GeoPoll has worked with Internews to collect audience measurement data since 2016, and has previously shared data with media outlets, but this was the first year that the data was presented in a public forum so that media outlets could ask questions about the data and use the data publicly. Data is collected through SMS surveys using the mobile-based methodology that GeoPoll developed as part of its audience measurement product, which was launched in 2014 and has been used to gather audience data in 15 countries throughout Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.

At the Media Market Day, GeoPoll presented the findings, which included data around top watched TV stations nationally, the highest ratings throughout the day, and ratings by gender and age. Media business expert Steve Ahern of AMT Australia explained how stations could use this data to improve program targeting and increase their advertising revenue. The reaction to this data was very positive, as media outlets felt they could use it to better understand their audience and the factors that contribute to ratings, which will ultimately improve their businesses. Interest in similar data for print outlets was also expressed by attendees.  Highlights of the data include the below insights. To learn more about this project or request a copy of the full report presented at the Media Market Day, please contact GeoPoll here.

Television Ratings in Liberia

• The top most watched stations include: LNTV, Sky TV, and Power TV.
• LNTV is the leading TV station nationally with an average audience share of 49% followed by Sky TV with 18% share. Power TV and KMTV are ranked 3rd and 4th positions respectively, with Light and CU TV closing out the top 6.
• On weekdays, LNTV achieves its highest ratings around 8:30-9:00 am, and again in the evening between 7:30pm-9:30pm.
• SkyTV and LightTV had higher audience share among females than males, while LNTV dominates among males, with a 55% male audience share. In terms of affinity, males are most loyal to LNTV and KMTV while amongst females LightTV has the highest affinity.
• Over time, audience share has increased dramatically for LNTV. Sky TV and Power TV have also seen an increase in audience share since March 2017.

Radio Ratings in Liberia:

• National Radio listenership is lead by ELBC with an average share of 23%, followed by Truth, ECOWAS, and Radio Gbarnga.
• ELBC has a strong lead in listenership throughout the day with highest ratings between 6-8am on weekdays.
• Both Truth and ECOWAS radio have higher ratings in the evening, between 6-10pm.
• The female audience is more split than the male audience, with 45% of females listening to an unlisted “other” station and 17% listening to ELBC on average, while “other” stations have a share of 33% amongst males and ELBC has a 27% male audience share.
• ELBC has increased its share of listenership over time, going from 17% share in March 2017 to 23% in September 2018.

Top radio stations in Liberia by province:

• Nimba: HOTT FM
• Sinoe: Smile
• Bomi: Radio Bomi
• Bong: ELBC
• Grand Bassa: Radio Gbehzon
• Grand Cape Mount: Radio Cape Mount
• Grand Gedeh: ELBC
• Lofa: ELBC
• Margibi: ELBC
• Maryland: ELBC
• Montserrado: ELBC

Purchase Behavior in Liberia:

• 38% have made a purchase as a result of watching TV, and of those 59% made the purchase on the same day they watched TV.
• 44% have made a purchase as a result of listening to the radio, with 69% of those making the purchase on the same day.
• 35% have made a purchase based on something they saw on the internet, with 67% making the purchase on the same day.

For more information on GeoPoll Audience Measurement, visit this page.

The post Audience Data from Liberia Presented at Media Market Day appeared first on GeoPoll.

Jeremy Bowles (PhD student in Government at Harvard University) and Horacio Larreguy (Associate Professor of Government at Harvard University) are conducting a study in partnership with GeoPoll using CATI to understand how perceptions of candidates to the Liberian House of Representatives are affected by a series of debates held ahead of the October 10 general election. What is CATI and what are the best practices in CATI project implementation?

The study is conducted in partnership with United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the USAID-funded Internews Liberia Media Development (LMD) project, and NORC at the University of Chicago, an objective non-partisan research institution. Through a baseline and end-line survey across all 73 electoral districts in Liberia, GeoPoll is administering a survey through computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) that tracks perceptions of district-level candidates before and after the 2017 general election.

What is CATI?
CATI is a method of mobile data collection through which live enumerators call a respondent on their mobile phone and administer the survey live with the respondent. The study leaders and GeoPoll determined CATI as the preferred mobile data collection method due to logistical and financial conditions that did not allow for an in-person survey, concerns that an SMS survey would limit the length of the survey, and the politically-sensitive nature of the questions. 

How do we decide on CATI?
During the design stage of any project, GeoPoll works with its project partners to assess which mode is most appropriate for the project’s end goal. CATI is frequently advantageous in situations where the target beneficiary group may be illiterate, or when the survey covers a complex or sensitive topic.

CATI Best Practices
Launching the CATI center in Liberia for this project highlights several best practices in CATI project implementation, especially on projects aimed at reaching hard-to-reach populations: 

1. Understand the mode most appropriate for the target beneficiary population at the design stage. In instances where the survey covers complex or sensitive topics, a live call survey method may encourage a higher response rate than another method of mobile survey data collection.
2. For a location-based study, understand how to reach respondents at their verified specific location. This project aims to reach respondents at a very specific location – their electoral district – which was not pre-identifiable in the GeoPoll database. Through a survey design that includes routing CATI enumerators to a list of possible electoral districts per county, GeoPoll was able to locate users at this specific sub-location to assure that the candidate they were referencing was that respondent’s district candidate.
3. In survey design, understand how the target population will interpret political questions. For instance, what type of voting information will respondents have on hand? Will respondents know their voting center or candidate names? This information is necessary to ensure respondents’ ability to answer questions accurately.

Project Implementation
To implement the Liberia Candidate Debates survey, GeoPoll set up a CATI calling center specifically for the project.  Steps GeoPoll took to set up the CATI center included: 

1. GeoPoll hired approximately 25 Liberian enumerators and call managers. Local enumerators are important in CATI so that calls are done in the local language and dialect;
2. GeoPoll CATI implementation specialists traveled to Monrovia to train the local enumerators and set up data collection and quality control systems;
3. Utilizing the GeoPoll database, which has more than 1 million mobile phone users in Liberia, enumerators called up to 300 phone numbers per day, which were pre-stratified by county in Liberia. The respondent’s particular electoral district within that county was then confirmed through questions in the survey;
4. The baseline survey assessed respondents’ levels of political information, knowledge of particular political topics, preferences over policy issues in the local district, and voting intentions. Respondents were asked if they had listened to the district-level candidate debates, what the most important issue was in their district, and which Representative running in their district they planned to vote for. As with all GeoPoll surveys, all answers to the survey are confidential. These perceptions will be compared to the results of a post-survey after the election.

GeoPoll completed the baseline survey of nearly 5,000 respondents prior to the election; the end-line survey is currently under way. Watch for future installments of this blog post series to see the later stages of the project.

The post Tracking Perceptions of District-Level Candidates in Liberia through Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) appeared first on GeoPoll.

MAI, through its mobile survey platform GeoPoll, provides real-time data and information to be used for activity design, adaptive program management, and monitoring and evaluation across all technical sectors.

SBAIC is a membership forum established to promote the meaningful utilization of small business in international development. Members are small companies in good standing with a solid track record of providing services to USAID and other federal agencies around the world. SBAIC currently has 167 members, of which more than half are small disadvantaged businesses.

GeoPoll and USAID

GeoPoll has extensive experience working in international development, including with USAID, World Food Programme, Gates Foundations, and others. GeoPoll partners with USAID and USAID-funded projects that span food security, governance, youth, health, and emergency interventions.

Under USAID’s Liberia Media Development program, GeoPoll collects monthly data across 2,400 Liberians regarding listenership, viewership, and usage across TV, radio, print and digital. We then work with implementing partners and media entities to strengthen the sustainability of media houses, and a freer media, in Liberia. For the first time ever in Liberia, media data is being used by local media outlets, such as the Liberia Media Center and Press Union of Liberia, to determine station performance, profitability, and growth.

On the USAID Kenya Youth Employment and Skills Program (K-YES), GeoPoll examines youth market conditions, employment opportunities and financial awareness. Geo-referencing capabilities enable us to focus on the 5 focal counties of the K-YES activity, sending surveys within 24 hours to individuals who have recently received trainings by K-YES; GeoPoll also follows up with beneficiaries months later to identify long-term trends and impact of K-YES interventions.

Previously, GeoPoll supported the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) project to understand the supply chain and food trade during Ebola. GeoPoll developed a panel of food and market traders in a variety of sectors (such as palm oil and cassava) in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The panel-based bi-weekly and monthly surveys collected data on food trade supplier availability, frequency of trade, and market availability over one year.

For more information on SBAIC, visit their website.

The post Mobile Accord/GeoPoll becomes an SBAIC Member appeared first on GeoPoll.

The event kicked-off with a keynote from Gustav Paekelt asking the room where our mobile moonshot will come from and to focus making things “simple, scalable, affordable, integrated, and social.” The morning consisted of panel on the M4D sector, bookended by lightning talks that reminded us all to keep people in the heart of the work we do.

After lunch, Chris Locke from GSMA tried to answer two questions: “1. What does a sustainable digital economy look like? 2. How does the role of development organizations evolve?” In the process he introduced some new findings from forthcoming research in conjunction with iHub Research (stay tuned!).

The afternoon panel covered financing, from micro-donations to large scale foundation funding, seed venture and to larger-scale capital investment. Inspiring “big ideas” talks from innovators from Congo, Ghana, Kenya and USAID Mobile Solutions concluded the evening.

Some takeaways:

• Thousands of pilots and projects are great but there is a clear push to move towards products
• Our efforts need to speak to the purse, not just the heart, of mobile network operators
• Data is essential for demonstrating impact & mobile helps unlock new ways to capture such data
• To achieve “scale,” going big in just one country may not be enough

GeoPoll leaves the day having learned loads and making many great contacts. Big thanks to the organizers for the invitation and a job well done!

The post Mobile Conference 2013 Recap appeared first on GeoPoll.