Paper-to-mobile data collection: a manual

This toolkit is written in order to give USAID program and contracting staff, implementing partner M&E and program staff, and researchers a better idea of what mobile data collection is, to evaluate its suitability and added value to a given project, and to give guidance in how it can best be put to use. It is directed at USAID Missions and implementing partners engaged in monitoring and evaluation, and offers the resources necessary for making an informed choice and an effective transition process from paper and pen to mobile. It will lay out the benefits of MDC use for implementing partners, as well as incorporating these methods in M&E related solicitations (RFAs and RFPs), when appropriate.

The toolkit is organized around three major sections:

1. What is mobile data collection and what benefits does it offer?
2. Evaluating the suitability of mobile data collection tools for a given project;
3. How to successfully build the capabilities needed for transitioning to mobile data collection.

Although mobile data collection activities encompass the whole range of data collection activities including program design, implementation, data aggregation and analysis, and dissemination of results, this toolkit concentrates on the aspects of implementation that need to be addressed early in the planning stages of data collection efforts.