COVID-19 and Digital Data Collection

Information is critical to fight the spread of COVID-19. Responders and decision makers need detailed and timely data to understand and prevent the spread of the disease. Health workers and communities need access to accurate information to protect themselves and their loved ones. Governments need to understand how their policies to respond to COVID-19 are affecting citizens. USAID Mission staff and Implementing Partners need to continue to monitor their programs remotely and assess how digital data collection tools can be adapted to support continued monitoring of programs and collect data relevant to COVID-19 response efforts.

USAID’s Digital Strategy mandates that Agency staff and partners collect programmatic data digitally (e.g. by tablet, mobile phone, etc.) rather than paper to the greatest extent possible. Ultimately, the goal is to use the data collected for better decision-making, adaptive programming, and strategic planning.

If you are interested in this topic, this guide was mentionned in a blog post on How to Protect Digital Privacy and Security During COVID-19 Response by ICTWorks.