What is the functionality of the Toolkit Recommendations Section?

The CARISMAND Toolkit Recommendations Section provides the results of the CARISMAND project and its findings in the form of recommendations, consisting information on the applicable categories of actors, hazards, and disaster stages, the main implementation steps of the respective recommendation (or sub-recommendations in case of a more generic ‘umbrella’ recommendation), sources and further reading.

Based on the project findings, the recommendations are designed around the needs of the three main stakeholder groups within the project – policy makers, disaster managers, and citizens. Thus, each recommendation belongs to one or more of these groups, depending on the content and findings it reflects upon.

Each user can search the information using the pre-defined search options provided by the CARISMAND team, which are based on type of stakeholder:

If a user is interested in recommendations benefiting policy makes, they can use the pre-defined search results under ‘Recommendations for Policy Makers’ Section [marked in blue colour].

If a user is interested in recommendations benefiting disaster managers, they can use the pre-defined search results under ‘Recommendations for Disaster Managers’ Section [marked in orange colour].

If a user is interested in recommendations benefiting citizens, they can use the pre-defined search results under ‘Recommendations for Citizens’ Section [marked in green colour].

The search results will be limited to all recommendation belonging to the selected stakeholder type.

The CARISMAND Toolkit Recommendations Section provides the results of the CARISMAND project and its findings in the form of recommendations, consisting information on the applicable categories of actors, hazards, and disaster stages, the main implementation steps of the respective recommendation (or sub-recommendations in case of a more generic ‘umbrella’ recommendation), sources and further reading. Based on the project findings, the recommendations are designed around the needs of the three main stakeholder groups within the project – policy makers, disaster managers, and citizens. Thus, each recommendation belongs to one or more of these groups, depending on the content and findings it reflects upon.

A user can design their own tailored search results by using the Filter menu located in the left side of the screen and selecting one or more of the following categories:

stakeholder;

hazard type (to collapse all subcategories, please use the ‘+’/’-‘ buttons);

disaster phase; and

type of actors concerned.

The result will show all recommendations that cover all of the selected categories.

If a user is not sure what they are looking for they can also use the free search option using key words. The result will show all sub-pages that includes the respective key words the user is looking for.

Suggestions are provided by the pre-defined search options and tailored search options designed by the CARISMAND Team. For more information please check ‘Pre-defined search option’ or ‘Tailored search option’ guidelines above.

The CARISMAND Toolkit Recommendations Section provides the results of the CARISMAND project and its findings in the form of recommendations that provide practical, scientific and “lay” knowledge for culturally-aware practices in disaster contexts.

Each recommendation gives the users information on:

applicable categories of actors, hazards, and disaster stages,

main implementation steps,

sources, and

further reading.

Based on the project findings, the recommendations are designed around the needs of the three main stakeholder groups within the project – policy makers, disaster managers, and citizens. Thus, each recommendation belongs to one or more of these groups, depending on the content and findings it reflects upon.

In some cases the topic a recommendation is concerned with is quite broad. However, due to ways people search for information and refer to specific disaster management aspects, the CARISMAND Team decided not to divide the recommendation into bits and pieces, but to provide it in a more complex way – by creating the so called ‘umbrella’ recommendation. It consists of sub-recommendations and implementation steps related to the sub-recommendations; thus, providing the knowledge on 3 levels instead of 2 levels as in a ‘normal’ recommendation. This reflects upon the volume of information provided and the more complicated way the practical advices are organized. At the same time the user may fully reflect on a certain topic following all related aspects within a single web page.

Each recommendation can be downloaded as file in a PDF format for further use as a local resource (using the ‘Download as PDF’ Button).

Same option appears, when the recommendation is displayed in ‘full view’ (upon clicking the ‘Details’ Button).

If a user wants to download more than one recommendation at a time, they can use the Select option at the left corner of the ‘bio’, followed by clicking on ‘Download selected as ZIP’ Button. This way the user can select as many recommendations as they want. There are also the ‘Select All’ or ‘Select None’, located at the top of the search result, to further ease the user. The ‘Download selected as ZIP’ Button also support the user by showing the number of selected recommendations for download (Example: ‘Download selected as ZIP (1)’).

Each search result provides a list of recommendations linked to the categories – part of the tailored search. The initial result list shows only the ‘bio’ of the recommendation – the title and the correlations to the four toolkit pillars.

Then, each recommendation can be reviewed in details (using the ‘Details’ Button).

Once a user click on the ‘Details’ Button go familiarize themselves with the full content of a certain recommendation, the recommendation is shown in ‘full view’:

Recommendation’s body;

Categories of stakeholders, hazards, disaster phases, and type of actors concerned, the recommendation is linked to;

All Cultural Map Entries applicable to the recommendation (if applicable);

All cultural factors associated with the recommendation (if applicable);

Implementation steps;

Sources of information on which the recommendation is based upon;

Further reading applicable to the recommendation (if applicable).

Users can grade the usefulness of the recommendation the CARISMAND team have provided them with using the functionality showed below and giving a general approval (thumbs up) or disapproval (thumbs down) of the quality of the recommendation.

However, if the user would like to comment on specific aspects or further discuss the recommendation with the CARISMAND Team, they should use the Contact Section to get in touch with us.

Users can provide their input in the form of a new recommendation. It can be submitted to the CARISMAND Team via the 'Submit your recommendation' Button, located under the Filter menu on the left side of the screen.

Once submitted, the recommendation will be reviewed by the Toolkit Editorial Board (i.e. the advisory board; for more information, please check ‘How is the Toolkit maintained?’) and if approved, it will appear as a recommendation within the CARISMAND Toolkit; however, it will be clearly shown who the respective author is.

The recommendation template for third parties follows the general template of the recommendations provided by the CARISMAND team. If the information is arranged in such a way that it reflex the complexity of an ‘umbrella’ recommendation, the CARISMAND team urges the users to briefly describe the recommendation and provided the full description in a separate file.