You guessed it! Project management is discovering more and more uses of the power of the ever present cellphones. Like the internet, cellphones reached the remote rural areas much faster than refrigerators, TV, radio and even electricity did.
Now monitoring and evaluation (M&E) has invaded the cellphone space and is now gaining traction among development facilitators. They are joining the bandwagon for cost effectiveness and the fun of using a technology for the usually tiring and boring ME chores. In this method, the beneficiary-respondents use GMS-enabled phones as point of interest (POI) input devices that feed to a central data server via a database template for aggregation, visualization and even re-dissemination of the processed data over the internet. PMUs can do the four simple steps: (a) create an account, (b) download and install a software, (c) collect location data and (d) upload, and view and analyze over the web portal. The process is simple, paperless, and guarantees real time data monitoring. It allows for instantaneous response and actions from the field.
POIMapper® is one such system. PoiMapper is a mobile POI data collection and sharing solution. It is suitable for development projects focusing on: health, education, agriculture, forestry, mining, governance, land use management, climate change, disaster management and for commercial applications like installation and maintenance of telecommunications equipment. It is offered with a complete cost-effective SaaS (software-as-service) model and is provided by Pajat Management and global partners, who also provide related services such as training, on-site support and organization/sector-specific customization.
With Plan International, POIMapper has three installations: Thailand, India and Kenya. You can download a full description in this site.
For a limited time, individuals and organizations can avail of a free POIMapper installation starting here.
