Platforms and digital tools
The problem we solve
Much software assumes a fast connection, a quiet office and a user with time to spare. Field teams in Uganda have none of these. They work in bright sun, out of network range, with phones that need to last all day. Organisations end up with tools that are powerful on paper and frustrating in practice, or with paper forms and spreadsheets passed around by email.
We build the digital tools that our research and learning work depends on, and we build them for clients too. Because we run field research ourselves, we start from the conditions on the ground: offline first, simple to learn, quick to sync, hard to get wrong. The aim is simple: less paper, fewer errors and faster answers.
What we do
Digital data collection
We set up survey instruments on digital data collection platforms for tablets and phones, run phone-survey and call-centre operations, and build live quality-control dashboards. Where there is no signal, we build offline-first field apps that store data safely on the device and sync when a connection returns.
Research & M&E information systems
We design databases and reporting systems that track indicators, respondents and fieldwork in real time.
Learning platforms
We build corporate and school training platforms, put course content online and track learner progress.
Websites & digital presence
We design and develop websites, plan digital communication and set up an online presence for organisations and projects. Sites are fast, accessible and secure, and your own staff can update them.
In practice
Phone surveys for Evaluasi LLC (USA), 2020–2021
During the COVID-19 restrictions we moved a baseline and endline study onto the phone. We reviewed and translated the instruments, entered them into a digital data collection platform, and recruited and trained the interviewers. We then ran the surveys with 440 respondents in Lugazi and Jinja.
How we work
- Understand the workflow. We watch how the work is done today, in the field and in the office.
- Prototype early. You see and test something real within weeks, not months.
- Build in steps. Each release adds working features, tested on real devices.
- Hand over properly. Documentation, training and support, so you are not dependent on us.
Who it is for
Products
Tools we’ve built
A selection of the tools we have designed, built and deployed for real fieldwork, and now offer to our clients.
TW
TraceWalk
TraceWalk is an offline-first mobile app that helps field teams collect accurate location data in areas with little or no connectivity. Survey teams relocate stored GPS points with live guidance, record transects and the paths actually walked, and capture geotagged photos and landmarks, all offline. Data syncs automatically once a connection returns.
- Offline-first navigation with downloadable maps and boundaries
- GPS point relocation with live distance, bearing and ETA
- Transect and walked-path recording
- Geotagged photo and landmark capture with automatic syncing
- Team management and role-based work assignment
ACS
ACSGuide
ACSGuide (pronounced “axe guide”) runs Adaptive Cluster Sampling from start to finish, for surveys of populations that are rare, clustered and have no sampling frame. Sampling teams design the study area and block grid on the web; enumerators walk their blocks offline on Android, apply the expansion rule and are guided to the units selected for interview.
- Study-area and block-grid design on interactive maps
- Random initial sample selection with a frozen, auditable design
- Offline-first Android app for walking blocks and listing units
- Integrity guards: provenance tracking and no block substitution
- Design-based estimation and role-based team management
CT
CEGER Training Platform
The CEGER Training Platform trains, tests and selects field enumerators across several research programmes. It replaces paper, Word and spreadsheet workflows with one place where enumerators learn, trainers set exams and managers make hiring decisions, and it is in daily use by CEGER’s UCSB and PASGR field teams.
- Portals for enumerators, trainers and managers
- Lessons with progress tracking and milestones
- Auto-graded exams and practice question banks
- Composite scores to support hiring decisions
- Dashboards with Excel export, an audit log and single sign-on for ACSGuide
CEGER
CEGER Website
We designed and built the website of the Centre for Governance and Environmental Research (CEGER): a fast, accessible WordPress block theme that CEGER’s staff manage themselves, from the homepage to projects, insights and an opportunities hub.
- Custom block theme with an admin-managed homepage builder
- Projects portfolio with filters and detail pages
- Opportunities hub with automatic expiry and job schema
- Accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA) and performance tuning
- Security hardening and automated backups