This document discusses the opportunities for using mobile devices for data collection. It describes how smartphones and tablets can be used to digitally collect and store data instead of using paper forms. This allows for faster data collection and compilation. Data is more accurate since it is digitized at the source and there is no manual data entry. The document outlines some costs associated with mobile data collection as well as different types of data that can be collected including location data, multimedia, and sensor data. It provides examples of specific mobile data collection tools and considerations for selecting a tool. Potential use cases for mobile data collection in organizations are also presented.

1. Mobile Data Collection - opportunities
Brownbag Centre for Development Innovation
mirjam schaap, May 2014

2. Data collection approaches
respondent enumerator data-entry
respondent enumerator
respondent
respondent
enumerator
a-synchronous
wifi/GPRS/3G
SMS - USSD
F2F paper
F2F mobile
Direct
response
Phone
interview
IVR
call centre
respondent
Online
survey wifi/GPRS/3G
synchronous
Challenges and Opportunities of Mobile Phone-Based Data Collection, Demombynes

3. Mobile data collection
Using smartphones
or tablets
for data collection
(instead of paper forms)

4. Data storage
build collect aggregate results
analyse - report

5. Advantages
 Manage surveys across regions;
 Faster to fill + compile;
 Data more accurate:
● collect+digitize at source
● no more data entry
● data cleaning limited
● pre coded ranges,
restrictions, skip logic
 user friendly / motivating;
 easy monitoring of data
collection team

6. Costs
 Hardware
 Training
 Collection form design
 Data transmission (recurring)
 Data aggregation (hosting)
 Management

7. Data types - what to collect
Geographic data
 GPS coordinates
Choice boxes
 Radio buttons
 Multiple choice
Multimedia data
 Videos
 Audio
 Pictures
Sensors
 Signatures
 Barcodes
 Electronic sensors
Manual entry
 Text
 Numbers
Time - date
 Time
 Date

8. Think ......
How could mobile data collection
be useful in your work?

9. Possible use cases
 Surveys
 Assessments
 Tracking
 M&E
 etc.
kivafellows.wordpress.com

10. In CDI
 ISSD – with KIT Genevieve
 Cascape ?
 SBN ?
 IFAD evaluation

11. Many possible tools
 Magpi (episurveyor)
 Formhub
 Mobenzi researcher
 Commcare
 m-farm
 Do forms
 AKVO flow
 Text to change
 CSPro
 mOpenMRS
 Epicollect
 FrontlineSMS
 RapidSMS
 Ushahidi
 ODK – Open Data Kit

12. Considerations in selecting tool - provider
 Survey question types
 Control + management
(self or pay service provider)
 Data security
 Time-frame
 Costs (set-up / service)
 Customizability (by whom)
 Tools already used (partner)

13. Things to keep in mind before deployment
 How ‘fast’ do you need the data? Real time, daily, ...
 Network availability / affordability
 Materials
● Smartphone – tablet?
● Screensize?
● Operating System (Android, iOS, windows mobile)
● Extra spare devices
● Settings + installing device
● Battery pack

14. Planning
1. Ongoing activities
2. One-time activity
Mobile based technology for monitoring and evaluation (Thakkar, M. et al, 2013)

15. Yaw Anokwa http://nafundi.com
ODK - open data kit version 1.x
 Open Source + free, used by many (10s of thousands)
 Basis for many other apps (Enketo, Magpi, Kobo toolbox)
http://opendatakit.org/

16. ODK Build or XLSform
http://opendatakit.org/use/xlsform/
http://opendatakit.org/help/form-design/

17. Gaetano Borriello http://opendatakit.org
ODK collect

18. ODK aggregate
 hosts data + provides extraction interfaces
https://opendatakit.appspot.com/Aggregate.html

19. http://datavisualization.ch/tools/google-fusion-tables/
Google Fusion TablesGoogle App engine +
ODK aggregate
Google Map

20. Pitfalls - risks
 Data security
 Broken devices / power
 Training enumerators – teamleaders

21. Resources
ICT for Data Collection and Monitoring & Evaluation: Opportunities and Guidance on Mobile Applications for Forest
and Agricultural Sectors (Worldbank, December 2013)
Mobile based technology for monitoring and evaluation (Thakkar, M. et al, 2013)
Multi-Channel Data Collection for Social and Economic Development (Froumentin, M. 2013)
Collecting data with smart forms on mobiel phones (Anokwa, Y, 2013)
Mobile applications for monitoring and evaluation in agriculture (USAID briefing paper, December 2012)
Challenges and Opportunities of Mobile Phone-Based Data Collection (Demombynes, G. et.al, January 2013)

22. Enjoy !
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