170 likes | 293 Views
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.
E N D
M & E Working Group Meeting: New Technology Applications in M & EWireless 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) 55,417 MRA (15-59) 68,717 Children <5 19,950
Flex Fund Questionnaire • 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 pop-up 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
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
Evaluation of Handheld Pilot • 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 • 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
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 • 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
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