UN Foundation Employs Mobile Technology

Interview: Mitul Shah

Mitul Shah

Mitul Shah is Director of Technology Partnerships at the United Nations Foundation. The UN Foundation was created in 1998 to support UN causes and activities. The Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach.

When did the UN Foundation start using mobile technology in its work?

We started using mobile technology through our partnership with the Vodafone Group Foundation. In 2005, we got together and decided to develop a fund that would support mobile technology and how it could improve the way the UN carries out its work.

How have you integrated mobile technology into your programs?

Our first task was to conduct a needs assessment with key UN agencies including WHO, to see where mobile technology had the potential to work. We wanted to leverage our existing initiatives, such as our work with the UN World Health Organization and other partners to eradicate measles – the number one vaccine-preventable killer of children worldwide. Our health advisors concluded that the most effective use of mobile technology was to facilitate health officials’ access to information in making life-saving decisions.

To give you an idea of the value that mobile technology brings to the field of international public health, let me share with you the examples of Zambia and Kenya, countries where we recently completed a pilot program. Previously, health workers traveled to remote facilities and recorded vital data, like vaccine stock levels, on paper. This information was then transferred manually into an electronic database, which took time. Now health workers can collect that data on handheld devices, systemizing how health data is collected, and making information aggregation faster, easier, and more accurate.

The UN Foundation’s health programs have benefited greatly from this use of mobile technology. In addition to tracking coverage rates for vaccination campaigns like those run by the Measles Initiative, this mobile technology is being modified to address other health needs as they arise. In Kenya and Zambia, we trained provincial officers to use a free health data collection system called EpiSurveyor. EpiSurveyor was created by an NGO called DataDyne which is also the lead trainer and director of the program. With this application, in-country health officials are able to create their own surveys and questionnaires. The system encourages creativity and innovation. In Kenya, for example, one of the field staff developed his own survey to collect vital information during a polio outbreak. He was able to get the information back to the Ministry in time for officials to take immediate action.

We’re also using mobile technology for emergencies. Our partners Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are both using mobile technology to set up essential communications infrastructure in emergency situations. TSF goes into disaster areas and sets up an information camp that includes the use of satellite phones. This allows the UN to coordinate when shipments are coming in. NGOs rely on such communications to coordinate staff movements. WFP uses the phones to coordinate food shipments.

We’re also supporting a publication series that looks at how mobile devices are lowering the barriers to information, access and opportunity. In 2006, we worked with the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor to co-fund a case study looking at how mobile phones are being used to help disadvantaged individuals in South Africa access their bank accounts, check balances, and transfer funds. A new paper will be released in 2008.

Are there specific areas of UN Foundation's work that are more suited to mobile technology than others?

Our needs assessment pointed to the relevance of mobile technology to our health and disaster relief initiatives. In the health area, we found we could use the power of mobile technology to survey and collect vital data, especially in rural areas where it can be both difficult and time-consuming to gather and share data. Now, using mobile technology, when a disease outbreak occurs, it is possible to send information right away. Of course, there needs to be a mobile network in place. In most disasters, the landline infrastructure is down. If the mobile structure is down, it’s fairly easy to repair.

I can easily see how surveying and emergency reporting could also be used to monitor environmental, energy, or global warming-related issues. One idea is to use mobile technology to set up questionnaires and surveys for conservation workers so that data is collected in a systematized way.

What challenges or lessons have emerged from your work with mobile technology?

Sustainability is the number one challenge. There’s an assumption that people have mobile phones; yet many in developing countries still can’t afford them. The cost of operating a phone is still beyond many peoples' reach. More work needs to be done with operators and mobile phone providers to make sure total prices stay low. Plus, when you’re working in areas of widespread poverty, illiteracy is another issue. You need to understand your end users and their level of education. Will they be able to benefit from the solution you’re proposing? Proper training is also essential – for example, teaching health providers how to use new technologies and input data. It’s important that they be made aware of the benefits of embracing a new technology solution.

How have you gone about developing/acquiring the staff expertise needed for this type of work?

Data managers existed in each of the countries where we have implemented mobile technology initiatives for health projects. They’re the ones who train and supervise those who collect information from the field. Training is key. You need to train people how to collect information and why they’re collecting it. One thing we’ve learned is the importance of integrating two-way communication into mobile technology programs. It’s important for individuals sending information in to get information back. They need to know the big picture behind the information they’re collecting.

What advice do you have for NGOs that are just beginning to think about integrating mobile technology into their work?

This is still a relatively new field. The use of mobile technology in development is just emerging. There’s a newness and attractiveness to it that may entice people to embrace it, when another solution – even paper – could be preferable. You need to take a close look at what you’re trying to do and why you would use it. Whenever possible, a needs assessment is an important first step. A major advantage is being able to transmit information quickly. We need to bear in mind that mobile technology is a means to an end. Organizations should always concentrate on the larger goal they have in mind.

See related ShareIdeas stories

• Establishing Telecommunications Centers to Aid Disaster Relief Efforts
• Mobile Banking in South Africa
• EpiSurveyor: Collecting Vital Health Data Using Free Software Tools

Related links

• www.unfoundation.org
• www.vodafonefoundation.org