Unicef's RapidSMS Speeds Relief to Developing Nations
Mobile is continually being used in dynamic, innovative ways to change communications--and the world. A great new example of this is RapidSMS, a suite of mobile tools that UNICEF employs to see where there are problems, respond quickly, and allocate resources effectively.
Created by UNICEF's Innovations and Development team and the Millenium Village Project at Columbia University, Rapid SMS is an open source framework for mobile messaging systems. Essentially, it is to mobile what Django or Ruby on Rails are to the web. Using this system, developers can create SMS forms to collect data through texting. It has optional audio capabilities so people can leave voice messages or hear audio clips over the phone. The system also includes a Web interface with spreadsheets and graphs for easy analysis.
While RapidSMS still requires some cost, the advantages to texting is that there's none of the expense or time associated with sending workers to the region. Instead, locals can easily be trained to do the reporting themselves. This quick collection and availability of data can help aid agencies intervene if the statistics show a crisis is unfolding.
The system is currently undergoing a four-month trial run in Malawi to monitor child malnutrition, and UNICEF has used it to deliver food in Ethiopia after a drought. They found the results to be "dramatic."
Previously, UNICEF monitored the distribution of food by sending a small set of individuals who traveled to each feeding center. The monitor wrote down the amount of food that was received, was distributed, and if more food was needed. There had been a two week to two month delay between the collection of that data and analysis, prolonging action. In a famine situation each day can mean the difference between recovery, starvation, or even death. The Ethiopian implementation of RapidSMS completely eliminated the delay.
The program is still in alpha, so it’s undergoing heavy development. One drawback is that at the moment it requires strong technical skills to install and configure. However, RapidSMS has great potential, particularly when it comes to aiding the developing world. That’s especially true now that the GSMA has predicted that 90 percent of the world will be covered by a mobile network by 2010.
