CERTificate For Integrated Emergency Response (CERTIFIER) aims to improve the integration of informal offers of help into crisis and disaster management by developing a digital competency certificate for volunteers.

The project pursues a holistic approach to promote competency-based participation of volunteers in the event of a disaster, the possibilities of digital recording and validation of competencies, and the coordination of operations based on this. 

In CERTIFIER, a proof of concept (TRL 4) (PoC) is developed for the digital competency certificate, which has interfaces to existing volunteer management systems (such as Team Österreich), a support bot for (rapid) registration and competency recording as well as the validation of competencies and a competency-based resource overview of all available volunteers for authorities and organizations with security tasks (BOS). A user-centered approach is chosen in which the volunteer retains control over their certificates.

To ensure maximum usability, user acceptance, and sustainability, the framework conditions for the design of the digital competency certificate will be comprehensively examined. In keeping with a holistic approach, particular attention is paid to the organisational, legal, ethical, and social requirements for competency-based participation by volunteers using a digital competency certificate. This supports the process for a smooth deployment implementation but also allows the volunteers to manage their competence profiles and use it in everyday life.

As part of the project, the DCNA is responsible for analysing the broader framework conditions for the competency-based participation of volunteers in the event of a disaster and coordinating the evaluation and validation of the digital competency certificate.

Project partners:

• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (project lead)
• OSSBIG Austria
• JKU Linz
• ONDEWO GmbH
• NOUS Wissensmanagement GmbH
• Research Institute AG & Co KG
• DCNA
• JOAFG
• BMSGPK

The project on LinkedIn >

CERTIFIER is financed within the framework of the KIRAS program by the Federal Ministry of Finance and is managed by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency.