Transcript David Cantor

M & E Working Group Meeting:
New Technology Applications in M & E
Wireless Data Entry & Wireless Data Transmission from
Mobile Devices to Web
Virginia Lamprecht, USAID
David C. Cantor, Macro International
ARC Albania 2004 Child Survival / Flex
Fund Project Area
Project Area:
Diber Prefecture, Albania
Beneficiary Population:
WRA (15-49)
MRA (15-59)
Children <5
55,417
68,717
19,950
Flex Fund Questionnaire
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Flex Fund questionnaire borrowed from DHS
and KPC questionnaires
The Baseline Questionnaire had 11 sections and
215 fields
Many Boolean fields
Approximately 50 calculated fields
FF Interviews took between 10 – 30 minutes
Training
Paper and Electronic Questionnaires
Additional Functionality using
Handhelds for Surveys or M & E
• Sampling Information can be preloaded from Excel Spreadsheet
for data management
• Intervals between events can be calculated in months from popup calendar dates entered
• GPS enabled handhelds can capture GIS coordinates directly into
the data form
• Voice Recording (audio notes) can be associated and saved with
each questionnaire record
•Pictures can be included in Data Entry Form
• Post interview HTML data check template used to improve data
quality
Rugged Terrain - 4 Wheel Drive Vehicles
Needed for Fieldwork
Mapping the Village
Locating the Households within the Village
Data Collection on Handhelds
30 Cluster Sample (10 per District)
 3 Districts
 3 Teams per District
 9 Pocket PC’s
 6 Days of Field Work
 660 Targeted Respondents
 Data backed up nightly onto SD cards
 Data copied back to master database
upon return to HQ
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Data Synchronization
Pocket PC Battery Recharge
Evaluation of Handheld Pilot
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Response Rate and Data Quality Comparable
Supervisors and Interviewers Enthusiastic
Users not intimidated by Technology
Elimination of Office Entry from Paper Saved Time
and Money
Cleaned Data set produced in 3-4 days
Feasibility of Adding Wireless
Transmission
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Potential Benefits
◦ Texting collected form data back to central
server requires no web connection, only
phone connection
◦ Two way transmission allows program
changes to be dispatched back to each
Smartphone
◦ Ongoing Monitoring Activities can be tracked
in Real Time
◦ Speed - Rugged Terrain, Political Boundaries,
Avoided
General Trends Since 2004 Flex
Fund Mobile Data Collection Pilot
Standalone PDAs less common
 Move to integrated Smart Phones
 50% of the global population now has cell
phones
 Exponential growth of Text Messaging
 Growth in Windows Mobile and Palm OS
type SmartPhones
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Trends in Cell Phone Use in Africa
May, 2007: 200 Million Subscribers
 May, 2008: 282 Million Subscribers*
 Africa has only 35 million fixed phone lines
 Mobile operators will invest $50 Billlion in
Sub-Saharan Africa in the next 5 years
resulting in 90% potential coverage
 Bandwidth, Govt. Policy, taxes, licensing fees,
regulatory issues could slow growth
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•According to GSMA, Global Trade Body for the Mobile Industry,
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
Transmit Completed Cases to Web Server and
Program Updates Back to Mobile Devices
WEB SERVER
Smart Phone Demo
Data Entry on the Smartphone
 Sent (Texted) to Server
 View Server activity back at Macro HQ
 Server receives new data dispatches and
transmits back any new program updates
 Server passes data directly into a web
(Access/SQL) database
 Aggregated updated report data (or
mapped data) can then be viewed via the
web
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