To help build a better future for refugees, UNHCR’s chat services suit their preferences, meet their needs, and safeguard their data

From a pilot to multiple country service lines

Working with Turn.io and using WhatsApp’s Business API, a pilot for two way communication with forcibly displaced people was initiated. The first iteration supported relationship management with communities by providing  automated responses and valid, accurate and credible information. 

For UNHCR it was vital to devise a mechanism to facilitate informed decision-making by users when it comes to understanding and accepting the terms and conditions of the service. To ensure better compliance with the organization's Data Protection Policy regarding informed consent, an initial message was configured for first-time users. This message provides a brief overview of what data is collected, who has access to it, for that purpose and what rights users have over it. 

Through triaging of requests and messages this was later augmented by adding human assisted responses and elements such as audio files for visually impaired individuals or for those who have literacy challenges.

At present, individuals can seek answers to common questions about their rights and the services available to them (provision of office locations, advice on asylum procedures, access to services from partner organizations). They can also be referred quickly to UNHCR staff when they need specific support - for example to report an incident of violence or abuse.

User testing and contextualizing each service individually

Key to the WhatsApp services is contextualizing the service to each country where UNHCR is supporting communities - and working with them through user testing to see how they adapt and respond to the service and then make changes where required. 

“We are not a top down organization - and in fact are quite federated. We do not have a global set of content to push down to each country and then push out through our lines. The need of each community determines the service built. But this doesn’t mean that we start from scratch because our staff in different countries have already worked through a lot of the information they are providing to communities and have prepared it for different platforms - the main one being https://help.unhcr.org/.” John Warnes.

Contextualisation has resulted in different features and functions. For instance:

• Ecuador converted all the text based messages to audio. This was to ensure access for the visually impaired as well as those in the user community who might have literacy challenges.
• In different cultures, user feedback was important in deciding on certain features and functions. In LATAM, voice and audio notes are commonly used and so these were included in the service.

Surprising findings along the way … 

A surprising finding of UNHCR research into the chat services was how important such work has been for the staff in the country operations. Maintaining proximity through digital channels had a positive impact on staff satisfaction in their functions.

… and confirming that investments in solutions like these have positive impact in the protection, assistance and empowerment of the people serves 

The service lines show time and time again an ability to lift an important amount of workload for colleagues in the field, thereby allowing them to allocate their efforts and resources in other strategic priorities. For example, protection officers in the Ecuador operation have reportedly saved one hour to an hour and a half of time a day due to reduction in time expenditure required to answer info requests.

However, this is not a ‘quick win’ in order to save time. The teams needed to invest more time and effort in not only creating an adequate service that meets the needs of users (with extensive user testing etc.) but also answering people’s questions and knowing how to refer any issues or concerns that require follow-up from specialized staff. It creates space for teams to think more strategically about interventions rather than ‘firefighting’, which can spark new and innovative approaches to staff members’ work.

Read more about UNHCR’s key findings in this blogpost - https://medium.com/unhcr-innovation-service/six-key-findings-from-engaging-communities-through-messaging-apps-95a9291818f7

Measuring success through creating a meaningful service

The success of the UNHCR service lines are determined around whether they create meaningful exchanges led by communities that, over time, contribute to building trust. 

“We have certain things that we want to get across as an organization,but the main criteria of success comes through knowing that our community is satisfied and is actually using the service. In this, community feedback is critical.” John Warnes

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Insights

Insights for humanitarian organizations looking to use Chat

• Invest time & resources - Don’t necessarily approach setting up a WhatsApp line through the angle of saving time and money. If you invest time and resources, namely human ones, at the beginning to build an effective and meaningful service, saving both of these will come as a by-product.
• Importance of validation of the tool with community members to ensure content is relevant and the tool is user-friendly
• Not on the side - Digital channels should not be considered peripheral for organizations to engage communities meaningfully, but rather considered as part of a strategic and systematic approach and integrated into broader engagement efforts.‍
• Omnichannel approaches are key - Using several different communication channels to give users choice is important as diverse communities increasingly wish to use a variety of channels to access information and engage with organizations.‍
• Human assisted responses make a difference - Human assisted‍
• Constantly evolving needs - In fast evolving contexts, such as humanitarian responses, it is paramount to ensure a mechanism is in place to monitor the usage of the solution and ensure content is up to date. Moreover, direct feedback from users is actively sought on the solution and content available to ensure necessary adjustments are carried out to maintain the relevance of the channel.‍
• Users' data rights matter - In line with the growing interest to protect the personal data of vulnerable populations, it is essential to design a solution that takes this into consideration. Options like a welcome message that briefly explains what data is collected, who has access to it and the rights that users have over it should be considered.

Turn.io features used:

Automation

Bulk Messaging

Helpdesk