Early Warning/Early Response (EWER) systems appear in many different sectors. They are used in meteorological monitoring to predict adverse weather patterns, in health fields to predict and prepare for infectious disease outbreaks, and in risk management to assist in dealing with financial and humanitarian emergencies. They are also present in conflict management, where they monitor situations of political or ethnic volatility at the state and intrastate level and warn of potential outbreaks of violence. Despite the differences in these systems, they are all designed to inform decision makers with accurate and timely information to manage risks and respond appropriately to disasters.

APPAP W.A.R.N takes inspiration from these systems, especially those concerned with conflict dynamics, and examines outbreaks of violence in towns, villages and other local communities. A EWER system focused on local conflict dynamics relies on the agency of the local inhabitants and their willingness to build peace in their communities. With knowledge of the local context, they are best placed to gather useful information on conflict dynamics. This information is then utilised to form a response appropriate to the local conditions, which could come from the security sector, civil society organisations, or from the community itself. This grassroots approach to conflict management means a local EWER system can adjust to changing local dynamics and continue to help prevent the spread of violence in communities, helping them to remain peaceful and prosperous for the people living there. EWER systems are designed for actors with local knowledge to provide the right information, at the right time, to the right people, to prevent violence.

APPAP W.A.R.N intends to build on this architecture and augment local efforts to mitigate, prevent and stop instances of SGBV in local communities.