Overview
A project in 2015 investigated limitations and strengths of commercially available digital applications that projects use to collect data and for monitoring and evaluation (GMCP/2015/016 - 'Assessment of digital data collection applications (DDCAs) to support ACIAR's M&E') (MAD pilot).
This Small Research Activity aimed to determine the level of capacity building and other considerations necessary to implement DDCAs. It evaluated how four core ACIAR research projects would adopt and roll out apps, and develop and test app adoption advocacy and scale out models to promote the use of apps amongst the ACIAR research community.
Project outcomes
This report was prepared by Agricultural Impact International Pty Ltd (AgImpact) as commissioned by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The information and recommendations from this study will inform ACIAR and research partners in the use of digital data collection in future research activities.
The report presents the findings of two related small research activities funded by ACIAR, being GMCP/2016/004 and GMCP/2016/044. Together these research activities provided a range of targeted technical support and institutional training across nine ACIAR research projects operating in five countries (Vietnam, Pakistan, Myanmar, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea). Projects were supported to integrate the digital data platform CommCare into their research projects and build capacity within research institutes to amplify the benefits. Activity commenced with a Mobile Acquired Data (MAD) Masterclass in Canberra in June 2016, and concluded with a MAD Showcase in Canberra in August 2017. The project team supported all projects in-country in the period between.
AgImpact would like to thank the nine project leaders and their research teams for their time and commitment to learn CommCare, and their willingness to embrace change where project activities were already planned and had to be modified to participate in this research activity. We would also like to thank NARI management and staff for their commitment to CommCare training.
The views expressed in this report are those of Agricultural Impact International and do not reflect the views of ACIAR or the Government of Australia.
Stuart Higgins Director, Agricultural Impact International December 2017
