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 iFormBuilderiPod Touch

with GPS

BarTenderARC GIS

onlineARC GIS

Desktop

Why use the iPod Touch for

Data Collection ?

iFormBuilder

Benefit

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

Geographic

Information System

Mobile

data

collection

Database

File 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!