EMIT

Mobile Monitoring and Evaluation: Experiences from Pilot to National Scale Implementation

Posted by MohiniBhavsar on Aug 10, 2010

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Mobile Monitoring and Evaluation: Experiences from Pilot to National Scale Implementation data sheet 1762 Views
Author: 
Eben Conley, Sarah Brown, Kieran Scharpey-Schafer
ISSN/ISBN Number: 
978
Publication Date: 
Jan 2010
Publication Type: 
Journal article
Abstract: 

Implementation of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) programmes are predominantly dependant on paper forms to measure organisational impact. These forms are then manually captured into an electronic system for analysis. This methodology results in high costs, questionable data accuracy and long turnaround times. Additionally inadequately skilled employees, remote locations and high staff turnover add to these challenges. A solution that allows for flexibility and extendibility within the NGO sector is required to decrease costs and allow for NGO’s to focus their attentions on their main areas of expertise. One potential solution is the use of mobile phones to collect the data.

This paper presents the experiences of implementing a mobile phone based M&E system and the lessons learnt in scaling this system from pilot to national. These include system flexibility, easy-to-learn interfaces, identification of champions and detailed site assessments. Today the system is being used nationally, with over 70 000 electronic surveys submitted and over 300 facilitators using the system.



 




  
EMIT: Mobile Monitoring and Evaluation


Posted by kdetolly on Apr 28, 2010





 

        
      
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EMIT: Mobile Monitoring and Evaluation data sheet 4925 Views

	
System Description


EMIT is an application that allows facilitators to capture field data on cellphones and submit it via GPRS to a centralised database. Surveys are customised and data is monitored, verified and prepared for analysis in real time. Read more here.


From Pilot to National


The pilot was performed with the Community Media Trust (CMT), who used EMIT as a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tool to capture information on their HIV prevention and treatment literacy sessions in clinics, their training programme and open day events held in public spaces in communities where they work. CMT had been struggling with long turnaround times:


Basic Information

      
Website URL: 

    

            

                    http://www.emitmobile.co.za        

        





      
Organization involved in the project?: 

    

            

                    Cell-Life        

        





      
Project goals: 

    

            

                    
EMIT is an application that allows facilitators to capture field data on  cellphones and submit it via GPRS to a centralised database. Surveys  are customised and data is monitored, verified and prepared for analysis  in real time.

        

        





      
Brief description of the project: 

    

            

                    
A national roll-out of EMIT as a mobile-based data monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system revealed a clear trend of lower costs, greater accuracy and a faster turnaround time on reporting. With proper training and widespread buy-in, fieldworkers used EMIT with successfully and managers found it an efficient and effective monitoring tool.


 

        

        





      
Target audience: 

    

            

                    
Field workers in mobile health. 

        

        






How EMIT works - flowchart


Detailed Information

      
Mobile Tools Used: 

    

            

                    EMIT        

        





      
Length of Project (in months) : 

    

            

                    28        

        





      
Status: 

    

            

                    Ongoing        

        





      
What worked well? : 

    

            

                    
Training was easier than expected as the fieldworkers were already competent cell-phone users.


The data capturing system allowed for real-time access where CMT management could see submissions in real time and make follow up calls to the clinics to ensure their fieldworkers were in fact on duty.


A few organisations had ill-defined organisational processes, making it hard to implement a solution that had little existing foundation. In specific cases it was important to analyse existing processes and re-engineer processes that were redundant. This was done by having workshops and interviews with relevant parties to try and come up with a better defined process that could not only be auditable by funders but logical to the M&E manager. This was very successful as it allowed Cell-Life to analyse organisations and customize the technology accordingly.

        

        





      
What did not work? What were the challenges?: 

    

            

                    
In terms of the sector, there is a great need for broad-based IT skills as training is still required at most of the partner NGOs. For this reason, training has become a core part of the EMIT product offering.


The lack of network coverage in certain rural areas meant that data capturers had to go to areas with network coverage in order to send their collected forms.


There are challenges involved in the provision of cellphones. Clear policies for cellphone usage are necessary to try and reduce loss. In the near future, the EMIT application will be compatible with all Java enabled cell-phones, meaning that most facilitators will be able to use their personal cellphones, minimizing the cost of providing handsets and the management thereof.