DATA ANALYSIS
“AI-Driven Analysis and Support for Ukrainian Diaspora”
in-house R&D
1. Overview
Given the situation’s urgency, we aim to enhance support for displaced Ukrainians across Europe and the United States. This will be achieved by gathering and analyzing data from public channels—Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp, and Facebook—where Ukrainians share their experiences, questions, and needs.
Leveraging AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP), we will aggregate, categorize, and analyze messages by city and country to identify recurring challenges, region-specific issues, and real-time trends. The insights derived will inform NGOs, government agencies, foundations, and community organizations, enabling data-driven decisions that allocate resources more effectively, tailor services to local needs, and improve the integration of Ukrainian communities.
- Identify and address common challenges and needs, such as housing, employment, legal Aid, and healthcare access.
- Benchmark integration success across regions to uncover best practices and areas needing intervention.
- Aid policymakers and NGOs in developing targeted, impactful support programs based on real-time, regional data.
- To promote the participation of Ukrainian citizens in elections (both in Ukraine and abroad) by creating a systemic analysis that increases turnout, improves accessibility, and ensures reliable information for voters through social communication channels.
2. Key features
Challenges and Needs
- Patterns of Needs: Analyzing the messages can reveal recurring issues such as housing, employment, healthcare, and Legal Aid. This information could help NGOs, government agencies, and local Ukrainian associations target the most pressing needs.
- Localized Problems: Some challenges might be unique to specific cities or countries, such as housing shortages in large urban centers or challenges related to specific legal documentation requirements in certain countries.
Support Services by Region
- Resource Allocation: Organizations can allocate resources more effectively by identifying regional needs. For example, if many Ukrainians in a particular city seek language classes, local resources can expand access.
- Cultural and Legal Nuances: Different countries and cities may have varying legal requirements, cultural practices, or support programs for refugees. Recognizing these differences can help support organizations offer tailored guidance.
Mapping Trends and Emerging Issues Over Time
- Trend Analysis: Analyzing messages over time allows us to detect trends, such as seasonal challenges (e.g., heating in winter or school enrollment deadlines).
- New Issues: Monitoring these discussions can reveal emerging issues, such as sudden housing shortages, employment discrimination, or challenges accessing certain services, allowing for quicker response and adaptation.
Benchmarking Integration Success Across Cities
- Comparison of Integration Levels: Comparing the types of questions and discussions in different cities can assess how well Ukrainians integrate in each location. High rates of employment-related questions might indicate struggles with job markets, while housing questions might signal a housing integration gap.
- Identifying Successful Programs: Cities where Ukrainians experience few challenges may have effective programs. Understanding what’s working in those locations could be a model for other cities.
Supporting Mental Health and Social Well-being
- Tracking Emotional Sentiment: AI could analyze message sentiment to monitor mental health trends or detect sentiments of isolation or stress.
- Social Initiatives and Community Building: Common themes around social connection or isolation could guide the creation of support networks, social events, or mental health resources to address the emotional needs of displaced Ukrainians.
Improving Language and Cultural Integration Efforts
- Language Learning Needs: Many messages might address language barriers, highlighting the need for more language classes or bilingual resources in specific
cities. - Cultural Adaptation Challenges: Analysis of questions on cultural topics could inform the design of programs focused on cultural integration, helping Ukrainians feel more comfortable and accepted in their new environments.
Assisting Policymakers and NGOs with Data-Driven Insights
- Informing Policy Decisions: Aggregated data on the needs and challenges across different cities can help policymakers shape more effective refugee and migrant policies.
- Supporting Funding Proposals: NGOs could leverage these insights to make compelling, data-backed cases for funding by demonstrating specific regional needs and service gaps.
Monitoring Employment and Economic Integration
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Job Market Patterns: Employment-related messages can provide insights into existing job opportunities and, where needed, help employment agencies and NGOs focus on job placement efforts.
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Skill Gaps and Training Needs: Many Ukrainians may request help with specific skills, indicating areas where training programs could be beneficial.
Technical Approach to Analyzing the Data
- Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP techniques could categorize messages (e.g., job requests, legal questions, social events), identify frequently used terms, and perform sentiment analysis.
- Geographical Data Visualization: Mapping common topics by location could reveal city-level differences visually.
- Machine Learning for Trend Prediction: Algorithms could predict emerging trends or needs based on historical data, helping organizations stay proactive.
This project aims to create detailed network diagrams and geographic overlays for each city, mapping the distribution and connections of support services tailored to refugees and immigrant communities. The monitoring will continue monthly, enabling stakeholders to observe trends, identify gaps, and improve resource allocation at the city and state levels.
3. Example
Chicago Metropolitan Area
Analysis sample of the Telegram channel:
UA.Chicago | Українське Чикаго
- Communication hub for the Ukrainian community in Chicago and beyond.
- 6,139 members, including Ukrainian refugees.
- Parsed 147,000 messages from 24 Feb 2022 to 10 Nov 2024.
Key Topics
- Housing (35%): Discussions focus on finding affordable accommodations and resolving housing challenges.
- Employment (30%): Queries about jobs, particularly in general labor and professional fields.
- Healthcare (20%): Inquiries regarding Medicaid, affordable healthcare, and private insurance support.
- Legal Aid (15%): Focus on work permits, immigration processes, and legal rights.
Demographics
- The majority are newly arrived refugees seeking resources.
- Includes professionals, skilled laborers, and individuals with immediate needs.
Engagement Metrics
- Quick response times for inquiries, often within minutes.
- High interaction levels in posts related to urgent needs like healthcare and legal assistance.
3.1. The breakdown of preferred housing locations in the Chicago metro area
Preferred Housing Locations
3.2. The types of employment individuals seek illustrate the breakdown of these jobs,
emphasizing both general labor and professional roles.
Insights
- General Labor Jobs — warehouse work, cleaning services, and food service – dominate, reflecting an immediate need for income and fewer barriers to entry. General labor roles are pursued more due to fewer language and certification requirements, while professional roles require language training, local experience, or credential validation support.
- CDL Driving and Construction are popular among individuals with prior experience or those willing to obtain certifications. They offer relatively stable income and opportunities for growth.
- Professional Roles, fewer in number, show the presence of highly skilled individuals
seeking positions aligned with their expertise.
Improvements
- Training Programs: Implement targeted training for CDL driving, construction skills, and language proficiency to bridge employment gaps.
- Certification Assistance: Provide resources for recertification in professional fields such as IT and healthcare.
- Employer Partnerships: Work with local businesses to create job pipelines in general labor and professional sectors.
- Community Support: Offer workshops on resume building, interview skills, and networking to help individuals transition into more specialized roles over time.
3.3. Skills and qualifications versus language barriers or documentation requirements
The chart illustrates the interaction between skills and qualifications, language barriers, and documentation issues across different job categories. Each bar is segmented into:
- Skills: Represents the number of skilled or qualified individuals for specific job categories.
- Language Barriers: Indicates individuals who face challenges due to limited English proficiency, affecting their employability.
- Documentation Issues: This category represents individuals hindered by the lack of necessary legal or employment documentation, such as work permits or
certifications.
Insights
- High Skills in General Labor: General labor has the highest number of skilled individuals, which reflects the accessibility and familiarity of these roles for many individuals.
- Impact of Barriers in Professional Roles: Many professionals face documentation issues or language barriers, underscoring the challenges of transitioning into high-skilled employment.
- CDL Driving and Construction: While these roles have fewer language barriers, documentation issues (e.g., licensing) remain a considerable hurdle.
- Cumulative Effect of Barriers: In categories with higher skills, such as professional roles, the cumulative impact of language and documentation barriers reduces overall employability.
Improvements:
- Language Training: To expand job accessibility and provide targeted language support, particularly for those in professional roles and general labor.
- Certification Assistance: Facilitate programs to help individuals obtain required documentation, such as CDL licenses or professional recertification.
- Skill Enhancement: Offer training to bridge gaps in qualifications for individuals with partial construction or general labor skills.
- Holistic Support Programs: Develop integrated services that simultaneously address language and documentation barriers, focusing on roles with the highest unmet demand.
3.4. Trends in inquiries about healthcare services over time
(January 2023 – September 2023)
Here is the line chart displaying trends in healthcare inquiries over time. The data demonstrates a steady increase in inquiries, reflecting growing awareness of available resources or an increasing need for healthcare services as time progresses. This trend underscores the importance of scaling healthcare support systems to meet rising demand.
5. The relationship between language proficiency levels and legal aid requests.
The chart shows an inverse relationship, where individuals with lower language proficiency tend to require more legal Aid, highlighting the impact of language barriers in accessing legal support. This insight suggests that improving language skills through targeted programs could reduce reliance on legal assistance.
Improvements:
- Focus on improving English proficiency among individuals with “Very Low” and “Low” levels to empower self-sufficiency in legal matters.
- Develop multilingual guides and forms to assist those with limited English skills understand legal processes.
- Offer specialized workshops on work permits and immigration paperwork for those with low proficiency levels.
- Establish on-call legal assistance for individuals in the “Very Low” and “Low” proficiency categories to address urgent needs.
