Looking around at the beginning

I've had an interesting and exciting few months since arriving as CEO at InSTEDD in October. Much of that time has been spent traveling with colleagues to visit difficult areas around the world, talking with professionals expert in epidemiology and disaster response, and hearing from communities and governments how hard it is to watch for diseases and prepare for disasters in the face of innumerable other obligations in their days. Through subsequent conversations with the superb staff at InSTEDD, we've been sorting out how and where InSTEDD can be most effective and we have some ideas.

We're now designing tools and developing partnerships that we think might help us put together resources that make sense. Over the next few months I'll mention a few of those capabilities we're thinking about, and why, and I'll ask for your opinions. When we later find something interesting and useful we'll talk about it openly, evaluate the pros and cons honestly, try what seems useful in the field, and tell you here, clearly and fairly, how it went.

When it comes right down to it, those on staff at InSTEDD have quite a bit of experience, so know very well how big the world is, how many smart people are already trying to help around the world, and how little we know about what's out there. So we'll be obvious when we ask for advice, and I look forward to hearing from those who can help us design and build simple, robust, effective, and free tools for the humanitarian community.