, sector, system or response function.

This may include:

• mapping existing digital systems and identifying fragmentation or duplication;
• improving interoperability between platforms, databases, referral systems, dashboards or reporting tools;
• developing data-sharing protocols, data governance frameworks or responsible data practices;
• advising on the selection, procurement or adaptation of digital tools;
• supporting digital inclusion and the meaningful participation of local actors;
• reviewing risks related to sensitive data, cybersecurity, biometrics, artificial intelligence or automated decision-making;
• facilitating agreement between organisations on shared digital workflows, standards or operating procedures;
• supporting coordination bodies to better understand and manage digital transformation challenges.

DigiCap is most relevant when the issue is collective. It is intended for situations where several organisations, a coordination platform, a consortium, a local actor network or a technical working group require neutral support to clarify the problem and agree on a practical way forward.

Support may range from a focused technical review or facilitated workshop to longer-term advisory accompaniment, depending on the complexity of the challenge.

DigiCap support may be requested by:

• humanitarian coordination bodies, clusters, sectors and working groups;
• UN agencies and INGOs leading collective digital or data-related initiatives;
• NGO consortia and collaborative response platforms;
• local and national NGO networks facing a shared digital challenge;
• donors or coordination platforms seeking independent technical scoping or feasibility advice.

Requests from individual organisations may also be considered where the challenge has clear interagency relevance, wider humanitarian value, or potential to generate learning for the broader response and when endorsed by the cluster or consortia. 

1. Request submission

The requesting agency, coordination body or coalition submits a short request describing the digital challenge, the actors involved, the urgency, expected outputs and available operational or financial support.

2. Initial screening

ERC reviews whether the request fits DigiCap’s mandate. Priority is given to requests with interagency relevance, clear humanitarian value, local actor involvement and realistic conditions for uptake.

3. Scoping discussion

DigiCap and the requesting entity hold a scoping discussion to clarify the problem, stakeholders, decisions to be supported, required expertise, possible support modalities, timeline, risks and responsibilities.

4. Terms of Reference

A Terms of Reference or agreed scope of support is jointly developed. It defines the objective, advisory approach, expected outputs, stakeholders, responsibilities, required expertise, timeframe and operational arrangements.

The scope and duration are based on the challenge rather than a standard deployment period.

5. Expertise and resourcing

DigiCap determines the most appropriate expertise and resourcing model for the engagement. Depending on the request, support may be provided through existing DigiCap expertise, specialist advisors from the DigiCap roster, or a combination of both.

The DigiCap roster is therefore one resource available to the advisory mechanism rather than the basis on which support is structured.

Resourcing arrangements are agreed during scoping and may include support covered through DigiCap resources, co-financing with the requesting entity, or dedicated project funding depending on the scale and duration of the engagement.

6. Advisory support

Support may be delivered remotely, in person or through a hybrid model. Depending on the agreed scope, DigiCap may provide technical review, facilitated workshops, system or workflow analysis, governance design, procurement support, interoperability planning or longer-term advisory accompaniment.

The advisory team may work with coordination bodies, local NGOs, UN agencies, INGOs, donors, government counterparts, technical working groups or sector leads, depending on the context.

7. Outputs and follow-up

Each engagement produces outputs appropriate to the problem and agreed during scoping. These may include a digital roadmap, interoperability options paper, data governance framework, procurement guidance, workshop report, training package, tool review or implementation plan.

Where the challenge evolves or moves towards implementation, the scope of follow-up support may be adapted in agreement with the requesting entity.

Depending on the request, DigiCap can help produce:

• digital needs assessment or system mapping;
• interoperability roadmap;
• digital governance framework;
• responsible data or DPIA checklist;
• data-sharing protocol;
• referral pathway or service mapping design note;
• procurement requirements for a digital platform;
• vendor comparison or due diligence tool;
• digital inclusion and localisation plan;
• responsible AI or automation risk review;
• standard operating procedures for shared digital workflows;
• workshop facilitation report;
• implementation plan;
• learning brief or case study.

Humanitarian principles and neutrality

DigiCap is guided by the principles of humanity, neutrality, independence and impartiality. Advisors are not deployed to promote a single agency’s tool, vendor or institutional agenda. Their role is to support collective decision-making and principled digital coordination.

Accountability and participation

Digital systems should strengthen accountability, not weaken it. DigiCap promotes digital approaches that help affected people receive timely information, provide feedback safely, and participate in decisions that affect their lives. This includes attention to accessibility, language, informed consent, safe feedback channels and responsible communication with affected people.

Localisation and inclusion

Local and national actors should be meaningfully involved in digital planning, governance and decision-making. DigiCap supports approaches that strengthen local capacity and avoid creating systems that are difficult for local actors to access, use or sustain.

Responsible data use

Digital systems can create harm if personal or sensitive data is collected, shared or stored without sufficient safeguards. DigiCap promotes data minimisation, informed consent, secure access, clear accountability and context-specific risk assessment.

Practicality and sustainability

Recommendations must be realistic for humanitarian settings, including low-connectivity environments, limited staff capacity, security constraints and complex coordination structures. DigiCap focuses on solutions that can be implemented and maintained, not only on technical concepts.

Interoperability before duplication

Before new systems are introduced, DigiCap helps actors assess whether existing tools, standards or workflows can be adapted, connected or governed more effectively. The aim is to reduce duplication and support more coherent digital ecosystems.

DigiCap does not replace existing coordination leadership, manage another organisation’s programme, provide general IT troubleshooting, impose specific digital solutions, act as a software vendor, or make final decisions on behalf of humanitarian actors.

It provides neutral advisory support so that organisations and coordination structures can make safer, more informed and more coherent digital decisions.

DigiCap works best when:

• the request responds to a recognised coordination or multi-agency need;
• key stakeholders are willing to participate in scoping and decision-making;
• local actors are included from the beginning;
• the host or requesting entity can identify a focal point;
• the advisor can access relevant documentation, systems and coordination spaces;
• there is openness to address governance, data protection and institutional questions, not only technical configuration.