Surveda

The NCD Mobile Phone survey, part of Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative, allows researchers to survey NCDs through different channels, languages and modes; i.e. interactive voice response (IVR), short message service (SMS), mobile web, and more. The survey tool, “Surveda”, is open-source and founded by the consortium running the survey (CDC, CDC Foundation, RTI International and InSTEDD). This first-of-its-kind multi-country, multi-modal mobile phone survey will provide timely data on NCDs and risk factors, which can be used as a guide for public policy.

Faced with information collection challenges in DRC and Somalia, WFP’s mobile Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (mVAM) team worked with InSTEDD open source mobile and voice technologies to improve timely data collection, regarding food supply and access. The tools were utilized to communicate with the displaced population facing the food scarcity situation. Using these tools and support from the InSTEDD platform team, mVAM rapidly created voice-based surveys and automated information hotlines that informed and allowed for feedback, regardless of literacy and language barriers of the end user. Through this work, the WFP mVAM team conducted surveys that are “quicker, cheaper” and “safer” than traditional tools.