COVID-19 continues to exert immense pressure on the world’s emerging markets, creating economic concerns that rival the health concerns. With a third or fourth wave of the virus gripping many countries, it is becoming increasingly difficult for governments to get a handle on either of those challenges.

As a followup to GeoPoll’s 2020 reports and April 2021 report on the impacts of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa, GeoPoll conducted a survey in nine countries across Africa, Latin America, and Asia to assess the ongoing effects of the pandemic on respondents’ finances, spending and health, their thoughts and concerns about the vaccine, and their hopes for the future.

The main topics covered include:

• Changes to consumer income and financial outlook
• Changes in consumer spending habits
• Perceptions about government response to the pandemic
• Concerns about and willingness to take the vaccine
• Adherence to public health measures and changes in emotional health

Findings from this study illustrate a world continuing to suffer the economic and societal impacts of COVID-19. Incomes continue to fall, particularly in emerging economies such as Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Brazil, while prices for food and other necessities increase. Many express concern both with paying their expenses and with the pandemic overall. Despite these hardships, several positive trends surfaced, including the likeliness to take the vaccine when it is available, emotional health improvements, and optimism for the future.

Click below to download GeoPoll’s full written report, or scroll down to view the survey data in the interactive dashboard.

Interactive Data Dashboard

Dive deeper into GeoPoll’s data on the ongoing economic and societal impacts of COVID-19 in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, Egypt, Brazil, Colombia, and China using the interactive dashboard below. You can view all pieces of data from this study, filterable by country, age group, gender, and question.

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First launched in 2016, GeoPoll’s mobile application is a robust platform that can conduct surveys with text, video, and picture questions, quickly disseminate information, and gather pictures and other location-based data from individuals in specific areas. The reconfigured GeoPoll app provides respondents with a more seamless registration and survey-taking experience which will enable GeoPoll and our partners to more easily conduct app-based research in the coming years. Some key features of the new GeoPoll Application include:

• Device agnostic: GeoPoll’s application is built to work with any device, including older phone operating systems and varying screen sizes.
• Low data usage: The GeoPoll application is lightweight and uses little data, making it friendly for anyone to download and use, even those with limited airtime and low wifi coverage
• Seamless user registration and survey-taking flow: The registration process has been streamlined to verify new user accounts quickly and effectively
• Detailed location tracking: Using GPS data, the GeoPoll application can target surveys or other tasks to very specific areas, and can provide location information of our respondents with partners
• Multi-lingual: GeoPoll’s application supports multiple languages and alphabets including English, Arabic, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Swahili, as well as country-specific languages such as Tagalog, Urdu, Oromo, Amharic Latin, Kinyarwanda, Indonesian and Turkish.
• Video and picture support: Surveys can include video and picture content which respondents react to, and respondents can also upload their own photos and videos of products, billboards, retail stores, and more

Developed by GeoPoll’s tech team and drawing from both the best practices of modern design and feedback from users, the new mobile application is more user friendly and will provide GeoPoll partners with better survey functionality. The GeoPoll Application is a complement to other GeoPoll research methods including CATI voice calls, SMS, and mobile web links.

In addition to traditional survey functionality, the GeoPoll Application allows clients to build panels over time to track brand health, product usage, and consumption behavior, direct respondents to visit retail locations or billboards to report on them, and much more. For those looking to gather real-time insights in emerging regions, the functionality of the GeoPoll Application opens up a range of possibilities.

The new GeoPoll Application will be initially launched in over 40 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, giving our partners greater access to more surveying capabilities and an ever-growing app userbase. To learn more about GeoPoll’s capabilities or get a quote for your next research project, please contact us today. To download the app and take surveys in exchange for payment through airtime credit or other methods, visit this page.

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There are 14,752 individual islands in Indonesia, and wrapped around each of the islands is thousands of miles of coastline – 33,999 miles  to be exact. Despite this, the ocean that surrounds the country’s islands has not urged individual citizens or government officials to develop an ecologically responsible society, even while climate change affects the nation in more ways than one.

To examine the public’s perception of climate change, among other social issues in Indonesia, GeoPoll recently conducted an exploratory study in the country. This post explains and analyzes the results of this survey that focus on climate change.

Survey Methodology

GeoPoll’s mobile application was used to conduct the survey in Indonesia. Respondents were asked about access to news information, social media usage, healthcare quality and accessibility, climate change, and economic development. Data was collected in May 2018, with a total of 101 responses from survey participants located across the nation.

Results

Question: Select all that apply. Which of the following are consequences of climate change 1) Increased temperature 2) Increased storms & floods 3) Change in climate 4) Earthquakes 5) Volcanic eruptions 6) Landslides 7) Other 8) I don’t know

Results:

Almost a quarter of the respondents indicated that increased storms and floods were the main consequence from climate change in Indonesia. Interestingly, this data aligns with one of the country’s main ecological problems—broad stretches of land under constant flood water.

Throughout the past three decades, the mangrove trees surrounding the Indonesian islands have been rapidly destroyed by humans. The communities living on the shore have been cutting back the mangrove trees to have better fish and shrimp farming area and to make room for rice paddies. The mangroves on the coast used to keep the ocean water levels manageable for the islands. Without the lush mangrove trees, the ocean has no barriers to keep water at bay.

Coastal towns across Indonesia wait for tides to roll in each day. During high tide, entire communities are flooded with ocean water. The residents of these areas do not intend to move away from their tight knit fishing towns. Instead, they do their best to live with the daily flooding.

Question: Select all that apply. Which of the following are causes of climate change in Indonesia? 1) Greenhouse gas emissions 2) Cutting down trees 3) Burning of fossil fuels 4) Increasing population 5) Urbanization 6) Others 7) None

Results:

The majority of respondents replied to this question that they perceive cutting down trees as the cause of climate change in Indonesia. The next highest response rate attributes climate change in the region to greenhouse gas emissions, followed by a tie between burning fossil fuels and increasing population.

The responses collected from the survey do point to deforestation as a main issue surrounding climate change in Indonesia. There are over 11.9 hectares of oil palm plantations in Indonesia. Due to the lucrative nature and global demand for palm oil, the acreage of oil palm plantations is massively increasing each year. Indonesia is the most fruitful palm oil producing nation in the world, yet this fact brings the country into the lead for global greenhouse emission levels. Behind China and the United States, Indonesia is the country emitting the most greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Harvesting palm oil involves using heavy machinery to strip land of trees that used to exist there. The harvest process is not only bad for the environment because of deforestation, but it is also harmful because of the greenhouse gasses emitted during harvest and transportation.

The Indonesian harvesters have been confronted about the issues surrounding palm oil production. The farmers respond to negative messages by saying that the economic development of Indonesia should be the focus of government and harvesting should not be regulated. Change in opinion on this subject does not seem promising.

Question: On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being not concerned at all and 10 being very concerned, how concerned are you about the effects of climate change in your country? 

Results:

Although 25% of respondents were not concerned at all with the effects of climate change in Indonesia, 55% of respondents expressed moderate to severe concern—with answers 6-9.

Most of the world’s onlookers cringe at the reality of the climate change situation and it seems as though the majority of Indonesian citizens agree. The survey responses received indicate that Indonesian citizens are aware of the ecological issues in their country—and more than half are concerned about them. 55% of respondents reported being concerned about climate change. Furthermore, when participants were asked to select causes of climate change in Indonesia, the majority of respondents answered: cutting down trees, greenhouse gas emissions, and burning fossil fuels. Each of these responses can be linked to the rampant deforestation in the country caused by palm oil. The citizens of the country do not seem blind to the effects of their nation’s environmentally damaging behavior.

The data from this exploratory GeoPoll study indicates there is need for further exploration of this topic in Indonesia. Future research on this topic will provide more insight into the awareness surrounding the ecological issues in Indonesia.

GeoPoll is highly experienced in remote data collection in hard to reach areas of the world. Our mobile surveying platform has collected information from millions of people across the globe. To learn more about how our capabilities can help your company accomplish research goals, contact us today.

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South Sudan is the newest widely recognized country in the world, and is also one of the world’s poorest countries, with over 80% of the population living on under $1 a day. According to the UNDP, 43% of the total population is severely food insecure, however the issues with food security in South Sudan are getting worse. Five years of civil war in the area has left more than half of the country completely reliant on humanitarian aid. According to the World Food Program, at the beginning of 2018 the levels of hunger and malnutrition reported were at a historic high. Although organizations like the World Food Program are working to combat the starvation, there are many challenges to face. Lack of infrastructure and political conflict in the country make it difficult and dangerous to reach communities with life-saving food. Additionally, the approaching rainy season will create more challenges for reaching the starving people in South Sudan with food aid. For these reasons, it is more important than ever to understand the issues with food security in the country.

Given GeoPoll’s experience with conducting food security and agriculture related surveys, in early June 2018 we ran a remote mobile survey to gather information that could help assess food security concerns across South Sudan. Due to high levels of illiteracy in the country, this survey was conducted using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), in which live interviewers call mobile phones from a call center. In only three days, GeoPoll was able to collect 100 survey responses which shed light on the current food security situation in the country. While this study was exploratory in nature, the results show a high level of food insecurity and demonstrate the need to conduct further research in the area.

Survey Methodology

GeoPoll utilized CATI surveys to gather on-the-ground data on food insecurity in South Sudan. The survey ran for three days— May 31^st, June 4^th, and June 5^th—of 2018. GeoPoll was able to reach respondents in all of the 10 states of South Sudan. The questionnaire asked respondents to provide information about three different time frames—the past 7 days, the past 30 days, and the past 6 months—as well as general questions about demographics and food security in the respondent’s communities.

Results

The survey data collected indicates high food insecurity in South Sudan. Respondents largely indicated that there are limited food supplies and high food prices. The majority of food markets around the country are operational yet are struggling to provide enough provisions to feed their communities. Results suggest that increased demand for the available fare is driving prices up beyond what is affordable for the majority of the respondents: 96% of the people surveyed reported that in the past six months they have not had enough money to purchase food and other basic needs, and just under half of the respondents reported that more than 80% of their communities are lacking enough food to eat because of widespread loss of food stocks, lack of income, or lack of job opportunities.

Results highlights

Question: How many households in your community are lacking food due to widespread loss of food stocks, lack of income, or lack of livelihood opportunities? Would you say…1) more than 80 percent, 2) between 50 and 80 percent, 3) between 50 and 20 percent, 4) less than 20 percent.

Results:

Respondents overwhelmingly reported that people in their communities have insufficient quantities of food due to widespread loss of crops, low income, or low job opportunity. 47% of respondents replied that more than 80% of their communities are suffering. Only 4% of respondents could say that less than 20% of their community was struggling. The results from this study indicate that the majority citizens of South Sudan are currently struggling with hunger.

Question: In the past 30 days, how many days did your household reduce the number of meals eaten in a day due to lack of food/money? (Reply number of days from 0-30).

Results:

The majority of the individuals surveyed responded that every day within the past 30 days their household skipped meals due to lack of food sources and money. 11% of respondents reduced the number of meals exactly half of the time period. However, 13% of respondents did not report any reduction of daily meals and 12% of respondents only had to reduce daily meals once within the past thirty days.

The polarized results from this survey question could be due to a small sample size. Further research could allow for more comprehensive understanding of this topic.

Question: What is the food status like in your community? (open ended response).

Results:

http://https://public.chartblocks.com/c/5b33a7181ea0f69e26669279?t=8e458f754f89456

33% of responses indicate that food is currently very expensive in their community. Only 1% of the people surveyed suggest that the status of food in their community is healthy—and those respondents only see the status of food in their community as okay because they are receiving food from aid organizations.

Conclusions 

GeoPoll’s area experts are confident that food insecurity in South Sudan is likely due to on-going conflict and political instability in the country. Respondents to GeoPoll’s recent survey reaffirm that the level of food insecurity in South Sudan is widespread and significantly impacting the lives of the majority of citizens in the area. The results from this recent exploratory survey establish need for future research on food security in the region, and demonstrates that CATI is a worthwhile method for collecting such data remotely.

Due to the conflict and violence that is plaguing South Sudan, remote data collection was essential for this project. Face to face data collection would have been almost impossible. Mobile data collection through CATI was essential because it allowed for information on the country without the need to send on-the-ground researchers into remote and conflict-ridden areas of South Sudan. Fortunately, GeoPoll has vast experience in conducting food security and agriculture-related research across sub-Saharan Africa. To learn more about our experience in food security, please contact us.

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The proliferation of mobile phones in sub-Saharan Africa opens up new possibilities for data collection. Businesses and the international development community can now collect data via short message service (SMS), interactive voice response (IVR), surveys with a live interviewer (also known as computer-assisted telephone interviewing, or CATI), and through the use of a mobile application. Collecting data via mobile phones also allows for the collection of longitudinal data – meaning data from the same person over a set amount of time. Unlike conducting panel surveys face-to-face, which is still cost prohibitive for most projects, mobile research reduces this cost whilst still providing quality insights as and when they are needed for quick decision making.

The development of Africa as a mobile-first continent has led to great interest in collecting panel data using mobile phones in sub-Saharan Africa. Although research agencies that previously fully relied on traditional data collection methods are now warming up to the idea of using mobile in research, there is still some uncertainty regarding their use in surveys either for qualitative or quantitative research.

As the leading mobile surveying platform, conducting over 7 million surveys per year through the mobile phone, we have encountered and answered numerous questions in various forums and meetings regarding mobile research. In this article, we pick some of the most frequently posed ones and provide answers based on our policies and industry best practices which we have adopted into our operations.

What is mobile sampling?

Access to mobile phones is becoming more widespread across all parts of the globe, and research agencies like GeoPoll are leverage the ubiquitous nature of mobile phones to recruit survey respondents who form a sample.
A sample is a representative number or an entire population. Sampling is the science of using a subset of a population in order to make observations of a larger population.

What is a mobile research panel?

This is a group of respondents recruited via a mobile phone to take part in a number of market research sessions over a period of time in order to collect longitudinal data. This data helps to paint a dynamic picture of people’s economic livelihoods and social well-being – supporting program design, implementation, and evaluation. In contrast, single cross-sectional surveys or repeated cross-sections cannot prospectively show how circumstances in people’s lives change over a time period.

How are active panels of respondents recruited via mobile?

A respondent panel can be built through multiple methods including partnerships with Mobile Network Operators, random digit dialing, and both online and face-to-face recruitment. GeoPoll incrementally invites all mobile phone numbers in a country to complete the GeoPoll registration survey and be eligible for future surveys. GeoPoll then builds an active panel consisting of respondents who have taken a GeoPoll survey in the past and who GeoPoll is able to target by demographics including age, gender, and location.

Are panelists recruited via mobile nationally representative?

Access to mobile phones is becoming more widespread across all parts of the globe, however, the mobile population does not always perfectly match the national population. To account for this, at GeoPoll, we compare the demographic distribution of mobile survey respondents to the most recent census population estimates by age, gender, and the first administrative political geographic boundaries in order to ensure that the surveys are as representative as possible of sampled populations. In addition, GeoPoll regularly recruits respondents to widen our demographic reach and can support face-to-face interviews to reach non-mobile populations.

What is the optimal number of questions in a mobile survey?

In our experience, mobile respondents are often likely to drop out of a survey. Not all mobile respondents complete a survey they have been served. To help reduce the drop-off rate it is important to have an optimal number of questions that ensure that respondents don’t get fatigued. A standard 10- 15 question mobile survey sent either via SMS, mobile web or via a mobile application is the optimal number to ensure a high response rate.

What is the normal response rate for mobile surveys?

As seen in the US for mobile surveys, the response rates for new respondents can be often around 10% or less. The response rates will vary by survey mode, by country, and by project so this can be discussed further with your research agency project team since they are fully responsible for ensuring the highest possible completion rate. Additional research by Lau et. al. 2018 indicate that higher or lower response rates do not necessarily dictate a more ‘valid’ survey when looking at mobile surveys in emerging markets.
For GeoPoll panelists who have completed at least one survey with GeoPoll before, the response rates can be as high at 80%, for example with a daily panel.

Do mobile surveys require smartphones?

Not all of them, there are mobile surveys that can be sent to respondents on their feature phones via SMS or via call. Based on our experience in emerging markets, one is more likely to have a more nationally representative sample when mobile surveys are sent via SMS. This is due to the high penetration rate of feature phones compared to a smartphone or other internet-enabled mobile devices. GeoPoll surveys can be taken on any handset, including basic feature phones, and do not require access to the internet.

How can data security be assured and data privacy be protected when utilizing mobile devices?

Data privacy has become of great concern in recent months following the Cambridge Analytica scandal among other recent events.  As market researchers continue to leverage the new capabilities that modern communication technology brings, concerns arise on how we can safeguard the privacy of our respondents as an industry.

This access to personal data by market research agencies is why it’s so critical that market research industry associations like ESOMAR continue to distinguish market research practices from platform practices. The market research industry, including companies like GeoPoll, abide by a set of ethics in the management of personal information. Not marketing or trying to sell services to survey respondents is critical for ongoing trust and honesty in market research.

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Our Survey Panels in Tanzania
Our ratings insights in Tanzania are collected from 2,000 respondents across the country via mobile surveys and in accordance with international standards and guidelines on use of mobile phones as a means of research data collection. As the leading provider of overnight ratings for TV and radio in Africa, we pride ourselves on offering best-in-class quality, impartiality and speed in all of our work. As a result, multinational firms, local organizations and implementing partners rely on GeoPoll‘s market research insights to make decisions—whether results verify success or identify areas of improvement.

Quarterly KGMM Top Stations Report
KGMM can be used by any industry stakeholder who subscribes to the service, be it a media owner, brand, or agency. We are solely responsible for designing the methodology, validating and releasing the results. GeoPoll respondents are randomly selected to join our panels and provide their direct voice about their views and preferences. On an annual basis, GeoPoll conducts establishment surveys to confirm the top stations in each country and performs other routine methodology improvements. GeoPoll station lists and methodology are fixed and non-negotiable. They are then set in the GeoPoll Technical Methodology Report which is available upon request by the industry.
                                         Figure 1 A breakdown of our KGMM product methodology

PAMRO & ESOMAR Membership
We currently are, and have been a member of Pan African Media Research Organization (PAMRO) since the launch of our KGMM product and we abide by best practices and guidelines of conducting media research in Africa as set out by PAMRO. We are also members of European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR), an international membership organisation for data and research professionals.  We accordingly abide by the highest professional standards and guidelines in market  and mobile research (pdf).

Our Market Research Services Compliance

• Mobile Accord’s GeoPoll market research services are in full compliance with 12 articles of the International Chamber of Commerce – ICC/ESOMAR Code.  Research is defined as, “the systematic gathering and interpretation of information about individuals and organisations. It uses the statistical and analytical methods and techniques of the applied social, behavioral and data sciences to generate insights and support decision-making by providers of goods and services, governments, non-profit organisations and the general public.”
• The code has been signed by more than 60 associations since its inception in 1948 and spans more than 50 countries.
• The ESOMAR code stipulates standards of “ethical and professional conduct designed to maintain public confident in research” to which members must abide. The three fundamental principles are:
  1. Researchers must be transparent with subjects about the purpose of the research
  2. Personal data about the respondents must be protected from unauthorized use
  3. Researchers must be ethical and do no harm to subjects and do no harm to the reputation of market research

                                              Figure 2 A step by step process on how KGMM panels are formed

GeoPoll adheres to all three fundamental principles. We conform to the best-in-class and industry-leading methodology to provide consistent, reliable, fast and affordable data. We firmly and proudly stand by our methodologies and our data and we are happy to discuss these subjects with any person or party at any time.

For any queries and/or clarification, feel free to email us on marketing(at)geopoll(dot)com

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The mobile phone presents a simpler opportunity to reach workers at various points throughout a supply chain. Mobile penetration is on the rise in developing countries: according to GSMA, the association of mobile providers, unique mobile penetration in developing countries is currently at 59%, and expected to rise to 70% by 2020.  Leveraging this technology, GeoPoll has developed a supply chain monitoring product that uses SMS surveys to reach farmers, factory workers, fishing communities, and others who have witnessed or even experienced labor violations. We use SMS to survey workers where they are — while maintaining privacy and security to report issues. The same tool that can alert a supply chain manager of malfeasance by a supplier can be used to disseminate information back to a victim that they can use to access resources and assistance.

GeoPoll uses the mobile phone to survey people throughout Africa and Asia on a wide range of topics: we gather data on food security that helps the World Food Program deliver food aid, report on daily media ratings throughout Africa, and worked with USAID to determine the impact of Ebola on West African economies. Using this technology we surveyed 300 people in coastal regions in Kenya in March 2015 and found that 69% of respondents had witnessed or heard of child labor law violations in the fishing industry, with underage workers being the main violation, followed by poor or dangerous working conditions.

In 2016, as part of the Partnership for Freedom ReThink Supply Chains competition, we expanded the project and surveyed 400 people in five regions of Ghana about labor in the fishing industry.  37.2% of respondents said were aware of people who are forced to work and not permitted to leave, and 53% had heard of or witnessed violations of child labor law.  While 81% said they think the local government is aware of such child labor violations, only 70% thought the government would take action to prevent child labor.  GeoPoll has visualized this data online so those who work on labor issues or with supply chains can easily access it, and has provided the data to local NGOs.

While this initial data only provides a snapshot look into one industry in two countries, it demonstrates the prevalence of human rights violations in global supply chains and the importance of data in quickly remedying such situations.

With the mobile phone, we have a new tool which can help multinationals, NGOs, and governments directly reach workers throughout a supply chain to gather regular, reliable data on working conditions, human trafficking, child and forced labor issues. Importantly, we have seen a willingness from workers themselves to tell us about their experiences — powerful data that we are obliged to act upon.

Samir Goswami is a Business and Human Rights Consultant and Max Richman is Chief Data Scientist at GeoPoll.

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The Ebola crisis in West Africa has brought together aid organizations, governments and private companies from all over the world, which are donating resources and expertise to fight the spread of the disease. And although the outbreak is not yet over, progress is being made.

But one of the most difficult things for these organizations to access has been data. Access to reliable data is imperative in humanitarian situations — it can track the spread of disease or disaster, helps on-the-ground workers track the awareness and perceptions of their response, and assesses long-term impact after aid workers have left. Data is hard to come by during disaster situations, however, and countries most affected by crises often don’t have a robust system of data reporting. It can be difficult for researchers to access areas due to disease outbreak, damaged infrastructure or dangerous security situations.

In spite of these challenges, there are several ways technology and data have been brought together to fight the Ebola crisis — some organizations use mapping data to track spread of disease, others let people report Ebola-related issues through mobile phones. At GeoPoll, we have worked with organizations including the World Food Program and Keystone Accountability to collect data through remote mobile phone surveys that can be used to help target aid distribution and inform on-the-ground workers of citizen perceptions. GeoPoll issues surveys through SMS or voice messages, allowing organizations to quickly gather information nationally or from key areas, which can then be viewed and analyzed in real time.

With WFP, GeoPoll has been conducting monthly surveys on food security in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. Food insecurity is one of the biggest secondary risks of Ebola, as the disease has driven food prices up and made areas with high poverty rates even more dependent on outside aid.

Through remote mobile surveys, WFP was able to get a high-level understanding of the food security situation, finding that, especially in the Ebola epicenters, it was considered “severe” for many.

In November 2014 WFP released the first report of data collected using GeoPoll surveys, reporting that the Reduced Coping Strategy Index, a way to measure the severity of the behaviors households engage in when faced with crises, was high in areas hit hardest by Ebola, including Kailahun and Kenema in Sierra Leone. Over 80 percent of respondents in these areas reported consuming less expensive or preferred foods, and 75 percent reported needing to reduce the number of meals per day and portion sizes due to a lack of food.

The ongoing reports created from remote mobile surveys have been published by WFP’s mVAM unit, and data is being used to target aid and create awareness around the risks of food insecurity in crisis areas.

GeoPoll has also been working with Keystone Accountability’s Ground Truth Solutions team to survey citizens throughout Sierra Leone on the perceptions of the Ebola response and attitudes toward checkpoints, quarantine and welcoming Ebola survivors back into communities. This information is crucial for on-the-ground workers, as it gives them a real idea of how citizens view their progress.

We have been collecting data weekly and biweekly since December 2014, and the data truly does reflect the situation in Sierra Leone. The week of Dec. 3, 70.8 percent of the 350 respondents said they believed the Ebola response was making progress against the spread of the disease. This percentage climbed up steadily as the number of new cases went down, and in the week of Feb. 10, 86.5 percent believed the response was making progress. However, we saw this number decline to 80.2 percent in the week of March 10, and 84.8 percent the week of March 26.

Why is this? We found that the perceptions of the progress went down in early March as cases spiked in Freetown, and transport restrictions that had been stopped were reinstated. Other data points show that between 54 and 60 percent of respondents say people are worried about harassment at checkpoints, and over 70 percent report that people are scared to visit health facilities for non-Ebola related illnesses.

The value of this data is huge. One agency has used this data to request additional funding for quarantine supplies, and another has increased their investment in educational programs surrounding the stigma of Ebola. In addition, it is an excellent example of sharing resources and partnering for more effective development, as both Keystone and GeoPoll have made the data publicly available on our websites so that other organizations can take advantage of the findings.

Data provides increased awareness and knowledge of humanitarian situations, and allows NGOs and governments to act quickly based on accurate, timely information. In keeping with effective development cooperation as defined by the Busan principles, such data helps create transparent and equitable development, as well as ensuring a strong focus on results.

As the Ebola crisis continues, and even after the current outbreak has subsided, data will show the global community long-term effects of the disease, and eventually will inform how governments, organizations and citizens can work together to manages crises better in the future.

This article was originally published on Devex in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. Read more expert comment at http://devcooperation.org. 

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