Data collection tools for shelter tagging & items distribution

This resource was originally published on the CartoBlog in 2019 by CartONG. It was transferred to the IM Resource Portal in May 2021. The CartoBlog will be decommissioned in early 2022.

The aim of this study is to present a series of data collection tools which are map-centric (OpenMapKits; Collector for ArcGIS) and form-centric (ODK; Survey123 for ArcGIS).

The study was developed in support to the Information Management activities of the FICSS/DPSM (Field Information and Coordination Support Section/Division of Programme Support & Management) of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

In order to better understand how these tools work together and how they could be used in the field, they all have been tested against a specific scenario, based on the data collection experience of UNHCR in the Rohingya refugees’ camps in Bangladesh – in particular shelter tagging and items distribution.

The main idea of the study is that in addition to the general presentation of the tools, the user gains a better understanding of these tools by seeing them tested against a given scenario, with their pro’s and con’s, and also a review of how the data collected in the field could be integrated with existing database systems.

To this end, the study is built as follow:

1. For each tool, there is a general presentation of the functionalities and the updates of the latest release.
2. The study then focuses on a general description of the interaction between the tools and the required set-up.
3. The full workflow is then tested for the given scenario in order to reveal the Pro’s and Con’s for each tool.
4. Finally, the study presents the interaction of these group of tools with two database systems: ArcGIS – currently in use by UNHCR, and OSM.