The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is the world’s referential source of data and analysis on internal displacement. IDMC is the global authoritative source for information on internal displacement, and is used by the UN and other agencies for data on the subject - and that data is all stored within HELIX.
DFS took on the challenge of evaluating and fortifying the platform's security infrastructure. Additionally, we undertook the task of modernising the core monitoring tool, HELIX 1.0, to ensure seamless support for the stabilisation and advancement of the website's database and systems. Our approach revolves around innovation, collaboration, and ongoing support, reinforcing our commitment to delivering solutions that stand the test of time and empower end-users with robust, reliable, and cutting-edge technology.
In 2020, DFS undertook the redesign of the HELIX system initiative. The culmination of this effort resulted in the unveiling of the first prototype of HELIX 2.0 in 2021. This comprehensive redesign included a strategic migration of data from Linode servers to AWS, accompanied by a meticulous security audit of the organisation's database.
DFS has continued to evolve the HELIX platform to meet the evolving needs of IDMC and end-users, particularly the monitoring team. After further development and refinement, the new version of HELIX was successfully released into production in July 2022. Future releases of Helix and regular updates and features added to the platform continue into 2024 and beyond.
Since the completion of HELIX 2.0, DFS has maintained an enduring partnership with IDMC, ensuring the platform's optimal functionality. This commitment extends to providing ongoing maintenance and regular updates as necessitated by the evolving landscape and user requirements.
DFS takes care not only of the core HELIX system but also the management of subsidiary products. This includes the development and maintenance of visualisation tools for the Global Internal Displacement Database (GIDD) and the Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID). These tools play a crucial role in presenting comprehensive insights derived from the data, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the internal displacement reporting system.
These services are crucial to the release of the Global Internal Displacement Database (GIDD) and associated reports on a yearly basis. The HELIX platform facilitates development of key underlying data management tools for global internal displacement tracking systems. This database, and all the data provided by IDMC, are the world's foremost source of data for internal displacement. This authoritative dataset feeds into reports and policy development by the UN, EU, various intergovernmental development agencies, and numerous other stakeholders who need official statistics on these issues.
