Somalia IDP Profiling Through Mobile Data Collection 1. Staffing 2. Hardware 3. Software (open source) 4. Things to Consider

Staffing

•Management and maintenance of equipment according to SOPs • XML/ XFORMS programmer to code and test questionnaire for Android Phones (UNHCR could support) • Server side setup (Python and CherryPy) • Programmer to parse XML to flat-file (through talend or otherwise) • Analysis. (R- open source, SPSS/ Stata, mysql queries)

Hardware

Phones must have the Android Operating System – G1/ HTC Dream, and Samsung Nexus are some models. – – – Should be unlocked. More models being tested by UNHCR.

Check for availabilty in Africa. Might not be available in all places.

Secure LAN or Wireless Router – To upload data-files from phones on a routine basis.

– If this is not possible, memory cards can be used, but this will require more time to upload data-file.

BATTERY Charger Stations (car, solar, etc), extra batteries

– The more the better as battery life during data collection has proven to be a few hours.

Software

Phone

Android Operating System Open Data Kit (ODK) Collect: Is the application that reads the .xml code and collects a variety of form data types: text, location, photos, video, audio, and even barcodes.

http://code.google.com/p/opendatakit/downloads/detail?name=ODK%20Collect%20v1.1.5.apk

Building a Form

ODK Build: Only works on simple forms: http://build.opendatakit.org/ Use Notepad ++ with xml plugin http://notepad-plus-plus.org/ Sample Forms: http://code.google.com/p/opendatakit/source/browse?repo=forms http://code.javarosa.org/attachment/wiki/buildxforms/training_form_4.xml

Tutorials on xforms are available.

Validating XML Form

ODK Validate: http://code.google.com/p/opendatakit/downloads/detail?name=ODK%20Validate%20v1.2.jar&can=2&q= JAVAROSA Validate: http://code.javarosa.org/attachment/wiki/JavaRosa-XForm-Validator/javarosa-xform-validator.jar

Software (Contin)

Test your form on an Android Emulator:

Guide on how to install and use the emulator: http://humanitarian-android.org/images/3/37/ODK_How2InstallEmulator.pdf

http://humanitarian-android.org/images/3/39/ODK_How2UseEmulator.pdf

Server repository to manage collected data, and extract data:

Instead of ODK Aggregate, UNHCR has been using

Python 2.6: http://www.python.org/download/ And Cherrypy: http://www.cherrypy.org/wiki/CherryPyDownload •Instructions on how to install the server are available.

Parse the xml data into a flat-file using Talend or other programme. http://www.talend.com/download.php

Things to Consider

•Creating forms is complicated... UNHCR support in programming might be available.

• Pre-test forms and process as much as possible • Be prepared for limited battery life.

• Susceptible to physical damage • Phones, computers crash

Reference Materials

•

Welcome to Open Data Kit

http://code.google.com/p/opendatakit/ •

Documents on installing and using the emulator, and creating an xform:

http://humanitarian-android.org/ODK •

Additional information on:

Xforms tutorials, Using CherryPy, Python, and Talend are

available upon request.