Jamaica’s Disaster Response Capacity Strengthened Through New Data Governance Framework

Director General, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle (seated left), and Permanent Secretaries affix their signatures to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the GeoConnect Multi-Entry Data Governance Framework, at Jamaica House on Tuesday (June 2). The Permanent Secretaries are (from second left) Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Sancia Bennett-Templer; Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Marsha Henry-Martin; Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Arlene Williams; Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Dione Jennings (Acting); and Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith. Observing the signing are (from left) Acting Principal Director for Housing Management in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Christina Gardner; and Principal Director of the National Spatial Data Management Branch in the Ministry, Alicia Edwards.

Jamaica has strengthened its disaster response and recovery capacity for the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing GeoConnect, a multi agency data governance framework.

GeoConnect provides a single, secure platform that enables ministries and agencies to share, cross reference, and verify damage assessment data in real time.

The MoU was signed by Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, along with five Permanent Secretaries, during a ceremony held at Jamaica House on Tuesday (June 2).

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Arlene Williams, noted that the initiative was conceived in response to the devastating impact of Category Five Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.

It was developed by the National Spatial Data Management Branch, a portfolio agency within the Ministry.

GeoConnect enables participating agencies to match beneficiary records across platforms using taxpayer registration numbers (TRN), location, and assessment data.

The platform flags overlapping submissions, detects duplication of benefits, and supports the transparent allocation of public resources.

“In a recent Auditor General report, she spoke about duplication of benefits, and these are risks that we mitigate by having such a platform in which we can cross-check the data,” Mrs. Williams highlighted.

She explained that the platform enables officials to review beneficiary records and make informed decisions whenever a previous benefit has been identified.

The Permanent Secretary emphasised that identification of a previous benefit does not automatically disqualify beneficiaries from receiving additional support.

Instead, the type and scale of any additional benefit will be determined by the level of assistance already provided.

“By signing this Memorandum of Understanding, together with the accompanying data sharing and data processing agreements, we are establishing the governance framework that ensures that this platform operates under the full authority of the Data Protection Act, with clear roles, accountability and safeguards,” Mrs. Williams stated.

She added that this marks the first time that the Government has implemented a multi agency geospatial data governance arrangement of this kind.

Mrs. Williams further stated that the initiative positions Jamaica, not only for the 2026 hurricane season but also for future national programmes requiring coordinated verification across government.