Before starting your MDC survey, the system needs to be set up with computer, router and phones. If you are borrowing material from UNHCR Headquarters, it should be ready to use when you receive it in-country (installed with latest version of ODK, server installed on the computer and router set up). If you are maintaining your own equipment, the system should be set up by someone with IT experience and trained on the procedures. You can receive support from HQ for this. Please make sure you have the latest version of ODK and server installed and the latest version of the questionnaires before you start the survey.
Once the survey coordinator is on the ground, s/he needs to be able to use the equipment. The survey coordinator should have received training on ODK, otherwise a mobile technology expert should be deployed from HQ or regional office to support the survey coordinator.
To use the system, you first need to plug in the router and connect your computer to the wireless network provided by the router. When the computer and router are connected, you can start your server. Once the server is running on the computer, the mobile phones can access the server via the local wireless network provided by the router (no internet connection required). It is over this network connection that data will be transferred from the mobile phones to the server on the computer. At this point, the equipment is ready for uploading the locally adapted questionnaires and the mobile phones are ready for survey training and field testing. The following tool (see below) takes you through to the step of launching your server and uploading questionnaires.
Please note that UNHCR can provide necessary training of survey coordinators and also provides all necessary technical support before, during and after data collection.
View Tool 1: Launching and Using the Server in Tools.
Downloads
SENS Mobile Technology – Start Your Server and Basic Use of It 