Sudan Task Force Evacuations
U.S. Department of State · Washington, D.C. | Khartoum, Sudan
In April 2023, the U.S. Department of State responded to requests for assistance from U.S. citizens fleeing Khartoum, Sudan. The Bureau of Consular Affairs coordinated evacuation efforts at Port Sudan and land border crossings between U.S. embassies and host countries.
Scroll ↓
During extreme crisis situations, the U.S. Department of State organizes government-coordinated evacuation options for private U.S. citizens. During these events, I serve as a Lead Program Analyst working on the Department’s Consular Affairs Crisis Management System (CACMS). CACMS is the primary online platform to provide assistance and information to members of the public when a crisis occurs. The Sudan Task Force was created in April 2023 to assist U.S. citizens seeking to depart the country in response to armed conflict.
As a Task Force Lead Program Analyst, I managed teams of Caseworkers assigned to conduct welfare calls, redirect necessary consular services to neighboring U.S. embassies and consulates, and identify individuals who have successfully departed Sudan and those still remaining to inform them of potential evacuation opportunities.
I utilized aspects of human-centered design principles to recommend strategic changes in response during evacuation efforts. The reporting and analytics provided from CACMS supported written briefs delivered to Department senior leadership to support data-driven decision making throughout the crisis.
Research: I facilitated discussions with system security and database administrators along with senior-level leadership in Washington, D.C. to gain an understanding of each stakeholders individual needs to serve U.S. citizens seeking evacuation assistance.
Process: I synthesized research, captured discussions, and after action reports on previous Department Task Forces to derive opportunity spaces for more coordinated evacuation efforts from our research insights.
Ideation and Prototyping: While brainstorming ideas, I focused on the needs and desires of those seeking to receive the most updated information on potential evacuation opportunities. After prototyping different methods of communication methods and obtaining feedback received from successfully departed evacuees, upon approval for continued procedure, I recommended combining methods of communication platforms to contact remaining U.S. citizens in Sudan seeking to depart and inform them of potential evacuation opportunities.