Lessons in the development of a mobile application for data collection in Malawi

• In Event: Effective use of technology to improve data collection and reporting in low connectivity countries

Proposal

Abt Associates is supporting the Malawi National Reading Programme (NRP) by implementing the USAID-funded Yesani Ophunzira (YESA) Activity. A key objective of YESA is to modernize the Ministry of Education’s EMIS system in order to streamline data collection, data consolidation, data analysis, and reporting. This was achieved by expanding the capabilities of the cloud-based EMIS system and by developing a mobile application specifically designed to collect, analyze and report on data in real time.
This presentation will discuss lessons learned in the development and roll out of a data collection and reporting mobile application developed for the Ministry of Education in Malawi. The presenter will share examples of the user interface and dashboard and describe decisions and adjustments made throughout the development and implementation process to ensure a user-friendly and fully functional mobile application.
This presentation will be of interest to development organizations and partners that are interested in effective uses of technology to streamline data collection and reporting in resource-poor countries with limited internet connectivity.

Authors

• Jeremy B Koch, Abt Associates

• Mphatso Sambo, Abt Associates