Scott Lansell Interview

Roxana Elliott: Thanks for speaking with me! Can you start by telling me about your background before you came to GeoPoll?

Scott Lansell: My first exposure to International Development was at USAID, where I worked in several functions culminating as a desk officer for several east European countries in the early 1990s after the Berlin wall fell. During that time I was first exposed to USAID’s mission and its operational processes along with its many implementing partners in its role leading the US’s development assistance programs across the globe. After USAID, I joined the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) where I focused on portfolio and regional management within the democracy and governance sector with focus on elections administration internationally. I then joined World Learning, focusing on civil society, governance, higher education, and workforce development, where I also led the NGO’s donor diversification team including the launch of World Learning Europe.

What drew you to GeoPoll and what are your current responsibilities?

It was clear from my prior work that being able to regularly monitor and report on the impact of the interventions underway in the international development space was crucial to long term sustainability and documentation of development impact. GeoPoll brought an innovative approach and capacity offering mobile survey research and data collection to international development implementers and donors. It brings the 21^st century into development and monitoring project success which demonstrates a way that the international community should utilize.

In addition to leading GeoPoll’s business development efforts to engage new clients and maintain our existing clients, I also oversee the program management teams that implement our international development projects – this dual role is important as it is important to understand both the business development and implementation sides ensuring that what we are offer is feasible, cost effective, and meets the objectives and expectations of each of our clients.

Why do you think research solutions such as GeoPoll’s are so important in the international development sector?

The key to a successful development project is being able to show the impact of the work and track how the intervention is received, localized and transferred to local ownership. In traditional sectors this can be dependent on deploying staff in person to gather and monitor implementation.  The challenge with this approach to impact monitoring and assessment is there can be bias, or difficulties in accessing remote efforts due to security, health crises, and logistics.  Too often the most vulnerable populations may be under-represented due to these and other limiting factors.

GeoPoll brings a capacity to undertake data collection using both high-tech and low-tech means. While we are data collection company, we’re not dependent on internet access or people who have high-end mobile devices. We can reach people from all backgrounds to have a better understanding of what those populations are feeling about interventions. We offer various approaches or modes to engage different populations – for example, when you’re reaching out to a fisherman in a village a low-tech approach is useful. Clients that come to us in the international development and relief sector are focused on the broadest populations, those who are most disenfranchised and most difficult to access. Mobile has the ability to help transcend these barriers. 

What has surprised you about GeoPoll and the projects we work on?

The speed at which we can create and deliver a solution has always impressed me.  While timelines in the development sectors can be significant, GeoPoll can respond to clients’ needs, design and offer viable solutions, and then move to implement solutions in a matter of days.  I’ve been a part of project design that offered raw data in only one week after the initial conversation with the client – this is unheard of when using more traditional approaches.

Where do you think GeoPoll will go in the future?

There is constant interest in expanding the services we offer to meet our clients’ needs.  We are constantly looking to offer new and innovative approaches and platforms. Being able to use both traditional and higher-tech solutions in conjunction with each other is unique as we are trying to meet a quickly expanding demand for technological solutions without losing traditional approaches and access to the lower socio-economic populations we serve.  We aren’t only focused on offering the latest new mobile application because the populations we often need to speak to don’t always have access to the latest technology.

How has GeoPoll adapted its solutions to COVID in the past year?

It became clear very early in 2020 that COVID-19 was becoming this generation’s largest challenge. GeoPoll’s leadership quickly determined we needed to make sure that donors and implementers could quickly access public perceptions on the pandemic and do so without putting people’s lives at risk. Beginning in March of 2020, we conducted several studies on COVID-19 and were able to collect data in multiple waves to show what mobile can bring when data must be collected remotely. We also very quickly redesigned our training and monitoring structure to ensure the safety of our call center operators, so that we can continue to offer the same quality of service to clients even when people are working remotely.

What’s a fact about yourself that people may not know right away?

I’ve always been a consumer of world history and have a tendency to look at situations and ask myself ‘Where have I seen this before and what can I learn from it?’ I also enjoy cartography – I see maps as art and have an appreciation for diversity of cultures which began very early after living overseas as a child.  I enjoy following international affairs from the perspective of not just an American but also looking at how we as a global community can and will play key roles on the international stage. No matter what I’m doing, I’m trying to play a small role in working to support global efforts to help develop self-sufficiency and make the world a better place regardless of nationality, region or culture.

The post Scott Lansell on Data Collection for International Development appeared first on GeoPoll.

In such a crisis, the challenges that response and relief teams face cannot be overstated. Accessing the victims and assessing immediate needs is critical, but this can be an arduous task when areas are difficult to reach, as was the case with Mozambique when Cyclone Idai – and Cyclone Kenneth soon afterward – landed to great destruction.

After Cyclone Idai, data was required to help guide the humanitarian response. But, with challenges accessing affected areas, there was a need for a way to gather data both quickly and remotely. Leveraging our existing respondent database in Mozambique and mobile survey platform, GeoPoll deployed a series of remote SMS-based surveys to the regions hardest hit by the Cyclone in Mozambique. Data gathered included information on infrastructure damages, food security, and the aid needed most by the communities.

Due to the fast nature of SMS surveys, we were able to pass on this invaluable on-the-ground information to humanitarian organizations in real-time, enabling them to offer the humanitarian and health assistance needed.

Collecting Data During Disease Outbreaks

The Mozambique case is just one example of how data can be collected immediately and remotely following various humanitarian crises. Another use case is during infectious disease outbreaks when it is not safe or feasible for workers to collect data in-person.

During various outbreaks of Ebola between 2014 and 2019, GeoPoll conducted several SMS and CATI surveys in the worst-hit parts of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the DRC to measure its impacts on the livelihoods of people and indicators such as food insecurity.

Currently, GeoPoll is running a series of research surveys to assess the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This freely available data is helping policymakers, international development organizations and brands make better decisions to reduce the spread and effect of the virus.

Data on Conflicts and Violent Extremism

Conflict is another humanitarian issue affecting many regions of the world from time to time. During a conflict, on-the-ground data is imperative for humanitarian aid groups and governments looking to measure the severity of the crisis and aid those in need. For instance, in April 2018, GeoPoll deployed our remote mobile data collection tool to collect vital information on food insecurity, levels of displacement, relief needs, and individual opinions from respondents in the war-ridden Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The data collected helped focus humanitarian aid efforts on protecting civilians from the side effects of war.

Data for humanitarian development and relief

Research points out the realities of broader populations. In times where it is otherwise impossible to get information from people on the ground, remote data collection can play a pivotal role in capturing the sentiment and realities in hard-to-reach areas. Over the years, GeoPoll has developed unique remote research systems, a large respondent database, and the experience to be able to assist essential humanitarian interventions through the provision of fast, reliable information in any circumstance.

We have worked with several international development groups and governments on a myriad of topics, including humanitarian aid, education and employment, monitoring and evaluation, food security, health, combatting violent extremism, governance, resilience, energy and climate, and financial inclusion among others. For more information and capabilities, please contact us here.

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The principles are defined simply as, “Nine ‘living’ guidelines designed to help digital development practitioners integrate established best practices into technology-enabled programs.” The need for such principles arose from a recent boom in the accessibility of modern communications technology in developing communities. ICT have since become an extremely successful tool for development organizations, yet the widespread adoption of the use of ICT for development led to the need for a set of guiding principles that would take into consideration factors including user privacy, data-driven decision making, and the other Principles of Digital Development found below. We are happy to see so many companies in a similar space as GeoPoll, including many of our partners, have also endorsed the Principles of Digital Development.

Each of the nine principles is important to the security of the people that digital development initiatives serve, as well as the communities undergoing change. GeoPoll’s mobile-based remote data collection platform is designed with special consideration for the people and communities who we reach daily on behalf of partners including aid organizations, governments, and foundations. Due to GeoPoll’s diligence in responsible data collection processes and a platform that has the ability to reach individuals in a manner that is convenient to them – the mobile phone – we have had the pleasure of facilitating projects for socially responsible organizations across the globe, collecting data on everything from food insecurity, to the state of economies following disease outbreak, to the TV ratings of independent media outlets.

A few examples of how GeoPoll’s platform embodies the Principles of Digital Development can be seen when examining the following principles:

Understand the Existing Ecosystem

GeoPoll’s platform allows our partners to survey the people within an area of interest before an organization develops tactics for a development or aid initiative, giving citizens a say in what their community needs most. Due to the real-time nature of mobile surveys, GeoPoll enables organizations to collect on-the-ground feedback throughout projects, ensuring that they stay on track and are meeting the desired goals. Within our own organization, GeoPoll is proud to have built a team of experts who are knowledgeable about the markets we work in, and act as advisers throughout each project we undergo. We have team members located in East, West, and Southern Africa, and seek out local partners in nearly every country we work in, leading to a deep understanding of cultural context which is brought into every aspect of our work.

Design for Scale

GeoPoll’s survey platform is unique due to our capabilities to quickly reach and engage a huge number of people and target extremely specific populations. Our database includes more than 250 million mobile subscribers, and we complete over 10 million survey interviews per year. In addition, our solutions can be quickly launched in areas of need with very little notice, as exemplified by our recent launch of a call center in Venezuela, and prior experience scaling to be able to reach countries during outbreaks of Ebola and other crises. GeoPoll’s scalable platform helps organizations conduct large-scale research quickly and cost effectively.

Address Privacy and Security

GeoPoll is hyper-conscious of our survey respondent’s safety and the security of the data they share with us. Our platform has controls in place to protect our user’s privacy in each step of the survey process, including ensuring we have explicit opt-in and opt-out wording and that any sensitive topics are treated with consideration for our respondents. We never share personally identifiable information, store all data securely, and adhere to all ESOMAR market research ethics guidelines.

As part of our endorsement of the digital principles, GeoPoll looks forward to continuously educating ourselves on new perspectives and best practices that may arise in the future. When working in a space that is as rapidly evolving as technology for development, it is important to embrace change as a constant factor of the work we do and be ready to adjust processes accordingly. GeoPoll is excited about what is on the horizon in terms of technology advancement and learnings from current and upcoming projects, and are confident in our ability to adapt quickly to the changing needs within the space. To learn more about our capabilities and processes, contact us today!

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The training on data-driven decision making for international development

On June 2, 2018 in Dar es Salaam, GeoPoll’s Audience Measurement Specialist, Akinyi Okulo, led an  Introduction to Data-Driven Decision Making – Radio Media training. 25 participants from 20 Tanzanian community radio stations engaged in the training seminar, under the five-year USAID-funded Tanzania Media and Civil Society Strengthening (TMCS) Activity. Also known as Boresha Habari, the FHI 360-led TMCS Activity’s goal is to strengthen Tanzania’s media ecosystem by building the local capacity of media outlets through training and technical assistance.

To further this goal at the GeoPoll-led training, GeoPoll staff provided trainees with nationally representative audience measurement data that measured specific program indicators. GeoPoll also trained Tanzanian media stakeholders on practical ways of using audience measurement data to improve the quality of community radio programming, increase listenership, and generate additional advertising revenue—all of which is intended to strengthen Tanzanian civil society and improve democratic governance.

 GeoPoll planned and led the highly tailored day-long training with the goal of improving the use of data to drive programming decisions among Tanzanian community radio stations. The training combined theoretical learning with real audience measurement data and practical group exercises.

Akinyi first led the participants through a well-known theoretical framework on data-driven decision making that focuses on the relationship between information, data, and knowledge. With this high-level framework in mind, trainees then analyzed real Tanzanian audience measurement information for radio that GeoPoll had collected before the session, as well as nationally representative GeoPoll SMS survey results that provided insight on Tanzanian perceptions and opinions about radio.

To bridge the gap between the theoretical framework and the practical application of data, participants took part in small group exercises. The group exercises focused on drawing out specific data points from real GeoPoll survey results and then designing advertiser strategies based on the data analysis and interpretation.

The training was a great success. Local stakeholders were educated on a mix of theories and developed practical knowledge about evidence-based decision making within media. In this way, GeoPoll is working to support a sustainable, self-reliant, and locally lead community radio ecosystem within Tanzania.

Let GeoPoll train your team on data driven decision making

GeoPoll is a leader in collecting data in emerging markets. With years of experience, our staff are extremely knowledgeable about both data collection and analysis. The GeoPoll team can impart this knowledge upon your staff through a similar training on data-driven decision making. Contact us today to discuss the training possibilities for your organization.

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The event kicked-off with a keynote from Gustav Paekelt asking the room where our mobile moonshot will come from and to focus making things “simple, scalable, affordable, integrated, and social.” The morning consisted of panel on the M4D sector, bookended by lightning talks that reminded us all to keep people in the heart of the work we do.

After lunch, Chris Locke from GSMA tried to answer two questions: “1. What does a sustainable digital economy look like? 2. How does the role of development organizations evolve?” In the process he introduced some new findings from forthcoming research in conjunction with iHub Research (stay tuned!).

The afternoon panel covered financing, from micro-donations to large scale foundation funding, seed venture and to larger-scale capital investment. Inspiring “big ideas” talks from innovators from Congo, Ghana, Kenya and USAID Mobile Solutions concluded the evening.

Some takeaways:

• Thousands of pilots and projects are great but there is a clear push to move towards products
• Our efforts need to speak to the purse, not just the heart, of mobile network operators
• Data is essential for demonstrating impact & mobile helps unlock new ways to capture such data
• To achieve “scale,” going big in just one country may not be enough

GeoPoll leaves the day having learned loads and making many great contacts. Big thanks to the organizers for the invitation and a job well done!

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