Experience Feedback French Red Cross - ERU relief Mobile data collection in relief operations --- Haiyan Typhoon Arturo Garcia Fernandez Raphael Bonnaud

Post Distribution Monitoring using mobile phones

Context  Haiyan super Typhoon:  14 million people affected,  4.1 million displaced  IFRC deployment of FACT and ERUs:  French Red Cross ERU relief deployed in Ormoc, to date * : HH covered and NFI distributed 77 localities (Barangay) covered * As of 31 st January 2014 Mobile data collection – Arturo Garcia Fernandez, Raphaël Bonnaud

Challenge Conduct a comprehensive Post Distribution Monitoring with: limited resources ( already allocated to distribution ) and several constraints… Mobile data collection – Arturo Garcia Fernandez, Raphaël Bonnaud

Constraints Representativeness: Conduct at least 800 interviewed FACT Relief FRCAmRCBelgiumRC Access: Difficult weather condition (TD leading to floods and landslides Scope: A consolidated tool for 3 ERU + FACT Capacity: Limited local capacity for data collection, entry and cleaning Time: First results under 1 week! Mobile data collection – Arturo Garcia Fernandez, Raphaël Bonnaud

Solution Use of Mobile Tech! Smartphone: Purchased locally for 69 USD Software: Mobile data collection software opensource Mobile data collection – Arturo Garcia Fernandez, Raphaël Bonnaud

12 34 Create the Monitoring ToolDesign forms (xls or xml) Load into mobile and collect data Aggregate and analyse ODK in 4 steps! See detailed procedure in annexe Mobile data collection – Arturo Garcia Fernandez, Raphaël Bonnaud

Results  System deployed in less than 2 days  more than 250 questionnaires  see database example :  Preliminary results available in 7 days! See report  See report: Mobile data collection – Arturo Garcia Fernandez, Raphaël Bonnaud

What went well?  The system was easy to use for enumerators: they were comfortable with using Smartphone; the PRCs volunteers loved it!  Integrated error control: typing errors and use of “Hints” in the questionnaire resulted in consistent questionnaire filling with few error (almost no data cleaning!)  Easy data handling: direct connexion phone-PC for data upload  Flexible: the questionnaire was modified according to the needs  No paper! Mobile data collection – Arturo Garcia Fernandez, Raphaël Bonnaud

What went less well?  The system was not well shared with other ERU relief (American and Benelux Red Cross) – some technical support would have been required  The questionnaire had too many text questions rendering the analysis more complex  The system was not tested enough before being deployed; some data were lost on the first day  The translation into Tagalog led to some inconstancies in the database  Random selection of respondant Mobile data collection – Arturo Garcia Fernandez, Raphaël Bonnaud

What can be improved?  Pre-defined standards questionnaire (already converted to mobile compatible forms) might speed up the system deployment  Sharing the system across ERUs  Train ERU/FACT to use the mobile technology  Better integrate the database within the reporting system Mobile data collection – Arturo Garcia Fernandez, Raphaël Bonnaud

Recommandation  Create, within the ERU roster, a pool of people with sound knowledge in assessment, monitoring and mobile data collection to:  Provide remote support to team deployed in the field  Develop a assessment/monitoring system for ERU (the system can easly be deployed for FRC delegation  Be deployed when required to provide on-site technical assistance  Train ERU roster in using the technology  Explore other potential applications:  Assessment/Ticketing: it can easily be linked to MEGA V.  stock control in a BHC for instance.  FACT assessment  “Spread the word” so that it becomes a standard monitoring tool for IFRC ERUs

Annexes Arturo Garcia Fernandez Raphael Bonnaud

Detailed procedure build the system 1 Preparation of a standard questionnaire: common to the 3 Relief ERU (Benelux, American & French). 2 Conversion of the questionnaire to a mobile compatible version (Word to.xml) via ODK; loaded into the phones with Windows Explorer! 3 Training of the enumerators : Post Distribution Monitoring technics Use of smartphones/survey app.

Detailed procedure deploy and collect 4 Survey teams deploy to the desired locality 5 Questionnaires Upload (from phone to computer) Using only Windows Explorer (drag and drop)! 6 Transfer questionnaires into Excel (database) : Using ODK Briefcase free software

7 Consolidate all Excel files into one 8 Create monitoring report and conclusions Detailed procedure Aggregate and analyze