The presentation that I gave at the Peace Corps Headquarters in Wash DC on 6 December 2011

1. Mobile Technology Innovation
Peace Corps – December 2011

2. Mobile Media Revolution
Video
Things Are Changing….. Fast !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmVv-KRHkIk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SuNx0UrnEo&NR=1 2011

3. Mali Bolivia Yemen
El Salvador Armenia Sudan
Guatemala Haiti Uganda
Egypt Mozambique Vietnam
Jordan Mali Philippines
Bangladesh Pakistan Myanmar
Malawi Tajikistan Guinea
Afghanistan West Bank

4. What is Mobile Technology?
A mobile device is a terminus for
an information management
strategy.…

5. Centralized Information Management

6. We used to bring our work to the computer…
Now, we take computing to our work

7. Mobile is everywhere…

8. Cell Phones in Health Care

9. Mobile Information Communication
• Voice
• Texting (SMS)
• Data (GPRS)
• Location (GPS)
• Image

10. Texting (SMS)
• Available on all phones (everyone has it!).
• Great for communication.
• Highest information transfer cost (byte-for-byte).
• Low data capacity (160 character limit per transmission)
• Poor data quality

11. Data
• General Packet Relay System (GPRS)
• Fewer cell phones have it. (for now…)
• Significantly lower information transfer cost.
• High data transmission capacity
• Cloud Connectivity: Software/Platform-as-a-Service
• SaaS/PaaS

12. Location
• Global Positioning System (GPS)
• All phones will have it
• Geographic Information System (GIS)
• Information = data + image + location

13. Laptop Netbook
PDA The Tools Cell Phones

14. Mobile Devices
• Basic Cell Phone: Voice + SMS
• “Feature” Phone: Voice + SMS + Java “App” +GPRS(?)
• “Smart” Phone: Voice + SMS + GPRS +GPS+ “App”
• Tablet: GPRS +GPS+ “App”
• Laptop: GPRS +GPS+ “App”
• Desktop: going away…

15. Mobile Devices
In the future, it is likely at field-level community locations:
• low cost Android Smartphones will prevail….
• All devices will have GPS
• GPRS data connectivity will be ubiquitous

16. How is Mobile Technology being effectively used?
1.Training – Staff Communication
2.Data Collection

17. Training and Staff Communication

19. Frontline SMS

20. Video
Using Cell phone Technology
CommCare by Dimagi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=30Ft
k6STM3U
CRS India http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTjs61L5l2Q

21. HEALTHY
PREGNANCY
CommCare
Vitamin A, Iron
Started tetanus
Finished tetanus
Started IPT
(Malaria)
Finished IPT
(Malaria)
Deworming tablet
Has birth plan
Tested for HIV
21

22. Cell Phone SMS Campaign - HIV/AIDS

23. Staff Communication and Work Flow Management

24. Data Collection with Mobile Technology
The Problem…

25. Paper…..
We All Know What We Do Now…..

26. Data Input – Haiti CO

27. Monitoring and Evaluation Records

28. CHV Registries – Myanmar (Save UK)

29. Well-Organized Paper Records

30. Excel Spreadsheet Data Input (Myanmar CO)

31. Data Collection with Mobile Technology
The Solution

32. Sahel CO
Mali Field Training - Zinkifura

33. Sahel CO - Mali Field Training Zinkifura

34. Cell Phone-based Survey Form - Frontline SMS

35. Data

36. Data

37. Data

38. Data

39. Uganda USAID
Flexible Fund
survey form

40. Data

41. Data

42. Data

43. Data

44. Challenges in using Mobile Technology
The Non-Technology Factors….

45. Survey Instrument Logic

46. Survey Instrument Logic
Save the Children
Sponsorship Primary Education Program
2007 Standard 4 Data Collection
Headteacher Interview
School:___________________________ Name of Interviewer: _____________________________
Head’s Name: ________________ __________Sex: 0__Male /1 __Female: School Code: 19/__ __
Standard(s) teaching _____________
What is your highest academic qualification? 1) JCE/ 2) MSCE/ 3) "A” levels/ 4) Other (Specify): ___
What is your professional qualification? 0) TT/ 1) T4/ 2) T3/ 3) T2 /) Other (Specify): ___________
How many teachers are in this school? 1) Male_________2) Female_______ 3) Total_________
How many pupils are in this school? 1) Boys ________ 2) Girls _______ 3) Total__________
Out of the total enrolment that you have, how many of these are orphans vulnerable children (OVC)? 1)
Boys________ 2) Girls_______ 3)Total_______ (Allow the teacher to verify).
7. How many in-service training sessions have you attended this school session?
8. List the organizer and the month of each in-service session you have attended
9. How many school based in-service courses have you conducted this school year? ______
10.How many times has the PEA supervised your school this school session? _____
11. In the past month, have you observed any teachers’ lessons? 1) ___YES 0) __NO
12. How many times this year have you held staff meetings at this school? _______

47. Case Study - Bangladesh

48. Case Study – Data Collection
Save the Children USA - Bangldesh
450,000 beneficiaries receive monthly:
•maternal health services
•food rations
2010: USAID awarded 2nd 5-year MYAP

49. Bangladesh Jibon O Jibika

50. Bangladesh McAid Food Distribution Center

51. Bangladesh McAid

52. An Information Management Strategy…
Alternative Alternative
Publication Subscription Publication Subscription
NOTE: All DB Servers are Publishers.
NOTE: PDAs are not Publishers.
NOTE: Servers are the Publishers for next Lower level DB locations.
NOTE: Subscriptions should be conducted to the immediate higher level DB Servers.
Database
Central MIS Server
District DB Server
Upazilla DB Server
PDA

53. How to Approach Mobile Technology
Mobile technology has a Glamour and Glitz ….

54. It’s not about technology…
it’s about People.

55. Afghanistan March 2011

56. Cultural Context

57. Trust

58. What is that in your hand?

59. I am interested….

60. What Mobile Technology?

61. Usability

62. “If it doesn’t work in the field…
…then it doesn’t work”

63. So….which mobile solution should I use?
First Things First…

64. The technology “tool” comes last….
If you choose the tool first, then:
Best scenario:
• increased cost
• program delay and poor quality
Worst scenario:
• program failure

65. The solution must satisfy the program need.
But, it must work in the hands of the User.

66. How should I begin?

67. Technology Solution Criteria
Functionality - What can it do?
Usability - Can it be used?
Scalability – Can it be used on a wider scale?

68. Functionality
1st – clearly understand your “What”
•Program and intervention needs.
•M&E indicators(Results Framework)

69. Functionality
The “What” always precedes the “How”
(The “How” is the technology “Solution”)

70. Functionality
Technology serves your “What”…
…not the other way around.
Resist forcing your “What” to fit the “How”.

71. Usability
Technology always works in the lab and
during training…
…but it can quickly become irrelevant
in the context of field conditions.

72. Scalability
Small pilots are often successful…
but they seldom scale up to wider
implementations.

73. Demonstrations
• FrontlineSMS
• EpiSurveyor

74. Questions…

75. SixBlue Data
David Isaak – Mobile Technology
http://www.sixbluedata.com
http://www.sixbluedata.com
disaak@sixbluedata.com