INSESS - COVID-19

Karina Gibert has recently won one of the projects in the extraordinary call done by CCD-UPC (Center for Development Cooperation) to tackle the emergency generated by the COVID-19 crisis. Her project, INSESS-COVID19 (Identifying Emerging Social Needs as a consequence of COVID19 and the impact on the Social Services of the territory), which has been developed in collaboration with iSocial, will study the vulnerabilities of Catalonia population in the following months and will contribute with decision elements to support the Catalan Social Services basic areas.

The consequences of the crisis derived from COVID19 are devastating from a health perspective but it is highly likely it will also have consequences from an economic and social welfare perspective. COVID19 has generated an unprecedented situation which may produce new social needs. It is key to urgently detect these needs to adequately attend them. INSESS-COVID19 will use an innovative approach based on mechanisms for rapid data acquisition from participative processes involving experts on social services as well as citizens; a mixed methodology that combines techniques from Data Science, Knowledge Management and Artificial Intelligence, to support policy-making for Social Services in Catalonia. Current research focuses on epidemiological models, disease spreading or diagnosis. INSESS-COVID19 rather focuses on Social Services, usually ignored in the equation of pandemic management.

This research, financed by CCD (UPC), is led by Karina Gibert and Toni Codina (iSocial), and it is supported by Generalitat de Catalunya, the Catalan Municipalities Association, the Catalan Municipalities Federation and the Provincial Deputation of Barcelona.

Here (in Catalan) you can find a summary of all the projects in the call.