Mobile data tools for improving information flow in WASH
1. Mobile Data Tools for Improving
Information Flow in WASH
Lessons from Three Field Pilots
Matt Ball1, Zarah Rahman1, Michael Champanis2, Ulrike Rivett2 & Ranjiv Khush1
1The
Aquaya Institute, San Francisco, USA
2iCOMMS, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Cape Town, South Africa
2. Aquaya
How can local governments and water
suppliers improve water quality testing in
poor and remote areas?
How can they best use water quality data
to guide management policies and
practices?
3. Aquatest Monitoring for Safe Water
E. Coli Test & Evaluating constraints
Portable Incubator to microbial testing
6. Mobile data in professional settings
Reduce gaps in data transmission?
• Better response times
• Greater accountability
Strengthen institutional links by improving
information flow?
• Financial and technical support
10. Reporting Formats
Water
Date Area Site name Operator Comments Turbidity pH Chlorine Iron
pressure
14-Mar-11 Huong Thuy Loc Bon nguyen huu chuong Source: Reservoir 0.2 2 7 0.5 0.005
14-Mar-11 Huong Thuy Loc Bon nguyen huu chuong Source: Distribution 0.25 1.3 7.1 0.4 0.005
14-Mar-11 Huong Tra Binh Thanh Cao Trong Thang No equipment for Mn, Fe, TDS 0.11 1.5 7.14 0.4 0
14-Mar-11 Phong Dien O Lau River nguyen van tin Source: Reservoir 0.12 3.5 7.1 0.65 0
14-Mar-11 Huong Tra Thuan Hoa B ho anh tuan 0.184 3.5 7.13 0.4 0.03
14-Mar-11 Phong Dien O Lau River nguyen van tin Source: Distribution 0.17 2.8 7.35 0.35 0
14-Mar-11 Phu Loc Cu Du Tran Binh Phuong Source: Distribution 0.35 1 6.87 0.35
14-Mar-11 Phu Loc Cu Du Tran Binh Phuong Source: Reservoir 0.32 0.6 6.88 0.45
14-Mar-11 Phu Loc Cu Du Tran Binh Phuong Source: Raw Water 1.25 1.2 6.67 0
14-Mar-11 Nam Dong Nam Dong nguyen huu son Source: Reservoir 0.2 2 7.1 0.6 0
14-Mar-11 Nam Dong Nam Dong nguyen huu son Source: Distribution 0.25 2.3 7 0.4 0
14-Mar-11 Tu Ha Town Tu Ha le hiep 0.1 4.4 7.26 0.4 0.02
15-Mar-11 Phu Loc Song Nong ton thai ha March 8th to 14th 0.2 2 7.15 0.55 0.02
15-Mar-11 Quang Dien Quang Ngan hoang ngoc ha 0.22 0 7.18 0.4 0.05
16-Mar-11 Phu Loc Chan May pham hong khanh Source: Reservoir 0.17 2.25 6.705 0.5 0.045
19-Mar-11 Huong Tra Thuan Hoa B ho anh tuan 0.18 3.6 7.2 0.46 0.03
19-Mar-11 Huong Thuy Loc Bon nguyen huu chuong Source: Reservoir 0.25 2 7.2 0.5 0
19-Mar-11 Huong Thuy Loc Bon nguyen huu chuong Source: Distribution 0.32 1.8 7.23 0.4 0
20-Mar-11 Nam Dong Nam Dong nguyen huu son Source: Reservoir 0.18 1.6 7 0.65 0.005
20-Mar-11 Nam Dong Nam Dong nguyen huu son Source: Distribution 0.016 1.9 7.1 0.4 0.005
21-Mar-11 Quang Dien Quang An nguyen van phuoc Source: Reservoir 0.1 2.5 6.7 0.6 0
21-Mar-11 Quang Dien Quang An nguyen van phuoc Source: Distribution 0.25 0.8 6.7 0.2 0
21-Mar-11 Phong Dien O Lau River nguyen van tin Source: Reservoir 0.12 3.2 7.1 0.6 0
21-Mar-11 Phong Dien O Lau River nguyen van tin Source: Distribution 0.17 3.1 7.3 0.3 0
21-Mar-11 Phu Loc Song Nong ton thai ha March 15th to 21st 0.19 2 7.1 0.55 0.025
21-Mar-11 Phu Loc Cu Du Tran Binh Phuong Source: Raw Water 2.15 1.2 6.82 0
21-Mar-11 Phu Loc Cu Du Tran Binh Phuong Source: Reservoir 0.44 0.5 6.89 0.4
22-Mar-11 Huong Tra Binh Thanh Cao Trong Thang No equipment for Mn, Fe, TDS 0.1 1.3 7 0.4 0
22-Mar-11 Phu Loc Chan May pham hong khanh Source: Reservoir 0.155 2.9 6.94 0.5 0.03
26-Mar-11 Huong Tra Thuan Hoa B ho anh tuan 0.18 2.4 7.2 0.45 0.03
26-Mar-11 Nam Dong Nam Dong nguyen huu son Source: Reservoir 0.2 1.6 7 0.55 1.5
26-Mar-11 Nam Dong Nam Dong nguyen huu son 0.18 1.6 7.1 4 0.01
26-Mar-11 Huong Thuy Loc Bon nguyen huu chuong Source: Reservoir 0.22 2 7.2 0.5 0.015
27-Mar-11 Huong Thuy Loc Bon nguyen huu chuong Source: Distribution 0.27 1.5 7.2 0.4 0.005
11. Data submission: Vietnam
14
12
10
Sites Reporting
8
6
4
2
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31
Week
• 8 months - 15 WTPs, 3 Rivers - 608 Forms Total
• Average 9 out of 17 sites reporting
13. Challenges
Technical
• Unreliable cellular network
• Unstable phone settings
Managerial
• Phone credit
• Personal use
14. Benefits
Data gaps?
• Only in where reporting was
minimal, (Mozambique)
Information flows/institutional support?
• Rapid identification of risks
• Awareness at higher administrative levels
• More discussion of responsibilities and use of
data
15. Long-term use
Dedicated service providers vs local
hosting
Integration with full range of user activities
Integration with existing data systems
16. Thank you
iComms group, University of Cape Town: Ulrike Rivett
& Michael Champanis
Teuk Saat 1001: Chay Lo, Leakhana Phuong and Marie
Yen
UNICEF Mozambique: Sam Godfrey & Matteus Van der
Velden, UNICEF Mozambique
HueWaco: Tran Thi Minh Tam
Aquaya: Matt Ball & Zarah Rahman
Editor's Notes
Why should you be interested in cell phone based reporting in the context of water management? I think there are at least two compelling reasons for exploring ICT tools in this sector– There are real data gaps in the water sector which electronic data transmission can help address given advantages over paper based reporting. Go into more detail what kind of data is collected and how it can be used to ensure water safety. Many researchers have identified ‘institutional support’ as critical for the sustainability of rural water supplies. This can include technical, managerial and financial assistance. Challenging to provide this kind of support when gov agencies and local have limited resources. Tools for increasing information flow between dispersed supply managers and support staff is a concrete means of promoting institutional linkages and support. Photo: District technician in Laos who monitors rural water supplies and the national ministry office in Vientiane that theoretically should be looking at national trends and providing support and guidance to their field staff, but in reality quite disconected.
Provincial water suppier for Hue Province – they serve the city of hue and surrounding towns. with 17 satellite treatment plants serving small towns in the province – GO TO MAP Operators of satellite treatment plants conduct on-site water quality testing for a number of physical and chemical parameters. Operators are supported by Area managers and by the head water quality manager at the central laboratory. Currently they log test results in paper log books and they call in to the central laboratory once a week to report a summary of test results for the week. The operators use the WQR to submit a form with dat afrom 8 water quality tests Application translated into VietnameseImages – you two operators doing their testing at the treatment plant. And the on the right is noting results in a log book and then submitted them with WQR on the phone.
NGO supporting small scale water treatment and sales in rural areas – hybrid entrepreneurial model, where the NGO provides a lot of upfront support but eventually each operator/each site becomes self sustaining and pays for ongoing technical support from the NGO. Support the development of new sites and training operatorsUnder the Teuk Saat model, the operators carry out a simple presence/absence test for bacterial contamiation, once a week. They report this test result, along with sales data and operations and maintence logs to Teuk Saat. Currently, facilitators from Teuk Saat travel to the operator’s sites and collect paper forms. Data from WQ testing on site by operators submited via WQR to NGO support center wq managerLooking into options for new forms on billing, operations and maintenance etc.
Notice a big increase which I’ll come back to. Go back to other data slide. 6 months. After a period of technical troubleshooting and changes to the form type – consistent data submission over the past 2 ½ months. 17 water treatment plants, submitting data for multiple water types. - The 6 sites that consistently report and then the remainder varies. Take home message is that a lot of data is coming in, but due to both technical issues and motivational issues not all sites report each week.
Cambodia and Vietnam data was being collected and aggregated: Time savings and increased accuracyLeap frogging effect, bypass Formal data collection/management - Real time identification of risks – only able to look at this in Cambodia. Leakhena call operators right away (instead of once a month) and remind them to clean system etc. Value will depend on role of managers vs operators in water quality management decisions. Still paralell to previous methods in EA pilots. Vietnam and Cambodia the managers already consistently receive the data – but in Mozambique – even though we haven’t gotten to see this really play out yet, in our initial scoping we found that very little data comes from the districts ot the provinces
