Workshop presentation at ACFID 'Development Futures' Conference, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Nov 22nd, 2013.

1. Digital Tools for M&E
Citizen Engagement
Workshop: Tools, methods and case-studies
Gerard McCarthy- Director, Asia-Pacific
DevFutures Conference, UTS, Sydney Nov 22nd

2. Purpose
1. Survey the shift from one-way to two-way
communications flows
2. Outline key tools for NGOs in
crowdsourcing and data collection
3. Assess implications for future of citizen
engagement and governance reform
TWEET: @gerardtmccarthy
www.techchange.org

3. Purpose
1. Survey the shift from one-way to two-way
communications flows
2. Outline key tools for NGOs in
crowdsourcing and data collection
3. Assess implications for future of citizen
engagement and governance reform
TWEET: @gerardtmccarthy

4. The future of development/aid?
1) Data driven impact focused
2) Focused on individual
engagement and needs
3) Supporting improved
governance

5. Experience in the room
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
ME specialists?
Program design?
Governance?
Service delivery (health, WASH etc)
Disaster management
ICT specialists?
Other

6. Digital ME
“tapping the
talent of the
crowd” (Wired)
using mobiles
and social media

8. What’s changed?

10. 92%
pop.
(87.3m
sims)
Source: Mobile and Development
Intelligence (
http://
www.mobiledevelopmentintelligenc
e.com/)

11. 107% pop.
(260m sims)
Source: Mobile and Development
Intelligence (
http://
www.mobiledevelopmentintelligenc
e.com/)

12. 50%
pop.
Source: Mobile and Development
Intelligence (
http://
www.mobiledevelopmentintelligenc
e.com/)

13. 117%
(41.9m
sims)
Source: Mobile and Development
Intelligence (
http://
www.mobiledevelopmentintelligenc
e.com/)

14. 9% pop 2011…
2015: c.80%
Source: Mobile and Development
Intelligence (
http://
www.mobiledevelopmentintelligenc
e.com/)

15. ‘Leapfrogging’

16. The core tools
• Mobile Phones
• FrontlineSMS, GeoPoll, Episurveyor/
Magpi, Dimagi (CommCare)
• Maps
• Ushahidi, OpenStreetMap, ArcGIS
• Social Media
• Twitter, Facebook, Babuser

17. Ushahidi: Kenya 2007/8

18. Ushahidi: Kenya 2007/8
Ory Okolloh, Ushahidi: http://www.ted.com/talks/
ory_okolloh_on_becoming_an_activist.html

19. Crowd to Map
SMS
Social Media
Twitter, Facebook, Bambuser

20. Map to ICC
SMS
Social Media
Twitter, Facebook, Bambuser

21. No MAS FARC:
2008

22. No MAS FARC:
2008

23. No MAS FARC
FARC and protests

24. No MAS FARC
FARC and protests

25. Obama 2008/2012
campaigns
Local community organising:
1) Two-way digital communications
2) Individual relationship building for
grassroots mobilisation.

26. Obama 2012: Blue State Digital
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=flozf64bkvM

27. Two Way
Haiti 2010: Disaster Response
- Shortcode (4636) distributed through radio networks.
Support from Haitian diaspora (coordinated via Fb) in
translation.
- Ushahidi came later, with assistance from Standby
Taskforce. Local partners later able to process data

28. Crowd to Map
Crowd to Map
• SMS (via
FrontlineSMS)
• Social Media
•
Twitter, Facebook, Bambuser

29. Map to Emergency Team
Map to Emergency Teams
• SMS
• Social Media
•
Twitter, Facebook, Bambuser

30. Emergency Team to
Individuals/subgroups
Emergency Team to Crowd
(sub-section)
• SMS (via
FrontlineSMS)
• Social Media
•
Twitter, Facebook, Bambuser

31. Haiti 2010 Earthquake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=e89Tqr75mMw (30)

32. Haiti: Lesson
Crowd analyse sub-crowd action

33. Recap: Digital ME
Strengths:
- Rapid response
- More reliable info than
just elites
- Operate in difficult
contexts
Weaknesses:
- Too much info/detail?
- Verification process
can be complex
- Vulnerable to
infrastructure failure

34. The future of development/aid?
1) Data impact focused
2) Focused on individual
engagement and needs
3) Supporting improved
governance

35. 1) Data and impact driven
Rapid assessments, data-based
decision making.
Eg. Rapid assessments of rural
health infrastructures and
needs.
Tool: CommCare/Magpi,
GeoPoll

36. 2) Direct Individual Engagement
- Reduce intermediaries, lower
overheads
Eg. Direct cash transfer for
agricultural assistance in Kenya.
Tool: mPESA,
FrontlineSMS,
Salesforce
Q: Role in disaster response?

37. 3) Governance accountability/
social mobilisation
- Info about weak service delivery and tools
to lobby (political demand).
- Eg: Uganda’s infant mortality project- 14%
improvement in mortality rates
- Tools: FrontlineSMS, Ushahidi, Innovation
Labs (?)

38. One-Way+: India- I Paid a Bribe

39. PNG: Stop the Stealing

40. Group task:
Project Design- 20mins
Info gathering, behavioural
change, policy change
1) Sri Lanka: Countering dengue
fever spread
2) Myanmar: Communal violence
3) Philippines: Disaster prep, warning
and response coordination

41. Analytic project questions
1. Framing project: what question/outcome are you trying to
answer/achieve?
2. Theory of change/partners; Inside-Inside or Inside-Outside?
3. Use of tools and information flows; internal analysis (oneway) or public campaign/coordination (two-way).
4. Are you using the right technology for the right place at the
right time? Use of ‘old’ media eg. radio and offline
engagement (community consultations)?
5. Budget breakdown vs traditional approaches?

42. Closing comments and
questions
Gerard McCarthy
Director of Asia-Pacific Projects,
TechChange
Contact:
gerard@techchange.org