Henry Lucas

Real Time Monitoring for the Most Vulnerable: Concepts and Methods

In assessing the value of different approaches to real‐time monitoring for the most vulnerable, an initial requirement is to set out a conceptual framework that provides at least some degree of clarity as to what precisely is meant by ‘real time’, ‘monitoring’ and ‘vulnerable’– all terms that can be highly context‐specific. That is the first task addressed here. The second is to consider potential sources of data that might be used to undertake real‐time monitoring and assess their advantages and disadvantages for the present purpose. Four general approaches are considered – community‐based participatory monitoring, sentinel sites, routine data systems and rapid surveys – and selected examples from the literature are given to illustrate the potential use and limitations of their applications. -super-1

Introduction: Real Time Monitoring for the Most Vulnerable - Investing in Common Guidance for Equity and Quality

Growth in the use of real‐time digital information for monitoring has been rapid in developing countries across all the social sectors, and in the health sector has been remarkable. Commonly these Real Time Monitoring (RTM) initiatives involve partnerships between the state, civil society, donors and the private sector. There are differences between partners in understanding objectives, and further divergence often occurs due to adoption of specific technology‐driven approaches and because profit‐making is a part of the equation for some partners. With the swarming, especially of pilot mHealth initiatives, in many countries there is risk of chaotic disconnects, of confrontation between rights and profits, and of overall failure to encourage appropriate alliances to build sustainable and effective national RTM systems. What is needed is a country‐led process for strengthening the quality and equity sensitivity of real‐time monitoring initiatives. This article proposes the development of an effective learning and action agenda centred on the adoption of common guidance.

The RIM Initiative in Vietnam: ‘Prioritise Rapid Results rather than Publishable Results’

The 2009 Rapid Impact Monitoring (RIM) initiative in Vietnam was one of a number of studies undertaken in East Asia and Pacific countries to assess the initial poverty and social impacts of the global economic crisis. In Vietnam, the exercise was undertaken by the Centre for Analysis and Forecasting (CAF) of the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences (VASS). A favourable response to the findings led to additional RIM exercises in 2010 and 2011. It has been suggested that it should become a permanent feature of the policy process in Vietnam, assessing the impacts of both external shocks and major policy initiatives. This case study was intended to assess the RIM as an RTM tool, and more generally to assess the potential value of qualitative RTM exercises. The key finding was that such exercises can play an important role in situations where current, reliable data from other sources is lacking.

Real Time Monitoring and the New Information Technologies

Debates as to the potential role of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in monitoring the wellbeing of vulnerable groups is often bedevilled by the failure of two principal actors – social researchers and technical experts – to address the others concerns or even to use language that is comprehensible to the other side. The aim here is to unpick some of the technical language relevant in this context and provide a brief introductory guide to some aspects of the current, rapidly changing and highly diverse ICT environment.