Emily Tomkys Valteri, Alexia Pretari and Simone Lombardini share practical tips to help improve quality in survey data collection, and introduce the latest case study in the ‘Going Digital’ series. Sometimes survey data doesn’t add up: two household members are married to each other and yet have different marital statuses, consent statements have not been fully read, percentages of income …
What can blockchain do for the humanitarian sector?
Nicole Hahn and Josh Hallwright from Oxfam Australia explain why they are excited about the possibilities which blockchain systems offer to improve the effectiveness of aid to the poorest people. It seems as though everyone is talking about cryptocurrencies and blockchain these days and the humanitarian sector is no different. Plenty of people say the whole thing is over-hyped, only …
Technology in humanitarian programming: agility vs standardisation
Laura Eldon and Anna Kondakhchyan reflect on how new technologies are used in humanitarian work, and share learning from Oxfam’s experiences. Here at Oxfam, we are passionate about the potential for new technologies to support the delivery of high quality field activities. Crucially, we believe in taking a ‘responsible’ approach to the use of Information Communication Technologies (or ICTs). Essentially …
Using tech for feedback and complaints in Gaza and the West Bank
Oxfam in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel is trialling the use of a mobile tool to collect, manage and respond to feedback. Nahed Natsheh outlines the benefits of using this technology. Using information communication technology (ICT) for data collection is not new to Oxfam in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel (OPTI), but we have never before used it …
Questioning the use of biometric technology in humanitarian response
Anna Kondakhchyan shares the findings of new research, Biometrics in the Humanitarian Sector, which looks into the benefits and risks of using biometric technology to register people to receive humanitarian aid. How would you feel if refusal to submit your biometric data meant you were excluded from the provision of humanitarian assistance? Biometrics, the measurement of human characteristics through technology such …
The power of radio
For World Radio Day Shivanee Harshey explains how Oxfam India was able to take their message about gender based violence to new audiences through a popular radio show. Radio is a powerful means of communicating at scale. You can make good radio, interesting radio, compelling radio even, without an urgent question or a burning issue. In the development sector our …
How many identities does a person need to receive aid?
By working together to share data with other NGOs we can be more effective at getting aid to those who need it, and provide greater data privacy and security for individuals. Just as our digital identities are changing so are those of crisis-affected people the world over. Many of us increasingly use facial recognition or finger print scanners to unlock …
What we’ve learnt about sharing real-time data
At Oxfam we are continually developing our use of digital technology for surveys. Here Simone Lombardini and Emily Tomkys Valteri reflect on lessons learnt from the process of using and sharing real-time data during fieldwork to conduct Oxfam’s Effectiveness Reviews. In 2015 Oxfam’s Impact Evaluation Advisers started using digital devices to conduct household surveys for Oxfam’s Effectiveness Reviews (ex-post, quasi-experimental …
To use or not to use biometrics? Help us answer the question
Biometric technologies such as iris scanning, fingerprint or facial recognition, have opened up exciting new possibilities for humanitarian aid delivery, but the potential risks are high. That’s why Oxfam is looking for a consultant to conduct research into the safe use of biometrics in humanitarian response: is this an area you are working in? Imagine if you had lost everything …