Monitoring and evaluation is a tricky business. We’ve all heard stories of wasted aid money and even well-intentioned programs that somehow fail to move the needle. If there are so many monitors and evaluators all over the world, why does this still happen? The truth is development is hard to evaluate, and experts are always striving towards new ways: collaboration, using multiple methods, and adopting new technologies. Our favorite is the buzz-word we kept hearing throughout the conference: “citizen-based evaluation.” After all, what better way is there to find out if a program or service is working than to ask the people most affected. Let the people speak.

Citizen-based monitoring is what GeoPoll does best, and with technological advances, it’s now possible to have more frequent engagement with stakeholders, thereby better gauging progress and allowing for mid-course corrections when needed. For evaluators, it’s really a brilliant strategy. This isn’t something that replaces other methods, but rather another great tool, and that can enhance the effectiveness of everything in the toolbox.

Donors and governments can argue with negative findings in an evaluation, complaining it was subjective or the evaluators didn’t understand the situation well enough, but how do you argue when thousands of recipients of a project say there was no appreciable impact on their lives, that the water isn’t as readily available as promised, teachers in the new school aren’t showing up, or promised medicine is rarely available at the clinic? In the inverse, how do development agencies and foundations cut funding when thousands of people report how their prospects have been improved since the building of a new road, electric plant, or hospital? It’s hard to disagree with ten thousand voices, one hundred thousand, or even a million.

What I love best at GeoPoll is getting to watch citizen-based monitoring up close and personal- their own voices, no filters, no biases, just the word of the people. It is a thrilling and humbling experience to see a text come in from a young person in Tunisia, a voice recording from a woman in Afghanistan, or a person in the midst of the chaos in Eastern DRC, and to know these are just a few of the thousands of thoughts and opinions we are gathering, That’s people power. Let the people speak!

The post A Survey Worth A Thousand Words appeared first on GeoPoll.

Map of Tunisia

GeoPoll asked questions ranged from an individual’s opinion on the prime minister and president to the constitutional drafting process. The survey data has been being released out to other CSOs, political parties, and traditional media outlets.

In February of 2012, shortly before I-Watch one year anniversary, I-Watch began conducting formal press conferences to release out this data. The structured release of this data has helped catapult I-Watch’s profile within Tunisia and has helped strengthen the organizations communication with the political parties, media, and citizens throughout Tunisia. Currently, the void of this type of data in the country, along with its stake as the only organization conducting a survey at a national level, I-Watch has created a strong sense of credibility. According to Hend Hassassi of AllAfrica, “it is considered to be the largest poll carried out in the history of Tunisia.”

The survey has bolstered the ability of I-Watch and GeoPoll to engage politicians and the media throughout Tunisia. The monthly nature of the survey has demonstrated the evolution of the population’s opinion as well as demonstrating Tunisia’s current atmosphere.

Through the success of the program in helping to raise I-Watch’s profile and enhance awareness of politicians on the issues that matter to their constituents, it is recommended that the program receive additional funding to the end of 2013 after the Constituent Assembly has draft the constitution and first Tunisian Presidential elections have been held.

The survey is being funded by a grant to the National Democratic Institute from MEPI. The program ran until April.

Notable Points:

• Although based in Tunis, the monthly GeoPoll surveys gave I-Watch regional exposure in regions such as Sfax, Kairouan, Kasserine and Gafsa et Bizerte.
• 27 publications including Tunisia Live, Aspenia Online, Tunivisions.net and allAfrica featured articles talking about the results of the surveys
• I-Watch received 3,192 Facebook “likes” between March 23^rd – March 29^th
• As of April 4^th, 2012 74% of I-Watch’s total Facebook page “likes” occurred between March 23^rd – March 29^th
• Global Net wrote a story on the GeoPoll Surveys which received 360 likes on Facebook.
• 40 minute story featured on the National Television Prime Time News

Photo credit: http://www.mapsofworld.com/stock-exchange/maps/tunisia.jpg

The post How mobile development changed Tunisian society appeared first on GeoPoll.