PRIMER RapidSMS

Dynamic data collection, logistics coordination and communication.

AT A GLANCE Function: Bulk mobile data collection and messaging via SMS Website: www.rapidsms.org Tools: Mobile phone and Internet-enabled PC License: Free and open source Experience required: Strong technical skills needed to install and configure Similar applications: FrontlineSMS, EpiSurveyor

RapidSMS, created by the UNICEF Innovations Lab in 2008, enables mass-scale data collection and messaging. The tool gives users a powerful mechanism to collect and distribute large data sets efficiently via a Web-based platform that is accessible by multiple users simultaneously. RapidSMS allows for the management of quantitative data (for surveys, pattern tracking, etc.) as well as qualitative information in the form of recorded audio and video, which is valuable for gathering and redistributing content via community radio.

Once configured, remote field workers or local community members send SMS texts to a shortcode that is tied to a central computer. The syntax they use determines which form they respond to and how the data should be interpreted at the central computer. The system can display aggregated data graphically through its Web-based interface, or users can download data for use in proprietary spreadsheet applications.

The RapidSMS hub is able to send mass SMS texts to large audiences based on preselected group criteria (the system does not support direct messages to individual mobile phone numbers), but central organizations must be wary of the associated service costs imposed by local mobile operators. This feature is particularly useful for sending, for example, rainfall estimates to agricultural workers or maternal health advice to expectant mothers.

Cost, sustainability and limitations: SMS feeds

The RapidSMS platform (Source: RapidSMS) apply to all incoming and outgoing messages. Organizations must also support a stable Internet

This primer is a product of the Open Development Technology Alliance, a World Bank knowledge platform. www.opendta.org or http://odta. CASE STUDY: NUTRITIONAL SURVEILLANCE IN

After Malawi’s severe 2002 famine, the Integrated Nutrition and Food Security Surveillance system (INFSS) was established with technical assistance from Action Against Hunger (ACF) and support from the Malawi government. As part of the initiative, the nutritional status of approximately 9,000 children needed to be monitored across all districts in the country.

Traditionally, data was collected on paper forms, then distributed vis district health managers to a central office in Lilongwe, where the information was manually entered into datasets for analysis. RapidSMS was implemented in this system in an effort to streamline the process by improving the speed and quality of the information transfer process.

As a result, data transmission time improved from two to three months to about two minutes. Data quality discrepancies due to illegible handwriting were eliminated, and entry errors in the first month of testing were reduced from 14.2 percent to 2.8 percent. Operating costs were significantly lower as the need for manual input by a full-time staff team was eliminated. The project won USAID’s 2008 Development 2.0 Challenge for its accomplishments.

RapidSMS’ versatility has been proven in various other cases, such as supply-chain management in and supply monitoring in . UNICEF, UNDP, WHO and the World Bank continue to deploy the system in their projects.

connection and supply mobile phones to those participants who do not have access to such devices. In some cases, organizations would also need to fund an external technician to install, configure and maintain the RapidSMS platform during a project. Due to its high customizability, RapidSMS is one of the most technically advanced applications of its kind, meaning experienced software programmers must be integrated into the project’s operational strategy. Participants need only be familiar with basic SMS functionality, making this tool widely accessible.

ODTA contact: [email protected]

Additional resources: How To RapidSMS http://mobileactive.org/howtos/rapidsms-review) users’ manual (http://bit.ly/ACs74K) Nigeria case study (http://bit.ly/dAzKMJ) RapidSMS platform video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyjEruT5uoU)

This primer is a product of the Open Development Technology Alliance, a World Bank knowledge platform. www.opendta.org or http://odta.