Innovating Software Leads to Partnerships for a Global Impact
Every year there are millions of people who become displaced from their homes due to wars, conflicts, environmental impacts, and political unrest. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an organization within the United Nations, whose focus is to be the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. It is their aim and mission that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society in a humane, respectful, and dignified manner for all.
Technology Plays a Role
With all that is involved in IOM’s effort of planning, coordinating, and designing settlement camps, Autodesk technology plays a significant role throughout the entire process. IOM worked closely with the Autodesk Foundation to secure their access and equip their teams with current technologies through Autodesk’s software donation program. Through this program, IOM was able to identify and refine their workflow process towards settlement planning which allowed them to initiate design even before arriving onsite. Now armed with access to other tools such as Civil 3D, IOM recognized the need for implementation of more efficient skills. And rather than just draft their settlement plans, they can incorporate designs utilizing tools that consider key factors such as topography, drainage patterns, and areas prone to flooding. To improve the skills of their staff, IOM sought professional consulting and training from Autodesk Platinum Partner Symetri.
Innovation Solutions Through Partnerships
IOM partnered with Symetri to first identify more efficient workflows utilizing their new tool stack of AutoCAD and Civil 3D. This led to the creation of a training manual for settlement planners and designers. The training manual allowed IOM to standardize their approach in developing a site conceptually as well as increasing their analytical and technical skills. Once the training manual was created and vetted through the proper authoring bodies, IOM and Symetri created training videos to enhance and further aid in the technical skills for planners. As a result, an in-person, onsite field training in Geneva was established to provide planners with a wholistic settlement planning training, from a procedural, conceptual, and technical perspective.
Supporting Vital Workflows for A Global Impact
IOM became proficient at using their Autodesk tool stack coupled with the training manual and the videos. As the saying goes, “There’s always room for improvement” and IOM furthered their partnership with Symetri by entering a second phase of improving efficient based on lessons learned and technology enhancements. The technical training manual and videos that were previously developed were refined and updated to further improve IOM’s capabilities in settlement design. Through this process, IOM created new workflows to incorporate with Autodesk InfraWorks. Using this cloud-based planning tool, IOM’s capabilities progressed to topographic analysis through elevation mapping, drainage catchment analysis, and flooding analysis, to name a few, while modeling their designs in 3D. This improved workflow allows IOM to produce designs for settlements much quicker, saving time to communicate their designs with other UN offices, government agencies, and stakeholders in a three-dimensional plan rather than mere images and paper plans. Armed with a more efficient workflow and planning tools, IOM can better support migrations across the globe with clearer communication and coordination.
