VL Uganda’s M&E Team Driven to Deliver the Data

This week’s Fist Bump goes to the M&E team for VL Uganda. Uganda began Phase 1 of its 2020 IRS campaign on March 3^rd with complex challenges. The M&E team was tasked with updating thousands of organizational units in VectorLink Collect, while facing data loss due to issues with the desktop application and disrupted internet connectivity. Shortly after Phase 1 and before Phase 2 of the campaign, the entire country was sent into lockdown due to COVID -19, creating further difficulties as they tried to complete data entry and cleaning for Phase 1. Initially, data entry centers were not able to operate due to the restrictions. Once data centers were operable, many of the Data Entry Clerks (DECs) were still unable to move freely to the data entry centers.

Once data entry was underway again, the team devised novel approaches to managing data entry, which included work shifts for the DECS and expanding the space within their data entry centers. In the midst of these challenges, the M&E team worked tirelessly to plan for Phase 2. The team developed new ways of working to ensure social distancing for the DECS, and to reduce multiple people coming into contact with the data collection forms. This meant that forms were set aside for the first 24 hours after they arrived at the data entry center. Despite delays with Phase 1 and a reduced number of DECs available to work on Phase 2, the team successfully ensured that the data entry and cleaning for Phase 1 and 2 were completed on schedule.

Kudos to Denis Ambayo, Evaline Ajwang and Patrick Orumasido for going above and beyond to ensure efficient data entry operation and for successfully completing the campaign.