Information and Data Collection for Action: Making the Connection

http://unicefinnovation.org/

UNICEF Innovation:

- founded 3 years ago based on feedback realities from field offices: mobile subscription globally is growing exponentially, mobile service infrastructure is there, frontline workers & beneficiaries have them

CONSTRAINTS:

- phones: text or voice only

- 160 characters/letters: fewere data points means prioritizing what you collect

- freeform text: turning it into meaningful data

- scale: open source, robust, customizable, cost effective, able to be serviced at a local level, build local capacity

INFORMATION FOR ACTION (the information that comes out is actually a secondary benefit):

- empowering frontline workers

(through a 2 way communication btw beneficiaries and govt, or frontline workers and govt. Ultimately: how does it benefit the end user)

- influencing programme action with real time data

(what are the trends in a given area? How does that influence how to respond?)

- advocacy for action

(how do we use the data that we’re getting, combined with stats, for action. What are we telling stakeholders?)

EXPERIENCE OF UNICEF INNOVATION:

Open source partnership Rapid SMS mobile phone application: a free and open-source framework for dynamic data collection, logistics coordination and communication, leveraging basic short message service (SMS) mobile phone technology.

- formatted SMS msgs sent a central server and processed. Triggers appropriate workflow and response with data being visible on online dashboard and exportable reports.

- built on existing working practives of end users with an appropriate technology – i.e.: simplest of cell phones

- low ongoing cost

WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED/OUTCOMES:

- information must be a two way flow (ppl must know why they are sending information in, and it should empower the work they do in their daily lives)

- improved monitoring = better performance (due to the constant feedback of workers’ accuracy in submission of data)

- comprehensive registry enables better targeting of interventions

- improved monitoring can help identify children at risk

GLOBAL VULNERABILITY ALERT:

- a project being planned by the UN Sec Gen's office for a massive open source data collection system which uses data from the entire spectrum of information tools (mobiles, PDAs, social networking sites, paper surveys…)

LESSONS LEARNED:

- use appropriate technology

- utility for end user

- baseline assessment and evaluation – data for action

- mobile server provider partnerships

- local project manager

- local programming capacity

HEALTHY CHALLENGES:

- trust

- security

- faceless technology

- tangible prototypes

- statistical relevance

- cost

Goals & progress for Iraq:

Jaya Murthy, Chief of Strategic Communications and Partnerships, UNICEF Iraq

- Goal: to develop something like what the Global Vulnerability Alert, specific to Iraq

- Iraq will be first in the world to try a program like this

- Zain, largest mobile provider (10 ½ million users)  approached UNICEF about finding a way to partner and support children in the country with their technological capacity

- First partnership: sent free SMS to all subscriber on 20th anniversary of the convention on the rights of the child

- Other specific asks which Zain has agreed to/said possible:

    * Toll free lines for children

    * Ask whether could send out surveys without extra cost

- Unicef has started negotiation with two other mobile phone providers in the country; Zain is not only willing to partner with the new proposed initiative, but wants to take the lead