First Evaluation of the Usability and Usefulness of the PROACTIVE App

Abstract

One way to reduce the communication challenges associated with Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and explosive (CBRNe) incidents management could be a public facing disaster smartphone app, of which none are currently available. The EU funded project PROACTIVE used an iterative, co-creation methodology to develop such an app. This work-in-progress paper examines the preliminary results of a questionnaire given to observers who were tasked with using the beta app during a first field training exercise. The results show that the app was found to be usable and useful. Based on the results of the current evaluation exercise, the app will be updated, taking into account the end-user inputs. Following which, the app will undergo testing in two additional field training exercises, in an iterative manner, before reaching the final, end-of-project version.