Innovating for Access: The Role of Technology in Monitoring Aid in Highly Insecure Environments: Global Public Policy Institute

Aid organisations have developed several ways to gather beneficiary feedback or survey data remotely using cell phones. These include hotlines, verification calls, phone-based surveys and bottom-up reporting. In Somalia, one organisation set up an SMS-based feedback hotline, where beneficiaries can submit complaints, praise or comments at any time. The messages are reviewed and (unless they contain sensitive information) recorded on a publicly viewable online map. Anyone can visit the site to see where feedback is positive or critical, and aid staff can follow up directly with individual and bulk requests. Another group set up a call centre for individuals who agreed to provide information about food security indicators, such as crop prices. In short interviews, aid staff quickly collect data points and enter these directly into a centralised database. A large number of such interviews have been completed, including individuals from areas that the organisation was previously not able to reach. In Syria, where mobile network coverage has been severely damaged, aid organisations are increasingly using the online messaging platform WhatsApp to inform and communicate with their constituents. Communities consulted for this research see phone-based feedback mechanisms as important complements to other channels, especially where physical access of staff is highly restricted. However, introduction and maintenance is costly and uptake can be limited. Another concern is the risk of multiple call systems from different organisations confusing or simply annoying people.