More Trees, More Time: Enabling

Efficient Data Utilization Without Paper

Sony BELIZAIRE

ICT4D specialist

March 30, 2011

ICT4 Development Conference

Kigali, Rwanda

Project Background

National Catholic school assessment: Work with partner Commission for Catholic Education in Haiti to facilitate a strategic planning effort for all Catholic schools

Ann Ale Lakay: Support families living in tent camps since the 2010 earthquake to access services to allow them to return home in dignity

Problem

National Catholic school assessment: How to gather data and GPS at over 2,300 spread throughout Haiti in 3 months?

Ann Ale Lakay: How to gather and utilize information in the 6-week period for a family to choose how to return home?

ICT4D Solution

SharePoint iFormBuilder iPod Touch with GPS

BarTenderARC GIS

onlineARC GIS Desktop

Why use the iPod Touch for Data Collection ?

iFormBuilder

Benefit

Less paper and time

Data entry complete automatically

Benefit

Ann Ale Lakay and Barcode scanner

Methodology:

• Number all tents in camp• Distribute ticket with barcode to

household• Registration of household with

iPod and Barcode scanner• Create ID card for the head of

household with BartTender• Distribute ID card with Barcode• Training management with iPod• Services accessed with ID card

Ann Ale Lakay and ICT4D

Before After

Geographic Information System

Mobile data

collection

DatabaseFile exchange with partner

ARC GIS Desktop

ARC GIS Explorer

Education (National Enumeration of Catholic

Schools)

• 2300 schools• 10 departments• 85 questions• 3 months• 76 researchers (NOT

technology experts)

Methodology

Catholic Schools Map

Key Challenges

• Internet connectivity• Lack of electricity in the field / GPS battery• GPS localization in rainy weather• Large amounts of data cannot be exported at

one time

Lessons Learned – Ann Ale Lakay and Education

• Low power for barcode scanner – no problem!• But: battery unreliable• iPod battery reduced from 6-9 hours to 3 hours in the sun

• Reinforce message about proper care for iPods

• Other energy sources useful for iPod charging in rural areas

• Budget for ICT4D in all projects (where appropriate)

Sustainability

• Technology becoming increasingly widespread as CRS trains partners (CEEC) and government (Ministry of Education)

• Dependent upon trained human resources

Future and Ongoing Usage

• Baseline, endline and other assessments• Regular monitoring• Feed a database for regular reporting• Transfer knowledge to partners• Produce visual information for donors and

partners

Summary and Close

• Design and implement forms rapidly for surveys

• No data entry, no paper, no folder, no cases

• Sharing geospatial information efficiently

• Emergency response – visual tool

Thank You!

Merci!

Mesi anpil!