About Us
Access to information is crucial in times of crisis.
Signpost was launched by IRC and Mercy Corps in 2015 at the height of the European refugee crisis. This initiative was designed to respond directly to the needs of refugees arriving in Greece with nothing but their cell phones. At the start of 2020, Signpost had three active programs. It has since experienced 466% Year-over-Year growth and now has 18 programs.
Supported by our core protection principles and best practices at the foundation, each instance has a customized portfolio of digital products tailored to the needs and technology preferences of local crisis-affected populations.
Our History
Timeline of Signpost Growth
Information in the Aid Sector
Information in the aid sector suffers from four problems that prevent clients from accessing what they need in a crisis:
Poor Quality
Low Prioritization
Poor Coordination
Lack of Trust
Signpost is the first of its kind to address
these problems through community-based initiatives on a global scale.
Signpost gets user-friendly information content into the hands of people who need it most and pairs this with staffed two-way communication channels for people seeking individual help. Signpost is enabled by three core components:
Evidence-Based Programming
Technology
Partnerships
Signpost works with a wide range of INGO, local organizations, and tech partners to ensure programs have the best technical expertise, contextual and local knowledge, and software support into a comprehensive suite of tools and services.
Signpost uses powerful, cutting-edge tools that support a flexible, scalable information platform — ensuring client interactions are efficient, effective and safe. A customizable platform allows us to meet needs across contexts, including our most marginal and remote clients.
Trained personnel from affected communities develop information products based on self-expressed information needs of communities that are timely, accurate, and actionable. Two-way communications to help people find solutions to problems and understand information needs.